Convert an offline interaction instantly to an app download.

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Don’t lose your audience to friction/distraction.

How do App Download QR Codes work?

Create social media qr code

Create

Using Uniqode, you can link to your app on the Google Play Store, App Store, and iPad-only App Store, along with a fallback URL-- all from a single App Store QR Code.

Scan qr code to land on social media profiles

Customize

Modify the color scheme, change the QR Code shape, and add a logo on your app store QR Codes.

Scan qr code to visit social media profiles

Share

Every scan takes users to the right app store based on their device OS, enabling seamless access and downloads.

Create your app download QR Code in 3 easy steps.

  1. 1

    Click ‘Create QR Code’ -> Choose ‘App Download’ type.

  2. 2

    Enter your app URLs for the relevant app stores.

  3. 3

    Customize the look and design of the QR Code as you like.

  4. Click on Next—and you’re done!

Click ‘Create QR Code’ -> Choose ‘App Download’ type.
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Create QR Codes with these ready-to-use templates

Maximize app download with in-depth analytics.

Time of day when you receive scans

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Scans by user's OS

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QR Codes performing the best

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Total scans your QR Codes receive

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Compare scans across time

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Scans by IP/GPS location

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Unique users reached

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Scale your app marketing campaigns easily

Scale your app

Enterprise-grade Security

Uniqode (formerly Beaconstac) is the only QR Code solution that is both SOC-2 & GDPR compliant.

Scale your app

Bulk Generation

Create upto 2,000 QR Codes at once and perform different bulk operations on them.

Scale your app

Fully Integrated

Connect your app download QR Codes with the tools you prefer.

Review Card

The highest-rated QR Code Generator on G2

G2 easiest to useG2 leader
4.9/5
240+ reviews

Here’s why global brands prefer Uniqode (formerly Beaconstac)

Robust security, analytics, integrations, and smart redirects make Uniqode (formerly Beaconstac) a preferred choice.

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QR TIGER

QR Tiger’s platform falls behind when it comes to platform ease of use, integrations, and most importantly security.

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Uniqode (formerly Beaconstac) is the easiest-to-use QR Code platform in the market. It is SOC-2 and GDPR compliant, provides SSO login, and offers more integration & collaboration options.

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ONELINK.TO

Onelink.to focuses on app download links more than QR Codes.

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Uniqode (formerly Beaconstac) is a fully QR Code-focused platform, with extensive QR Code analytics and customization.

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QR CODE CHIMP

QR Code Chimp’s platform does not offer smart redirection—leading to a sub-optimal end-user experience.

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Uniqode (formerly Beaconstac) provides smart redirection—meaning your app download page is just a scan away. It also offers additional support features like multi-lingual QR Codes and Facebook/Google retargeting.

What is a QR Code for app downloads?

A QR Code for app downloads directs users to the relevant app store based on their mobile's operating system. You only need a single QR Code to enable your audience to install an app on their smartphones. This boosts app downloads and speeds up user conversion rates.

Why create a QR Code for app downloads?

A QR Code for app downloads has several benefits. Let’s visit some of them here.

One QR Code for all app stores for quick & easy downloads

A major benefit of using a QR Code for app downloads is having a single code for all app stores.

You no longer need to create a different QR Code for each app store. A QR Code for app downloads saves a user's time as they don't have to manually type the app’s name in the app store.

Users only need to scan the QR Code and download the app on their smartphones. This provides an effortless user experience and increases customer delight.

Efficient QR Code tracking to help build better marketing strategies

Tracking data is essential to measure ROI for a marketing strategy. A QR Code for app downloads helps examine real-time data like location of scanning (narrowing down to cities), the scanning device, time, and unique and total scans. You can measure your QR Code’s performance from these metrics, and accordingly optimize your campaign.

Extensive customization using QR Codes for app downloads

Consistent brand representation is significant for users as it emotionally connects them with a brand. A customized QR Code allows you to effectively represent your brand. You can add a logo, brand colors, an impactful CTA frame, and background to your QR Code. These custom QR Codes have the key advantage of grabbing your audience’s attention, and prompting them to download your app.

How to create a QR Code for app downloads?

Creating a QR Code for app downloads is super easy with Uniqode (formerly Beaconstac). Here’s how you can easily create an app download QR Code for your business using a custom QR Code generator for apps -

Step 1: Log in to the dashboard

Log in to the Uniqode (formerly Beaconstac) dashboard and click on ‘+Create QR Code’.

Step 1

Step 2: Select campaign type

Select ‘App Download’ from the list of campaign types.

Step 2

PS: We recommend using a dynamic QR Code generator for app downloads.

Step 3: Set up your QR Code campaign

Input app links for the respective app stores.

  1. QR Code for Android app: Paste the link to your app on Google Play in the dedicated field.
  2. QR Code for App store: Paste the link to your app on the App Store in the space provided.
Step 3

Step 4: Customize your QR Code

Customize your QR Code by trying out different/adding templates, eye-balls, brand logo, QR Code frames, a call-to-action text, and more.

Step 4

RELATED: How to create a customized QR Code

Step 5: Download your QR Code

Your app download QR Code is ready to be deployed. Download the QR Code in your desired format and use it on your marketing materials, website, etc.

Check out: QR Code printing guidelines

Step 5

Dynamic QR Codes for app downloads

Let’s say you have a QR Code to download an app that allows users to order products from your brand online.

And later on, let’s say you decide to launch an exclusive app for your loyalty and rewards program for customers.

Rather than creating a whole new QR Code to link to it, you can redirect the existing QR Code to your new app - with the help of a dynamic QR Code.

Dynamic QR Codes for app downloads are a game-changer for your brand’s app promotions. You can create a QR Code for app downloads, and if you wish to change its destination, you can do so in under a minute.

CAN QR CODES OPEN APPS?

App QR Codes with deep linking

Marketers and small business owners often want to run campaigns that take users directly into an app section. This could be a women’s section on an e-commerce app, an Instagram business page, or the hotel tab on a travel app. Deep-linking mobile apps with QR Codes provides users with an easy and seamless way of accessing a specific feature within the app.

What happens when the app is not installed?

In this case, depending on which smartphone is being used, the link redirects to the respective app store.

Scan a QR Code to download an app based on your device’s OS

How to download an app using a QR Code in the Play Store

  1. Scan the QR Code using your smartphone.
  2. If you have an Android device, you’ll be directed to the Play Store, where you can download the app.

How to download an app using a QR Code with an iPhone

  1. Scan the QR Code with your mobile device.
  2. If it has an iOS operating system, you’ll be directed to the App Store, where you can download the app.

Where can you leverage app download QR Codes to promote mobile app downloads?

To build a successful app download campaign with QR Codes, you need to think of creative ways to market and position them. To help you get started, we have listed down some interesting ways to distribute QR Codes -

1. Business cards to drive app downloads

A good business card not just delivers contact details to prospects but also helps them connect with your brand in the most interactive, powerful, and meaningful way.

A lot of business cards mention their mobile apps on them, but it’s difficult to guarantee user attention. On the other hand, an attractive QR Code draws attention and instantly allows the user to scan and download an app (if they find it exciting). Shelby Montross uses QR Codes on business cards to send their phone number, address, email address, and Twitter account to users. The same can be done with mobile apps.

2. Emails - newsletters and email signatures

QR Codes in emails and email signatures work even better. This is because of the frequency and the reach. On average, a small business sends 2,000 emails in a month. That is way more than the number of business cards they would distribute. Not just that, it also saves the printing cost.

Add an app download QR Code to the signature and let your readers know why downloading the app would make their lives easier, more interesting or insightful.

RELATED: QR Codes in email marketing

3. Subway billboards, train posters, and product packaging

Posters, product labels, takeaway bags, and billboards are great mediums for promoting apps. The poster positioning and advantage of downloading the app are other factors that have important roles to play.

QR Codes on advertising channels make it easy for passers-by to react instantly to an offer or get an app they are interested in.

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Alternatively, you could also partner with businesses that already have a QR Code on their product. With dynamic QR Codes (one QR Code, multiple campaigns), these businesses can provide fixed time slots (maybe a few months) to promote a new app. Once the promotion is over, you can redirect the existing QR Code to the next app up for promotions.

You might also like:How to create all-in-one QR Codes

Taco Bell and ESPN did a similar joint QR Code campaign to promote Bowl Championship series. More than 225,000 Taco Bell customers scanned the QR Code featured on Taco Bell cups and boxes.

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4. Print ads, newspaper inserts, and magazines

Use the newspaper and print ads space to clearly define the problem your app solves. Add an app download QR Code to make the download process seamless and instant.

Learn more: QR Codes for print media

5. Share QR Codes on social media

When sharing an app download QR Code on social media, you need to keep few things in mind -

  1. Have an alternative clickable app store link in the post (QR Codes are helpful to connect desktop browsing to mobile experience but when your users are browsing social media on their smartphones, a link helps)
  2. Add QR Codes to app download ad campaigns, targeting user segments browsing through desktop.
  3. Check out: All-in-one social media QR Codes

6. Large scale treasure hunts or scavenger hunts

Additionally, you can use app download QR Codes at treasure hunt events to boost app downloads for your business. You can include online puzzles, fun games, reward points, etc., within your app to make scavenger hunts more engaging and rewarding for the audience.

RELATED: How to create a fun scavenger hunt using QR Codes

7. Retain valuable customers to build brand loyalty

A QR Code for app downloads creates a positive impact among users and gives them a reason to return. By strategically using QR Codes on marketing materials, you can nudge customers to scan and download your loyalty program app.

QR Codes for app downloads will provide an extra layer of customer engagement with your loyalty program.

For example, Starbucks wanted customers to download and start using their new Starbucks reward app. They started using QR Codes while promoting the app to nudge customers to download. This strategy helped Starbucks, and they saw a whopping increase in app installation rates, market promotions, and customers got to collect points and later redeem them for free food, drinks, and more.

How different industries can leverage QR Codes for app downloads

Any industry can leverage QR Codes for app downloads. Let’s look into how diverse industries can use QR Codes to increase their sales, the number of app downloads, incorporate loyalty program strategies, market promotions, and more.

Retail

QR Codes to download apps provide several cost-effective ways for retailers to boost their in-store and online purchasing experiences.

Creating an easy and safe QR Code for app downloads takes a few minutes. Once your QR Code is ready, you can place it in front of your store, on your website, product packaging, or in-store signages.

For example, Nike, the footwear brand, has used QR Codes to boost their app download rates.

When customers scan the QR Code on Nike's website, they will land on their phone's app store, where they can download Nike's app.

Fast-Moving Consumer Goods

FMCG is a diverse industry covering fast food, beverages, medicines, dry goods, and more. Customers expect quick and easy access to such highly sought-after products.

With QR Codes, customers can download and install relevant FMCG apps to order groceries, clothing items, medicines, and more— all from the comfort of their phones. Sometimes such apps can display a QR Code for coupons and discounts to drive repeated purchases from the app.

A recent rise in direct-to-consumer channels has taken the FMCG sector by storm. With a QR Code, customers can directly interact with the manufacturers without any intermediates, saving a lot of revenue for a manufacturer.

Art and Entertainment

Museums, events, movies, concerts, festivals, and fairs are popular events among millennials and Gen Z. These places are a data hub for setting future business objectives, decision making, feedback, and enhancements.

Let’s look at the following scenario:

Let’s say you’re planning a strategy for your upcoming event, and want to provide a seamless ticketing process. Integrating QR Codes for event ticketing allows customers to register for an event in no time.

If you’re an event organizer, and plan to increase app download rates and ticket sales, you can create a QR Code for app downloads.

Once the QR Code is generated, you can add it to the brand's website or embed it on print media. Customers who want to attend a particular brand event can download the app using a QR Code to book tickets.

With the help of app download QR Codes, brands can swiftly promote their events, gather more attendees, and gain more publicity.

Eventbrite, a popular event management and ticketing website, gives full authority to event organizers to integrate QR Codes into their event management system.

Education

According to the Global Market Insights’s report, the e-learning market is estimated to grow by 20% CAGR from 2021 to 2028, and the market will only grow bigger!

App-based learning became extremely popular post-COVID in education, allowing anyone to learn anything from anywhere. Moreover, most students use their mobile devices to access these apps.

Institutions like offices, universities, and other major ed-tech platforms have their own app. They can encourage their audience to download their apps via QR Codes.

With an app download QR Code for these platforms, you can promote interactive course materials. Users can scan to download the app and access these materials easily. The key benefit? No need to manually search for the app on the app store.

Transportation

A QR Code to download a transportation app is the easiest way to direct and help travelers with tickets, schedules, and travel updates. A brand can use app download QR Codes to help users book taxis, buses, trains, and avail flight services.

With the recent high preferences for an effortless travel experience and clean hygiene, several brands can encourage users to download and use their apps for convenience.

Once the user scans the QR Code, they can install and explore the app. As a result, customers will get easy access to travel schedules and essential information, and can book their travel seamlessly. This helps improve the overall customer experience.

App download QR Code performance metrics - Analytics engine

It’s important to measure the interest your QR Codes are driving your brand app. With Uniqode's (formerly Beaconstac) QR Code generator with analytics, you can track the following -

  1. Total number of scans
  2. Number of scans using Android smartphones
  3. Number of scans using iPhones
  4. Scans by location

These trackable QR Codes helps in calculating the conversion rate from app-interested traffic to app downloads. It also helps you understand which city, country, or area is gravitating towards your app. It is a great way to test the target audience without investing in surveys and detailed customer analysis reports.

You can also track QR Codes with Google Analytics to receive more in-depth insights such as audience demographics and behavior.

Create a single QR Code for all app stores

Generate an all-in-one QR Code for your app that your audience can download from the Google Play/App Store.

App download code

Brands that have used QR Codes to boost app downloads

1. ABSOLUT used it on their vodka bottles to promote their Drinkspiration app

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Absolut used a neck label with a QR Code that led users to download a free iPhone app called Drinkspiration. The app had an encyclopedia of recipes that allowed users to receive personalized recommendations or browse through popular drink recipes. Once they selected their choice, they could share it on social media channels.

2. IKEA’s in-store pamphlet encourages users to download their app

IKEA makes it easy for shoppers to remember all the items they want by offering a small pamphlet that serves as a manual shopping list. This also has 2 QR Codes - one that leads users to the Google Play Store and the other leads them to Apple’s App Store so that they can easily download the app and create an online shopping list or shop in-store and have items delivered to their home.

3. Starbucks India promotes its rewards app with a universal app download QR Code

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Starbucks in India has taken a rather innovative approach to getting customers to download their Rewards app. A giant installation of the signature Starbucks coffee cup was placed at Delhi Airport that had a universal app download link that takes users to their respective App store to download the Starbucks India app.

4. Burger King used QR Codes in highly creative ads to boost app downloads

Burger King used QR Codes in super engaging video ads at the MTV VMAs to get viewers to download the Burger King app. The QR Codes were shown multiple times during the broadcast so that viewers could easily scan the code, download the app, and avail several discounts and promotions.

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5. Times Radio used QR Codes to promote their radio app

Times Radio deployed QR Codes in newspaper ads to boost downloads for their radio app. Upon scanning the QR Code, users could directly be taken to the app, or if the app wasn’t downloaded on the user’s smartphone, then the QR Code redirected the user to the respective app store.

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6. Chick-fil-A boosted their app downloads using a QR Code

Chick-fil-A introduced an app download QR Code to their customer base. Users were directly able to download the brand’s app upon scanning the QR Code.

This initiative resulted in a 14% increase in app downloads.

With a QR Code for app downloads, Chick-fill-A was able to perform many mobile marketing activities, build a user-friendly loyalty program, and efficiently analyze the market data.

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7. A QR Code for app downloads that lets users print photos at a Kodak Kiosk

A third-party vendor, mostly a Kodak partner, who wants to offer printing facilities as an add-on service can create a QR Code for app downloads and upload it on their website. After scanning the QR Code, users can download the Kodak Kiosk Connect App on their phones.

Once users download the app and upload their pictures, they can initiate the photo print command at the nearest Kodak Kiosk center without standing in a lengthy queue.

Frequently asked questions about QR Codes for app downloads

Yes, you only need one QR Code for both Android and iOS. Depending on the user’s OS, it will redirect them to the respective app store.

  1. Choose the best QR Code generator for app download QR Codes.
  2. Select the ‘App Download’ QR Code type.
  3. Input app links for the respective app stores (Google Play Store, App Store, etc.).
  4. Customize your QR Code with templates, eye-balls, brand logo, frames, a call-to-action text, and more.
  5. Download the QR Code and deploy it wherever required.

Point your camera at the QR Code, and click on the link that pops up. It will take you to the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store depending on your OS. Install the app and you’re done.

It depends!

If your brand is well-known and you have demonstrated clear value your customers will get from downloading your app, you can directly generate a QR Code that redirects the user to the app store.

In case you’re an emerging brand, you can first redirect users to a dedicated landing page using QR Codes. This landing page should contain clear information about what benefits the user will get from downloading your app.

Once you’ve offered enough information to convince the user, you can provide links to your app on the App Store, Play Store, etc., so they can click on the relevant link and download the app.

Yes, you can. You can create a deep link to your app’s respective segment and paste that URL in a custom QR Code generator to create QR Codes for app downloads..

  1. Launch the camera app on your smartphone or a third-party QR Code scanner app.
  2. Point it at the QR Code and scan it.
  3. Based on your phone’s OS, you will be redirected to the relevant app store to download the app.

Absolutely. With the help of Uniqode's (formerly Beaconstac) QR Code platform, you can easily create a QR Code to download apps . This type of QR Code helps your audience effectively download your app. Users can scan the QR Code using their smartphone’s camera app and be directed to the relevant app store based on their phone’s OS.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Open the camera app on your iPhone.
  2. Point your camera at the QR Code.
  3. Upon scanning, tap the notification to open the link. You’ll be directed to the respective app in the App Store, where you can download it.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Go to Uniqode's (formerly Beaconstac) QR Code generator.
  2. Select ‘Get App’ from the list of campaign types.
  3. Insert the link to your app in the ‘Play Store/ App Store URL’ field.
  4. Customize your QR Code
  5. Test and download it in the desired format.

Explore other QR Code types

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An array of QR Codes:

A QR Code each, for all your business needs

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PDF QR Codes:

Deliver relevant information right to the user’s smartphone with just a scan of the QR Code.

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App download QR Codes:

Promote your mobile app downloads by adding QR Codes on marketing collaterals and linking them to app-stores.

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Coupon QR Codes:

Deliver deals and offers in real-time using Coupon QR Codes. Gain customer loyalty by helping them save some money.

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Location QR Codes:

Increase footfalls by assisting customers in hassle-free navigation to your store location.

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Video QR Codes:

Let users view your videos with just a scan of a QR Code. Get more views to your videos by sharing the videos through QR Codes.

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Image gallery QR Codes:

Engage in trustworthy sales with virtual content

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URL to QR Codes:

Leverage URL QR Codes for offline to online conversion

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On virtual business cards:

Business cards, more personalized than ever with QR Codes

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Text embedded QR Codes:

Personal consumer engagement, just a scan away.

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Rating Feedback QR Code:

Help users share feedback and ratings with a single scan of a QR Code that direct users to a feedback form.