The Second Life Of QR Codes

They were born in the mid-nineties in Japan, but have gone unnoticed in Europe until the arrival of Covid-19. QR codes are living in second adolescence. Behind her, 25 years of life that have passed with less relevance than expected.

However, Covid-19 and physical distance have brought a new life to these codes scanned with the smartphone camera. Until now, social networks were the most advanced in using this type of image to add contacts. It is common to see it on Twitter and WhatsApp, and from now on, it will also be common to see it on Instagram.

Mark Zuckerberg’s social network has just announced that he is abandoning his Nametags adventure to join the QR fever to add contacts to, in this case, Instagram.

1. Shops and restaurants in the center

Bars and restaurants are the main drivers of this golden age of the QR code. The impossibility of delivering a letter or the menu of the day to avoid contagion of Covid-19 has increased the use of this technology.

After de-escalation of confinement, it is common to see QR codes on tables or windows to download the chart’s information.

To reach this information, it is only necessary to focus on the image. Despite their underuse in past years, most smartphones natively incorporate apps to read these codes through the camera application. However, there are dozens of applications that allow you to read these images.

Hotels are other establishments that have used this solution to comply with anti-COVID-19 measures.

The use of QR codes has multiplied by 25 in hospitality establishments than the first months of 2020 and before the emergence of SARS-CoV-2.

2. The evolution of the barcode

By scanning a QR code, posters, brochures, or magazines can be downloaded. This technology enables and accelerates mobile web services: it is a very creative digital tool.

It is the evolution of the barcode created in the 70s. QRs were created in 1994 by Denso Wave, a Japanese subsidiary of the Toyota Group, but now its use is free.

The QR Code is the most famous 2D barcode in the world. It has earned its success in Japan since the 2000s, where it is now a standard.

In 2011, an average of 5 QR codes was scanned daily by each Japanese, a figure that even exceeds the average number of SMS sent.

In 2010, these began to expand in the United States and then in Europe, although their real explosion has been experienced in 2020 due to Covid-19.