Free QR code checker
Will your QR code stop working?
Check any printed QR code in seconds: see where it really goes, which service it depends on, and whether that service can switch it off. Free, no sign-up, and the photo never leaves your device.
Why printed codes stop working
The paper never changes. What sits between it and the page does.
- 01
A trial or plan runs out. Many generators make dynamic codes that pass through their own servers. When the trial ends or the plan lapses, the redirect stops, and every printed copy stops with it.
- 02
A scan limit is reached. Some plans cap scans a month or in total. A busy menu, poster or event can hit the cap halfway through, and the code goes dead until someone pays.
- 03
A service or a page changes. Services shut down or regenerate codes, and pages move. A code is only as permanent as everything between the paper and the page.
Questions
About codes that stop working.
Do QR codes expire?
A QR code that holds a web address directly never expires on its own: it works for as long as the page does. A dynamic code points at a redirect service first, and it stops working whenever that service stops redirecting it, for example when a trial or plan ends.
How can I tell whether my code is dynamic?
Check it here. If the first address in the chain is a different site from the page you land on, the code is dynamic and depends on that first site.
Can I fix a code that is already printed?
The printed pattern cannot change, so the fix is a new code over the old one. Make a free Snip code to the same page, download it as a PDF the size of the old one and stick it over the top.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. The code is read in your browser. Only the link it holds is sent to us, so we can follow where it goes, and we do not keep it.
Do Snip QR codes expire?
No. Snip codes keep working on the free plan, with no trial and no scan limit, and you can change where a code goes after it is printed.
Why does a page say it refused the check?
Some sites turn away automated visitors. The chain up to that point is still right; scan the code with your phone to confirm the last page loads.