Talk:QR code

Too technical

The section on error correction and the description of how the message is encoded is too technical for most readers. It would really benefit from a subject-area expert who could help explain in more comprehensible terms what that error correction method is doing, what kinds of errors it's correcting, where those errors come from, how it corrects the errors, and what the practical result of error correction is for encoding/decoding a message. Following the link to Reed–Solomon error correction doesn't really help, as that article is also very hard to understand for lay readers.

Bradhoot (talk) 16:02, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

I think it’s worse than that. I don’t have confidence that the author understands Reed Solomon codes. I can’t reproduce the mathematics and am concerned the logic in the middle was made up in order to achieve the expected result. ~2026-42127-69 (talk) 11:54, 29 July 2026 (UTC)

QR Code Changed To Rick Astley Youtube Video

QR Code Changed To Rick Astley Youtube Video Suggestion to change it back to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_code Patel8786 (talk) 05:58, 7 May 2026 (UTC)

 Done Umby 🌕🐶 (talk) 06:30, 7 May 2026 (UTC)

Apologies for missing this. Vandal was clever and claimed the change was related to the recent m.en changes. Eyesinthefire (talk) 13:52, 7 May 2026 (UTC)

Decoding example section has inaccessible content

Decoding example has a significant amount of content as images rather than Wikitext. This is not accessible. While a lot of information is included on the files respective pages, Wikipedia is not a presentation and this content would properly be an article and not presentation slides. Thisisnotatest (talk) 23:06, 9 May 2026 (UTC)

Agreed, the slide presentation-style example was inaccessible and unsuitable for the article, I've deleted it. I may make an attempt to rewrite it into a text example with supplementary images. I think leaving it with no decoding example for now is better than the slideshow gallery. Eyesinthefire (talk) 01:01, 20 May 2026 (UTC)

HCC2D removal

Hello! I should have clarified and expanded my point in my edit summary removing HCC2D.

@Veryspecific, you say just because it's based on primary sources doesn't warrant complete removal (WP:PRIMARYNOTBAD) - and I agree! Several of the other QR code variants only have primary sources pointing to Denso Wave material. As Denso Wave sources, they're able to authoritatively establish them as QR code variants. However, the sources listed (and any I can find online) for the HCC2D do nothing to establish it as a QR code variant, only a separate barcode symbology which takes elements from QR codes. I don't think it's suitable for inclusion in Variants, nor is it suitable elsewhere in this article as a barcode symbology which takes elements from QR codes. I was unable to find sources to support it passing WP:GNG, otherwise I would have spun it into its own article.

I haven't done a full review of the other entries in the list of variants, I've only looked at HCC2D as it was recently edited. I suspect that Secure QR, and Accessible QR are likely also unsuitable for this article, but haven't looked into them closely enough to say for sure what my position on those is. In solidarity, Eyesinthefire (talk) 22:02, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

Hi, thanks for responding in such a balanced manner. I do see an argument that HCC2D is not a direct QR code variant, as even the authors of the paper refer to it as a "color barcode" rather than a specific version of a QR code. However, since HCC2D (and probably also Accessible QR and Secure QR, though I haven't yet taken a look at them specifically) and "normal" QR codes include quite a lot of common design elements I think that they are worth mentioning in this article. (For example the system of error correction is shared between QR codes and HCC2D). Perhaps instead of being included in the section "Variants", they could be moved to a section called "Unofficial variants" (or another, better name) to distinguish the official QR code variants, like micro QR, from codes that derive from QR codes but are not described in the official specification. Veryspecific (talk) 22:28, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

Are there third-party reliable sources that show that HCC2D is relevant to this article's subject, such that it warrants its own subsection? - Aoidh (talk) 23:34, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

I'm not at all certain that HCC2D is even notable. As best I can tell, it was a 2011 proposal which never saw any significant adoption - the notability of QR codes doesn't "rub off" on it just because it was inspired by that format. Omphalographer (talk) 02:10, 30 August 2026 (UTC)

I did a broader AI-assisted search for HCC2D sources. This is not necessarily exhaustive, and I have tried to distinguish independent sources from papers written by HCC2D's original authors with AI help.

Independent sources found:

• Max E. Vizcarra Melgar, Mylene C. Q. Farias, Flávio de Barros Vidal and Alexandre Zaghetto, “A High Density Colored 2D-Barcode: CQR Code-9” (SIBGRAPI 2016), pp. 329–334, DOI: 10.1109/SIBGRAPI.2016.49. This discusses HCC2D as prior work and describes it as being “based on the QR Code standard”, with similar structure, error correction and data masking.
• Max E. Vizcarra Melgar and Mylene C. Q. Farias, “High density two-dimensional color code”, Multimedia Tools and Applications 78 (2019), DOI: 10.1007/s11042-018-6299-4. This discusses HCC2D among existing color 2D barcodes and compares it with QR Code and other color barcode systems.
• Ziaul Haque Choudhury and M. Munir Ahamed Rabbani, “Facial blemishes detection and encryption with secure force algorithm into HCC2D code for biometric-passport”, Information Security Journal: A Global Perspective 30(6) (2021), pp. 342–358, DOI: 10.1080/19393555.2020.1846823. This uses HCC2D in research concerning biometric passports and is independent of HCC2D's original authors.
• Ziaul Haque Choudhury, “Biometric passport security based on face recognition and biometric encryption using secure force algorithm into the HCC2D code”, Information Security Journal: A Global Perspective 33(5) (2024), pp. 455–472, DOI: 10.1080/19393555.2024.2311123. This also uses HCC2D for biometric data and is independent of HCC2D's original authors. It shares an author and research topic with the preceding paper.

Sources by the HCC2D authors / first-party sources:

• Marco Querini, “HCC2D Code Specification – Version 0.9.0” (2026). This is a first-party technical specification. It defines the structure, encoding rules and technical requirements of HCC2D and documents its reuse of QR Code's square-matrix structure and elements including finder, alignment and timing patterns, format/version information, masking and Reed–Solomon error correction. Version 0.9.0 (Draft), published 5 July 2026, is archived on Zenodo: https://zenodo.org/records/22206528
• Antonio Grillo, Alessandro Lentini, Marco Querini and Giuseppe F. Italiano, “High Capacity Colored Two Dimensional Codes” (IMCSIT 2010), pp. 709–716, DOI: 10.1109/IMCSIT.2010.5679869. This is the original HCC2D paper. It describes the proposed code as increasing capacity while preserving QR Code's reliability and robustness.
• Marco Querini, Antonio Grillo, Alessandro Lentini and Giuseppe F. Italiano, “2D Color Barcodes for Mobile Phones”, International Journal of Computer Science & Applications 8(1) (2011), pp. 136–155. This discusses HCC2D's design and its relationship with QR Code.
• Marco Querini and Giuseppe F. Italiano, “Facial Biometrics for 2D Barcodes” (FedCSIS 2012), pp. 755–762. This discusses HCC2D alongside QR Code and other barcode technologies.
• Marco Querini and Giuseppe F. Italiano, “Facial Recognition with 2D Color Barcodes”, International Journal of Computer Science & Applications 10(1) (2013), pp. 78–97.
• Marco Querini and Giuseppe F. Italiano, “Color Classifiers for 2D Color Barcodes” (FedCSIS 2013), pp. 611–618.
• Donatella Firmani, Giuseppe F. Italiano and Marco Querini, “Engineering Color Barcode Algorithms for Mobile Applications”, in Experimental Algorithms — 13th International Symposium, SEA 2014, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 8504 (2014), pp. 211–222, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-07959-2_18. This studies and experimentally evaluates algorithms for decoding color barcodes on mobile devices.
• Marco Querini and Giuseppe F. Italiano, “Reliability and Data Density in High Capacity Color Barcodes”, Computer Science and Information Systems 11(4) (2014), pp. 1595–1615, DOI: 10.2298/CSIS131218054Q.
• Marco Querini, Marco Gattelli, Valerio M. Gentile and Giuseppe F. Italiano, “Handwritten Signature Verification with 2D Color Barcodes” (FedCSIS 2014), pp. 701–708, DOI: 10.15439/2014F59. This applies HCC2D to a document signing and handwritten-signature verification system.

Most of the detailed literature found is by HCC2D's authors, alongside those few independent sources listed above. Based on these sources, HCC2D may be perhaps described as a separate QR-derived or QR-based color barcode. ~2026-47672-91 (talk) 12:31, 2 September 2026 (UTC)

Chronology is off?

In adoption section, why is 2022 example before 2020? Seems off to me. PaulieZiegfeld (talk) 17:03, 13 August 2026 (UTC)

I don't know that there's a particular reason (my best guess is someone was researching the effects of COVID on QR code uptake post-2022, and put it non-chronologically? Total guess). I think it would probably flow better chronologically - I'd encourage you to be bold! In solidarity, Eyesinthefire (talk) 20:17, 13 August 2026 (UTC)

Ha. This is one of those pages that is guarded by attack nerds. I'm not that bold. PaulieZiegfeld (talk) 14:21, 18 August 2026 (UTC)

I'll say that I've been editing this and barcode over the last half year or so and my interactions with other editors, even ones I disagree with, have been positive and productive. I can't say that about all the engineering/science pages I've edited, so I totally understand. In solidarity, Eyesinthefire (talk) 00:00, 20 August 2026 (UTC)

Header Image

Continuing the discussion from . To summarize: the current header image is technically not compliant with the QR code standard. By design of the standard, readers are able to decode it without issue, but the remainder bits used to calculate the code are non-standard.

I've put in a request on Commons for File:English_Mobile_Wikipedia_QR_Code.svgFile:QR_code_for_mobile_English_Wikipedia.svg to be updated with the corrected version by @Bismurphy or the Upload permission on it downgraded so I can do so.

I'm interested in perhaps changing the header image to a QR code pointing to https://en.wikipedia.org instead of https://en.m.wikipedia.org, per the sunsetting of the en.m space (see and linked announcements there). What do others think? In solidarity, Eyesinthefire (talk) 20:54, 29 August 2026 (UTC)

As I commented on Commons, I would support the substitution of a more "evergreen" URL in the QR code - maybe even something language-neutral like https://wikipedia.org/ so that other Wikipedia editions can reuse the image. Omphalographer (talk) 01:57, 30 August 2026 (UTC)

I like that - I'll note that many already use File:QR_code_for_mobile_English_Wikipedia.svg, though it would be great if en wiki using a more agnostic one could set an example. In solidarity, Eyesinthefire (talk) 21:59, 31 August 2026 (UTC )

@Clovermoss: since mobile usage of Wikipedia is one of their interests. Abzeronow (talk) 03:16, 5 September 2026 (UTC)

Thanks for the ping. Normally I wouldn't object to people removing .m links but isn't someone scanning a qr code almost always going to be using a mobile device? I'm not too invested in this issue specifically, just wanted to bring up why it might actually make sense in this context. Part of why .m links are discouraged is because they're often shared with people who aren't using mobile devices. There's very few situations like this where you can practically guarantee who is going to be using a link. Clovermoss🍀 (talk) 03:21, 5 September 2026 (UTC)

Wikimedia no longer uses a separate ".m" domain - the site now uses responsive design to use a mobile-friendly layout on small screens. Links like https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_code always redirect to the non-mobile domain, even for mobile users. Omphalographer (talk) 16:28, 6 September 2026 (UTC)

Oh, I wasn't aware of that change. Sorry. My entire train of thought there relied on that still being the case, so feel free to ignore what I said above. At least I know now. Clovermoss🍀 (talk) 19:39, 6 September 2026 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 9 September 2026

To whom it may concern, can you please consider ready or listening to the below I have writing. Thank you. Hi my name is Esther Lisa Murfet-Jones my name comes with a hyphen in my last name. born 09th July 1990. it's Wedneaday the 9th (ninth day of the month) September (ninth month) Year: 2026. exact real time unknown. still important. I also makes mistakes. I'm upset. The Qr picture or code is also used on bank brank. bank account and bankncard.its not the person who made the mistakes writing its myself. and ATM's, magazines, on display at news agency's with strangers telling the customers how to withdraw money for the etf device on benches not the person behind the bench working speakingbtobthe customer. I have been to multiple different places. 1000's and have seen locations with these on display everywhere. I believe in my option it is supposed to individual and can per personal not everyone scans the picture for money related things i assume. unless advised. I could be wrong. however there is an atm auto teller machine depending cash using these pictures and or barxode depends for I could be wrong as the recipes could be different. it is for recycling cans and plastics and glass and children's drink boxes with plastic straws and in return you receive money for recycling. Cleaned or not. lables and all.

I go to my local shops and the lady or woman advised me they don't scan the ticket number correctly I always receive interference or delays lately.

please be aware of date and time differences from co

im 36 years old and noticed my hairs falling out around my scalp Mystar sign is a cancer.. I listen to absolute crap indont like hearing nor would other people, imnassuming there. someone had been changing names and using the casting mirror options and quick share with qr code or pictures which means multiple devices can scan the code or picture or barcpde and view what im looking at on my TV or phone and I wouldnt know. I don't know any coding personally. im very unhappy. extremely. I been through it all nearly.

I understand some families and or have or like love and have their differences. however it is not to be passed around. some people are trusted with things and some aren't.

I dont want to hear audio played at a specific time with names added . animals sounds whipping. or bangs any unrelated sound i dont need and no blaming or shaming or bulling please. I had a quite mind. mirrored audio played thru mutilple audio devices.using downloaded apps on my phone is annoying.

can I please not have the dirt re appear under my feet constantlyand instantly nearly. and can mess please notjust appear everyday. can you please not swap my personal belongings around and used cashing mirror options on the Apple iPhone or Samsung however the letter A is a syboly. and not on my SMSUNG devices.

I just would like not to sweep and mess to not just appear constantly and be forced to hearing audio or animals sounds etc from your tunnel tube port hole Stargate galactic type thing. I watched. Ive listen. I know. so many.

I dont have a boyfriend. I live with my parents. I've been allowed access tp everything always. no one's ever pretend to comment and pretend they know me. or played audio or recorded sound clips that are terrible rude and annoying. I believe there is good and good people. im very very upset. im not after an injury claim or lawyer. just fairness towards my body.

thee so msny incorrect labled things and in life mistakes happened but notnto be used and a perfectly times torture device over lapping all the good I Ezther don't have a computer also can you please consider adding a line under your number six to not confuse with number nine. and a possible strike on a diagonal thru the zeros.

please be aware of date and time difference. can vary days.

EDITED BY: Esther Lisa Murfet-Jones.— Preceding unsigned comment added by ~2026-48833-51 (talk)

Hi Esther,

This is the Wikipedia article about the QR Code. No one here is affiliated with the creator of the QR code, and we don't have the power to make changes to the design or function of the code. Was there a change you wanted to make to the article? crtbob@talk:~$ ls contribs 02:54, 9 September 2026 (UTC)