Merely a month after WhatsApp gained support for QR code-based contact sharing, Facebook-owned Instagram has added the feature. You can now generate and share QR codes for quickly adding Instagram users. As reported by The Verge, Instagram has been testing QR codes in Japan since last year. The company is now widely rolling out the feature.
You might recall that Instagram has had a similar feature called Nametags for a while now. The key difference between the new implementation and Nametags is that the former supports any camera app capable of scanning QR codes. Nametags scanning was limited to Instagram’s built-in camera app.
Instagram is aiming to improve the discoverability of small businesses with this feature, especially since several businesses have taken a hit due to the coronavirus pandemic. The company hopes businesses would print their QR codes so that customers can easily access their online marketplace or see more information and posts. While Instagram could have used Nametags for this, adopting QR codes makes the feature more accessible, reduces friction, and improves the scope.
To generate QR codes, all you have to do is visit your profile, tap on the hamburger menu, and choose ‘QR codes’. You can use the usual Instagram’s gradients, emojis, or your mini selfie as the QR code’s background. After choosing the right background, you should tap on the Share button to save or share your QR code. As mentioned earlier, open any camera app that supports QR-code scanning and point the viewfinder at the QR code to scan them.
