How to Use WhatsApp QR Codes to Add Contacts

Adding people to WhatsApp has always been a twisted story. It’s as simple as adding a contact to your phone, but the whole process of typing numbers, saving the number, finding the contact on WhatsApp and finally being able to send them by message is exhausting. Fortunately, the process was made easier by the introduction of QR codes in WhatsApp. You can now add your friends or others by scanning their WhatsApp QR code.

Previously, you had to use third-party services to create a QR code for WhatsApp. But the same functionality is present in WhatsApp now. Spotted first in Beta versions of WhatsApp, WhatsApp users can now use QR codes.

If you are curious about WhatsApp QR codes, we will guide you on how to use WhatsApp QR codes to add people in this message. Let’s start.

What are WhatsApp QR codes

WhatsApp QR codes are scannable codes that can be used to add people to WhatsApp without manually entering their numbers. You need to scan the QR code and WhatsApp will offer you the opportunity to save the contact. After saving it, the chat window will open automatically.

For the ignorant, WhatsApp offers three different QR codes – personal QR code, group QR code and WhatsApp web code. While the first is used to add personal contacts, the second helps to invite group members. We will cover the first one here. The third, which deals with the WhatsApp Web, is completely different from the other two. It is used to connect to the WhatsApp web on the desktop.

WhatsApp QR codes do not remove the hassle of adding a contact before sending them by messenger. It is still necessary. You can use the Click to chat function
WhatsApp to send a message to someone on WhatsApp without saving their number.

Supported devices for WhatsApp QR codes

WhatsApp QR codes can be created and scanned from mobile apps (Android and iOS) only. The feature is not available for WhatsApp web.

Note: Update your WhatsApp application if the QR code function is missing on your phone.

How to create a WhatsApp QR code for your number

To generate your WhatsApp QR code, follow these steps:

Step 1: Launch WhatsApp on your mobile phone.

2nd step: On Android, tap the three dots icon at the top and go to Settings. You will find the QR code icon next to your name. Tap it.

On iOS, tap the Settings tab at the bottom. Then tap the QR icon next to your name.

Step 3: You will be redirected to the screen of the QR code. Here you will find your QR code. If someone is with you, they can scan the code directly, as shown below.

Here’s what the screen looks like on iOS.

How to share WhatsApp QR code with others

To send your WhatsApp QR code to other people, you can either take a screenshot of the QR code screen or use the WhatsApp native sharing feature.

For the latter, tap the share icon at the top of the QR code screen on Android or iPhone. Select the app from which you want to send the QR code image to other people. You can share via email, other messaging apps like Facebook Messenger, Telegram, etc., or even via WhatsApp.

How to add WhatsApp contacts using QR code

To add someone on WhatsApp using their QR code, you need to scan their code. To do this, open the WhatsApp settings and tap the QR icon.

On Android, tap the Scan Code tab to open the scanning screen.

On iOS, press the Scan button.

Point your camera at the QR code to scan it. Make sure the code fits into the green scan area. To scan the QR code received via other apps on the same phone, tap the gallery icon in the lower left corner. Go to the image of the QR code and select it.

WhatsApp will detect the contact from the code and invite you to add it to their contacts. Tap Add to Contacts.

Add the relevant contact details on the next screen. After saving the changes, the new contact will open in WhatsApp displaying a message indicating that the contact has been added via QR. You can start sending a message to the person.

Note: If the person’s contact exists in your phone book, their chat window will open directly without prompting you to save the contact.

You can also use the built-in function of your phones (if available) to scan the WhatsApp QR. For example, if you point your iPhone camera at WhatsApp QR, it will display a link. Tap it to send a message to the person. Likewise, Samsung handsets also offer QR codes in their cameras. Mi offers a separate application to scan the QR code. You can also use Google Lens on any Android phone to scan the WhatsApp code to add people.

How to revoke a QR code in WhatsApp

Anyone with your QR code can scan it and send you a message. Share it with trusted contacts only for personal numbers.

If your QR code is shared with people you don’t want, you can deactivate the existing code. To do this, open the QR code screen on WhatsApp by going to Settings and pressing the QR icon. Then tap the three-dot icon at the top in Android and choose Reset QR Code.

Note: You can reset the code an unlimited number of times.

On iOS, tap Reset QR code.

When you reset the QR code, anyone scanning the previous code will see the message “The QR code is no longer valid” when scanning.

You must share a new QR code with other people. To do this, simply reopen the QR code screen after resetting the existing QR code. Your new QR code will be generated automatically.

More Ways To Use WhatsApp QR Codes

In the above method, you must first navigate the settings to access the WhatsApp QR code. If this doesn’t seem natural, there are two other ways: the WhatsApp camera and the contacts.

Add WhatsApp contacts from camera

The QR code scanning functionality is also integrated into the WhatsApp camera. Tap the Camera tab at the bottom in iOS. On Android, tap the WhatsApp camera icon in the upper left corner. Point the camera at the QR code or add an image containing the QR code to add the number.

Point: Quickly access WhatsApp Camera by holding the WhatsApp icon on your home screen. Choose Camera from the menu.

Add WhatsApp contacts from a new chat screen

You will also find the QR code option in the new chat screen. On Android, tap the new chat icon at the bottom in WhatsApp. Tap the QR code icon on the next screen. The other features remain the same.

On iOS, go to the Chats tab at the bottom. Tap the new chat icon at the top. Choose New Contact.

Tap Add via QR code.

Use WhatsApp QR codes effectively

WhatsApp QR codes reduce the effort of entering numbers. They make the process effortless for adding contacts, even for non-techies such as parents or grandparents who will just need to scan the code now. QR codes also make life easier in general. Unfortunately, very few people use them in their daily lives. We hope this will change with WhatsApp.