One QR code can serve both iPhone and Android visitors. Encode a smart-link URL, then configure its App Store destination for iPhone visitors, its Google Play destination for Android visitors and a website fallback for other devices. The QR code holds the URL; AppRoute chooses the destination when that URL opens. You can put the same code on your printed material without asking people to choose a store first.
01 What should I save before downloading the QR code?
Create a stable link with store destinations and a website fallback, then inspect the URL encoded in the downloaded QR file before you add it to your artwork.
- Save the destinations. Set your app’s App Store URL for iPhone visitors and its Google Play URL for Android visitors. Choose the website fallback you want other devices to open. These settings control where the smart link sends visitors; the QR code contains the link URL.
- Choose a link you can keep active. Settle on the slug—the identifying part of the URL—and domain before printing. You can edit destinations without replacing the printed code only while the same link, slug and domain remain active. Deleting or renaming the link can break that path.
- Download the PNG. Use Download PNG in the dashboard. Custom QR colors require Pro or Team. See the QR code setup page for the product workflow.
- Inspect the actual file. Use a camera or QR reader that shows the encoded URL before opening it, then check that URL’s hostname. Then open it and check the destination. If you use a custom domain, verify that the exported file contains the hostname you intend to print.
Use the downloaded file for this check: a dashboard preview alone doesn’t establish which URL is encoded in your export.
02 What must pass before a print run?
Test both scanning the final artwork and routing to the correct destination. A QR code can be easy to scan yet open the wrong store. It can also contain the right URL but be difficult to read once you place it in a printed design.
| Check | What to do | What needs to pass |
|---|---|---|
| Scan legibility | Print a sample at its final size, with the QR code in the finished artwork. Scan it with a real iPhone and Android phone at the distance and in the lighting you expect people to use. | Each phone can read the code from the printed sample. |
| Destination routing | Open the scanned URL on each phone and follow it through to the destination. Check the website fallback on another device, too. | Each visitor reaches the destination you configured for that device. |
Keep these checks separate when you revise the design. If a phone can’t read the code, adjust the artwork and print another sample. If it reads the code but reaches the wrong page, check the encoded URL and destination settings before trying again.
Put a readable URL and a short next step beside the code—for example, “Scan or visit this link to get the app.” That gives people who can’t scan a way to continue.
03 Can I count scans and change destinations later?
Keep separate links for each placement so you can compare their click activity. QR tags identify a tagged request, not a verified camera scan or an install.
For an illustrative setup, create one link named “Café counter” and another named “Event flyer.” Give both the same store destinations and website fallback, then download a QR code for each. Put the matching code on each piece of artwork. In click analytics, you can compare activity for those links without mixing the two placements into one total.
AppRoute’s QR download adds utm_source=qr and utm_medium=qr to the encoded URL by default. AppRoute uses those tags to classify the request as QR activity. Someone can also copy that tagged URL and open it directly, so the classification doesn’t prove that a camera scanned the code. Clicks don’t prove installs or purchases, either.
Before printing, name each placement link, check that its QR code appears on the right artwork, and record the encoded URL. You can edit destinations behind that same URL later while keeping the link and domain active. After an edit, scan the printed sample on iPhone and Android to check where each visitor lands.