Get people texting you with the message already typed
Point a camera at this code and the phone's messaging app opens a new SMS to your number with a message you chose already in the box. The sender just taps send — ideal for 'text JOIN to enter', keyword campaigns, or letting an event crowd reply without hunting for your number.
Under the hood it uses the SMSTO format, which most modern cameras and scanner apps understand and turn into a real draft rather than showing raw text. It never sends by itself: the reader sees the number and the wording, can change either, and decides whether to actually hit send.
The SMSTO format and why it matters
There are a couple of competing ways to write an SMS link, and they don't behave identically across phones. This tool uses SMSTO, the variant with the widest reliable support, so both the destination number and the prewritten body land in the draft on the broadest set of devices.
Some older readers only carried the number across and dropped the message. If you're targeting very old hardware, print the keyword in plain text too, so a reader whose phone ignores the prefilled body still knows what to type.
Getting the number format right
Write the number in full international form with the plus and country code — a bare local number can misfire once the sender's phone tries to route it, and it definitely fails for anyone scanning from abroad. The plus prefix removes the guesswork.
- Do: +44 7700 900123 style, with country code.
- Avoid: local shorthand, spaces-only formatting, or leading zeros without the plus.
- Short codes: five- or six-digit campaign numbers may not encode the same way across carriers — test them first.
Writing the prefilled message
Keep it to the keyword or the exact phrase you want back. For a competition it might be a single word; for feedback it might be one editable line. Remember the sender pays for the text on some plans, so a short message is courteous as well as clearer.
The wording is fully editable before sending, so treat it as a default the reader confirms, not a locked payload.
What the sender pays and sees
Standard SMS rates apply — the scan drafts a normal text message, so whatever the sender's plan charges for an SMS is what it costs them. On the screen they see your number in the recipient field and your wording in the body, both changeable, before anything is sent.
How to make an SMS QR code
- Enter the phone number. Use full international format with + and country code. A local-only number is the most common reason a scanned text fails to route.
- Write the message. Optional, but the whole point of most SMS codes. Keep it to the keyword or a short editable line — the sender may pay per text.
- Test across two phones. SMSTO support varies; scan on both an iPhone and an Android to confirm the number and body both carry into the draft.
- Download and print. SVG for a poster that scales, PNG for a flyer or sticker. Print the keyword in plain text beside it as a fallback.
Technical details
- Maximum characters: 2953
- Recommended error correction: M (medium) — an SMS payload is short, so a balanced level keeps the pattern bold and quick to scan.
- Payload format: SMSTO:<phone>:<message> — the colon separates the destination number from the prefilled body.
- SMSTO has the broadest support, but a minority of old scanners carry only the number and drop the message.
Frequently asked questions
- Does the SMS QR code send the text automatically?
- No. It only opens the messaging app with your number and message pre-filled. The sender still taps send, and can edit both fields first. Nothing is transmitted until they choose to, so it's safe on a public poster.
- What is the SMSTO format?
- It's the SMS-link syntax this generator uses because it has the widest device support. It packs both the destination number and the prewritten body so most modern cameras open a real draft. Other SMS-link variants exist but drop the message on more phones.
- What number format should I use?
- Full international, with + and the country code, e.g. +1 415 555 0132. A bare local number can fail to route and won't work for anyone scanning from another country. Short campaign codes may behave differently by carrier — test them.
- Will the sender be charged for the text?
- Yes, at their normal SMS rate — the code drafts an ordinary text, so whatever their plan charges applies. That's a reason to keep the prewritten message short: it's clearer and, on pay-per-message plans, cheaper for the person replying.
- Why did only the number appear, not my message?
- Some older scanners honour the number but ignore the SMSTO body. There's no fix on the code side for those devices, so print the keyword in plain text next to the code and target the message at modern phones, which handle it fine.
- Can I change the number or wording after printing?
- No. Both are fixed in the pattern, so a new number means a fresh code. There's no server behind it to update the printed one, which is also why it works instantly without any connection.