QR Codes on Screens: How to Use Them on TV, Slides, Signage and Websites

Published 28 October 2026 by the QRCodeBarn team.

QR codes were designed for printed labels, but today many of the codes people scan are on a screen: a TV advert, a conference slide, a menu board in a café or a "continue on your phone" box on a website. Screens bring their own problems, such as glare, short display times and people sitting a long way away. This guide covers how to make a QR code that scans reliably from a screen, and when a screen is the wrong place for one.

The short answer

A QR code on a screen needs the same basics as a printed one: strong contrast, a clear margin and enough size for the viewing distance. On top of that, it needs to stay on screen long enough for someone to get their phone out, it shouldn't move or animate, and it should come with a short web address in text for anyone who can't scan it. And it should only be used where the viewer is likely to be on a different device from the screen.

When a QR code on a screen makes sense

A QR code is a bridge from one device to another. It works well when the screen and the viewer's phone are different devices.

• TV and streaming adverts, where the viewer is on the sofa with a phone nearby.
• Presentation slides, where the audience wants the slides, a feedback form or a sign-up page.
• Digital signage and menu boards in shops, stations, gyms and hospitality venues.
• Desktop websites, to move someone onto their phone to install an app, sign in or pay.
• Live streams and videos, to share a link without asking viewers to type it.

It makes little sense on a web page or email that people are already reading on their phone. They can't easily scan a code on the screen they are holding. In those places, use an ordinary link or button instead, or alongside the code.

Size it for the furthest viewer

The most common mistake on screens is a code that is too small for the distance. A widely used rule of thumb is that a QR code should be at least one-tenth as wide as the distance it will be scanned from. A code scanned from 3 metres should be at least 30 cm wide on screen, and one scanned from 10 metres should be at least 1 metre wide. Our QR code distance guide explains the rule and its limits.

On a screen, the physical size depends on the display, not just your design file. A code that fills a corner of a slide on your laptop may be large on the projector screen but tiny on the back row's view. Plan for the furthest seat or the far side of the room, and test it there.

The amount of data in the code matters too. A short web address makes a code with fewer, bigger squares, which reads more easily from a distance. Our guide to how much data a QR code can hold explains why.

Contrast, colour and glare

Phone cameras need a clear difference between the dark and light squares.

• Dark squares on a light background is the safest choice. Most modern phone cameras can read inverted codes (light squares on dark), but some older scanning apps cannot, so test before relying on it.
• Avoid low-contrast brand colours, such as mid-grey on white or red on black. Our guide to QR code colours covers safe combinations.
• Keep a clear margin, called the quiet zone, of at least four squares around the code. On busy video or photo backgrounds, place the code on a solid white panel.
• Watch out for glare and reflections on glossy TVs and shop window displays. Turn the screen brightness up rather than down, because a dim screen in a bright room is hard for cameras to read.

Give people time to scan

People need several seconds to notice a code, unlock their phone, open the camera and point it. On a TV advert or a video, keep the code on screen for as long as you can, ideally for the full segment rather than a brief flash at the end. On slides, leave the code up while you talk, or put it on the first and last slide so people can catch it on the way in or out.

Don't animate, pulse or slide the code in and out while it is meant to be scanned. Motion and transitions make the camera lose focus. If you are designing for digital signage that rotates between screens, keep the code in the same place on each screen so people don't lose it when the content changes.

Always show a short link as well

Some viewers won't be able to scan. They may have an old phone, a cracked camera, a visual impairment, or be too far away. Printing a short, readable web address under the code, such as example.co.uk/offer, gives them another way in. It also reassures people that the code goes where it claims to, which matters now that QR code scams are more common. Our guide to QR code accessibility has more on making codes usable for everyone.

Point the code to a phone-friendly page

Whatever is behind the code will be opened on a phone, so it should load quickly and work on a small screen. For TV and signage, the page should make sense to someone who caught only a glimpse of the advert, for example by repeating the offer and the main button. If you want to measure how many people scan, add simple tracking to the link. Our guides to tracking QR code scans and UTM links for QR codes show how, without making the code too dense.

A quick checklist before you go live

1. Test the code on the real screen, from the furthest real viewing distance, with at least two different phones.
2. Check it in the actual lighting, such as a bright shop window or a dim conference hall.
3. Make sure it stays still and on screen for long enough to scan.
4. Show a short web address in text near the code.
5. Open the destination page on a phone and check it loads quickly.
6. If the content will be replayed or kept for months, use a link you can keep working for that long. Our guide to static vs dynamic QR codes explains the options.

For a general pre-launch routine, see how to test a QR code.

Frequently asked questions

Can a phone scan a QR code from a TV screen?

Yes. Phone cameras read codes from TVs, monitors and projector screens well, as long as the code is big enough for the distance, has strong contrast and stays on screen long enough to scan.

How big should a QR code be on a presentation slide?

Size it for the back of the room. A common rule of thumb is a code at least one-tenth as wide as the scanning distance, so roughly 50 cm wide on the projected screen for someone 5 metres away.

Do inverted QR codes work on screens?

Most modern phone cameras can read light-on-dark codes, but some older scanner apps cannot. Dark squares on a light background are the most reliable choice.

Should I put a QR code on my website?

Only where people are likely to be on a computer and need to move to their phone, for example to install an app or sign in. On mobile pages, use a normal link or button instead.

Why won't my QR code scan from a screen?

The usual causes are a code that is too small for the distance, low contrast, glare, too little margin around the code, or motion. Our guide to why a QR code won't scan walks through each fix.

This article was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy. Read our editorial policy and AI content policy.