Comparisons
Static vs Dynamic QR Codes
What the redirect actually buys you, measured on real encoded codes, and which payloads are worse off for it.
16 min readTelegram QR code generator
Telegram links are the shortest of any platform here, so its codes are the sparsest and the most forgiving to print. The catch is the invite link: a group invite can be revoked, and a revoked invite on a printed sign is dead for good.
Download your QR code
✓ Scan-tested: this code reads back correctly.
Contrast 21:1, Strong
Version 2 · 33 modules · print at least 13.2 mm wide
Telegram already has a code. Here is what it cannot do.
Telegram has a built-in code for your account, under Settings and then the QR icon beside your username, and it can generate one for a group or channel too. You will find it under Telegram app, Settings, QR icon. For meeting somebody in person it is the faster option, and this page is not trying to replace it. It runs out in four places.
- It is an image from the app, so there is no vector file for a printer and no control over the resolution.
- Its colours are Telegram's own gradient set, which is striking on a screen and rarely matches printed material.
- For a group it encodes whichever invite link is current, so revoking that invite silently kills the printed code.
- It is app-first, so on a desktop where signage is designed it is awkward to get at.
Which Telegram link to encode, measured
Characters become modules, and modules decide how small the code can be printed and still read. These are the same link, in the forms Telegram actually hands out, each one encoded and decoded when this page was built.
| Link form | Characters | Version | Modules | Print at least |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public usernamehttps://t.me/examplehandleThe shortest link on this entire site. A username code prints tiny and reads from a long way back. | 26 | 2 | 33 | 13.2 mm |
| A public channelhttps://t.me/examplechannelSame shape as a username. Public channels keep working as long as the name is kept. | 27 | 3 | 37 | 14.8 mm |
| A private invite linkhttps://t.me/+aBcDeFgHiJkLmNoPFor a private group. Revocable, which is the risk this page is about. | 30 | 3 | 37 | 14.8 mm |
| Deep link with a start parameterhttps://t.me/examplebot?start=welcomeFor bots, where the parameter tells the bot where the person came from. | 37 | 3 | 37 | 14.8 mm |
t.me is four characters of domain, which is why Telegram codes come out sparser than anything else measured on this site. On a sticker or a badge that is a real advantage.
The private invite link is the outlier: sixteen characters of random hash costs you the sparseness, and it buys a link somebody can revoke by accident.
Where a Telegram code actually goes
- Community and channel signage
- A public username printed on a poster or a noticeboard. Sparse code, reads from across a room, and the name keeps working as long as the channel does.
- Support and contact cards
- A direct message link on a business card or a receipt. The username form is small enough to sit beside a phone number without dominating the card.
- Bot onboarding
- A start parameter tells the bot which poster or table the person scanned, which is the only tracking available without a redirect service.
Three ways these go wrong
- Printing a private invite link
- Invite links can be revoked, and they are revoked routinely when an admin tidies up or suspects a leak. The printed sign has no idea. Use a public username for anything printed, and keep invite links for messages.
- Encoding a tg:// deep link
- The tg:// scheme opens the app directly, and a phone camera will not act on it because it is not a web address. The https t.me form does the same job and works everywhere.
- Using the in-app code on a printed sign
- It is a raster image with a gradient. Enlarged for signage the edges soften, and the gradient reduces the contrast a camera has to work with.
The download here stays locked until a decoder has read the finished code back, so the first of those cannot happen to a file you get from this page. For a code whose destination might need to change after printing, the dynamic generator keeps the printed symbol and moves the target.
Codes for the other platforms
Same engine, different link anatomy on each one. The social media hub covers what applies to all of them: the screenshot problem, the codes that only scan inside their own app, and why one code beats six.
Messaging and communities
Where a code opens a chat or gets somebody into a server. Watch the invite expiry on Discord.
- WhatsApp33 modules, from 13.2 mmOpen a chat with your number, with the plus and the dialling zero fixed for you.Make a WhatsApp code
- Discord37 modules, from 14.8 mmEncode a server invite, with the default expiry setting that kills printed codes explained first.Make a Discord code
- Reddit37 modules, from 14.8 mmSubreddit, profile and post links measured, including the title slug you can safely delete.Make a Reddit code
Video
Long identifiers on both, so the short link form is the difference between a code you can print and one you cannot.
Photo and visual
Two of these ship a code a phone camera cannot read, and one retired theirs entirely.
- Instagram37 modules, from 14.8 mmA profile, reel or post as a printable vector code, rather than the screenshot the app gives you.Make a Instagram code
- Snapchat37 modules, from 14.8 mmAny camera can read this, unlike a Snapcode, which only scans inside the Snapchat app.Make a Snapchat code
- Pinterest37 modules, from 14.8 mmPincodes are gone, so this is the way to a board from print. Profile, board and pin links measured.Make a Pinterest code
Profiles and feeds
Where claiming a username or picking the right domain shrinks the printed code the most.
- LinkedIn37 modules, from 14.8 mmTurn a LinkedIn profile into a code any camera reads, with the print size measured for badges and CVs.Make a LinkedIn code
- Facebook37 modules, from 14.8 mmEncode a page, profile or group, and see how much smaller a claimed username prints.Make a Facebook code
- X37 modules, from 14.8 mmx.com against twitter.com, measured, including the redirect a printed old link now costs.Make a X code
Music
Spotify Codes only scan inside Spotify, which is the whole reason this page exists.
Telegram QR code questions
How do I make a QR code for my Telegram?
Paste your t.me link, in the form t.me/yourusername, into the generator on this page. Telegram links are the shortest of any platform here, so the code comes out unusually sparse and prints well even at small sizes.
Can I make a QR code for a Telegram group?
Yes, and think about which link you use. A public group has a t.me username that keeps working. A private group has an invite link that an admin can revoke, and if that happens every printed copy stops working with no warning.
Why does my Telegram QR code do nothing when scanned?
Usually because a tg:// address was encoded rather than the https one. A camera can only act on a web link. Copy the t.me link from the app's share option and it will open properly.
Do Telegram invite links expire?
They can. Invite links can be set with an expiry or a member limit, and any admin can revoke one at any time. For a printed code, use a public username instead, or a permanent invite you control and never touch.
QRMakery builds this code on your own device. The link you paste and the file you download never reach a server.
More for social profiles
Twelve platforms, each with the link form that prints smallest and the mistake that kills its codes.
- Social media QR codesPick a platform: twelve pages, each with the link form that prints smallest and the mistake that breaks it.
- LinkedIn QR codeTurn a LinkedIn profile into a code any camera reads, with the print size measured for badges and CVs.
- Instagram QR codeA profile, reel or post as a printable vector code, rather than the screenshot the app gives you.
Guides worth reading
All guides- Printing
QR Code Sticker Size: The Circle Costs You 30%
The usable square inside a round sticker is 70% of its diameter. Measured minimum sizes for real links, against every common sticker size.
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Offline QR Code Generators for Every Device
What each platform already ships, the measured cost of each payload type, and how to check an offline claim yourself.
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