Twitter today introduced Snapchat-style QR codes, which are designed to make it easier to find and follow friends on the social network. Each Twitter QR code is unique to an individual Twitter user, so when scanned, it'll bring up the person's account.

To access your Twitter QR code, you'll need the official Twitter app for iOS. In the app, go to your profile, tap on the gear icon, and select the "QR Code" option to generate your own personal QR code or scan someone else's code.

twitterqrcode
Scanning a QR code is as simple as using the iPhone's camera to either scan from a secondary screen or an image you've saved to the camera roll. You can follow MacRumors on Twitter by scanning the below code with your iPhone and the Twitter app.

macrumorsqrcode
QR codes were first made popular by Snapchat as a quick way to find your friends without having to search for them, but they may not be as popular on Twitter because the QR code settings are buried so deeply within the app.

Twitter's QR codes are currently rolling out to users and may not be immediately available for everyone.

Twitter for iOS can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tag: Twitter

Top Rated Comments

Slix Avatar
113 months ago
Because sending an @ handle or a link is too difficult these days. *eye roll*
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vjl323 Avatar
113 months ago
Because sending an @ handle or a link is too difficult these days. *eye roll*
There's one very good use of QR codes that do make this useful - "IRL" use. Eg: Follow Us on (insert social media name and URL here). Having a sign with a Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest/Twitter/etc links - people with smart phones will look at it, and maybe they will stop to type the URL out. But if they see a QR code, they can simply snap a shot of it and later use the social media app to load that QR code in and 'friend' or 'follow' the business.

Yes, they could take a pic of the URL, but then you have the whole "look at the URL, type part of it in a browser, visit the photo again to make sure i didn't make typos, etc" and that's a bit of a pain when you're trying to do something quickly.

For online - yeah, QR codes are harder, but if you've got a business and have cards or signs up, that's a very quick way to send people your profile info w/o having to make them type a URL.

Bonus points for making the QR codes slightly different if using it to send a customer to one's own website - you can have the URL embedded in the QR code lead to a different URL (which redirects to the home page) and analyze the logs later to see which QR codes people are scanning when in a store/business (each sign with the QR code would be tracked, so if a customer scans it on the front door sign, you'd know vs the sign in a different part of the building - same with printing it on a biz card - this way you can track an "offline referer" of sorts - so you know the person used a biz card, or a front door sign to discover your website).
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Michael Scrip Avatar
113 months ago
Random question about QR codes in general (not about Twitter):

When you see QR codes printed on a poster or something in the real world... what are you supposed to scan them with? Does it need a special app? How is this not built into the OS ?

If I have this question... will the average person know what to do with them?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vjl323 Avatar
113 months ago
Random question about QR codes in general (not about Twitter):

When you see QR codes printed on a poster or something in the real world... what are you supposed to scan them with? Does it need a special app? How is this not built into the OS ?

If I have this question... will the average person know what to do with them?
Good question; Apple embraced QR codes with iOS 7, but has kept them limited to the Wallet app; many 3rd party camera apps, however, recognize QR codes automatically and will open up a browser when viewing the code. But you're correct in that most folks who just use the native camera app and don't use the Wallet app, will not know what they need to download to use it.

I do see a lot [a lot!] of Android folks using their phone to scan QR codes on items in stores - I have never looked close enough to see what kind of app they were using, but Android too lacks native QR scanning for this kind of purpose.

You can see how quick Apple's QR reading is by scanning a QR code with Wallet [add a Pass to get to the QR reading screen].

That said, paper business cards that have my QR code are used daily [the biz card's QR code goes to a specialized link, so I can see in my logs that they came via the biz card]. Granted, those who have my biz card tend to be more into technology for technology's sake, so my experience with that is a bit skewed.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
113 months ago
We did some research when I was studying marketing in college in early 2012 (I minored in that and photography in addition to my design degree) and not many people actually use QR codes. We found the same thing when I got a job at another university on the marketing and communications team. Students weren't engaging with them IRL and our survey showed only a fraction knew how to use them. I also think they're ugly, have poor UX, and as there is no native support for them on iOS, I recommended that we stop using them and my boss agreed. They were a trendy marketing thing that was popular for a while because it made you seem tech-savvy to your middle aged boss who doesn't understand digital marketing, and somehow it still hasn't completely died off.

It kind of works for Snapchat because they invented their own system in the iconic shape of their app icon and the ability to scan is built into the app itself. This is yet another example of Twitter throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks because nobody wants to buy them. At least they could have made them more unique to their own the brand rather than just sticking a tiny avatar in the center and a small bird in one corner.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tennisproha Avatar
113 months ago
By using them in the Wallet app - as my post said. :) Open Wallet and then tap the "+" for adding a new pass. You'll then be able to use Apple's QR reader to add a pass into your Wallet. Works very well, and because this tends to be a one-time thing [unlike ApplePay competitors who use QR codes which is a complete waste of time], it is a very fast way to get a pass into your wallet app.

Using QR codes for transactions [eg: what ApplePay competitors tend to do] is foolish and wasteful; but using QR codes to save typing out a long string of characters that auto correct could "fix" and slow down the process even further, is a good thing. No fear of typos, and it is a lot faster than typing a URL out [not everyone has short domain names nor wants to create a short URL from another company to print on their signs/biz cards/marketing material] or typing a long string of numbers and letters for adding a Wallet Pass.
I didn't know you could do that. Thanks for explaining. And I agree with your reasoning. It makes sense.

I'm also a big fan of Apple Pay. Works great.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 17 Models Rumored to Feature Redesigned Dynamic Island

Monday July 7, 2025 7:38 am PDT by
iPhone 17 models will feature a redesigned Dynamic Island user interface, according to a post today from Digital Chat Station, an account with more than three million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The account has accurately leaked some information regarding future Apple products in the past. The account did not share any specific details about the alleged changes that are ...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...