How to share contact information with a QR code

The simplest contact-sharing flow

Start by deciding what the moment calls for. A client may need your work email, company, title, LinkedIn profile and portfolio. A new friend may only need your first name, phone number and Instagram. The best QR code is not the one with the most information; it is the one with the right information.

Open the QR code on your phone at a comfortable size and brightness. The other person can scan it with the normal camera app. When the QR contains a standard vCard, compatible phones can present the details as a contact instead of sending the visitor through a public profile page.

• ✓Choose only the fields that fit the situation
• ✓Use a standard vCard for broad compatibility
• ✓Test the code with both iPhone and Android
• ✓Keep a backup sharing option available

Privacy matters before the scan

A QR code can contain the information itself or point to a webpage that stores it. Direct vCard codes can work offline and avoid publishing a permanent public profile. Web-based cards can be easier to update, but they may depend on an account, hosting service and internet connection.

If you regularly meet different kinds of people, create more than one card. Separate work, social, event and personal details so you never have to expose everything just to share one useful link.

Make one now or keep cards ready

For an occasional contact code, use jekkil’s free browser-based vCard QR generator. It creates the code on your device and does not upload the form contents.

For repeated sharing, jekkil keeps multiple cards and Quick Links ready on your phone. You choose the card, show the QR, and the other person scans without needing a jekkil account.