App download QR code
One scan to your app, on whichever store the phone uses. The challenge is that iPhone and Android need different store links. Here's how to handle that — with a single smart link or a clear choice of direct links — plus the format details.
Direct store links
Each store gives your app a canonical URL, which you can encode as a URL QR code:
Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/idYOURAPPID
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=your.package.nameA direct link is simplest when your audience is on one platform — for example, an iPad-only kiosk app, or an Android-only enterprise tool. But it's wrong half the time for a general audience, because an Android user scanning an App Store link hits a dead end.
One link for both platforms
For a mixed audience, use a single landing page that detects the operating system and forwards to the right store. You can build a tiny page on your own domain that redirects based on the device, or use an app-link service. Encode that one URL:
https://yoursite.example/appPrinting two codes ("iOS" and "Android") doubles the space and confuses people. One code to an OS-aware page just works — the user never has to know which store they need.
When to use it
- Packaging and print ads — drive installs from the physical world.
- In-store and events — a code at point of sale or on signage.
- Onboarding — get a companion app onto a customer's phone quickly.
Gotchas worth knowing
- Cover both platforms unless you're sure. A single-store code silently fails for everyone on the other OS.
- Use the canonical store URL. Avoid temporary campaign or referral links that may expire — the code is permanent.
- Keep the redirect durable. If you use your own
/apppage, host it somewhere stable so the static code keeps working. - Test both journeys. Scan with an iPhone and an Android device to confirm each lands on the right store.
Getting installs attributed
If you care which campaigns drive installs, know that app stores don't reliably pass a referrer from a QR scan straight into the installed app. Marketers solve this with deferred deep linking: a service records the click, sends the user to the right store, and reconnects the install to the original source once the app first opens.
- For simple "get the app" needs, a plain store link or OS-aware page is enough — don't over-engineer it.
- For measured campaigns, route the code through an attribution or deep-link provider that handles the store hand-off and reporting.
- To send users to a specific in-app screen after install, you need deep linking — a raw store link only opens the listing.
- Keep the entry URL permanent, since the printed code can't be changed later.
Make an app download QR code
Paste your store link, or your OS-aware landing page URL, into the Link tab and export the code.
Generate an app download QR code
Paste a store link or smart redirect URL and export a print-ready code — free and private.
Open the URL generatorFrequently asked questions
How do I make one code for both iOS and Android?
Point the code at a single landing page that detects the operating system and redirects to the App Store or Google Play. Encode that one URL rather than printing two store-specific codes.
Can a QR code install the app directly?
No. It can only link to the store listing; the user taps install there. App stores don't allow silent installs from a scan.
Where do I find my app's store link?
On the App Store, copy the apps.apple.com/app/id… URL; on Google Play, the play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=… URL from your listing.
Should I use a campaign tracking link?
Only if it's permanent. Temporary referral links can expire, which would break a printed code. Prefer the canonical store URL or a stable redirect you control.