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taptic

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 5, 2012
1,341
437
California
We've all seen 'em on ads and stuff, but, just out of curiosity, does anyone actually use them as much more than just a cool thing to scan? I don't, and I've never really seen anyone else do it...
 

infinitejest

macrumors 6502a
May 1, 2016
731
1,903
Orange County, CA
Two years later, I was wondering the exact same thing. Too bad no one has answered yet.
I never scanned any of that stuff and I don't know anyone who does.

So where are all these QR code people?
 

AlliFlowers

macrumors 601
Jan 1, 2011
4,542
15,756
L.A. (Lower Alabama)
I use them all the time. Much easier to scan a QR code and have an instruction manual on my phone or iPad, than messing with paper. I also use them to get further information on a product. I appreciate companies who offer them.

Of course, we use them in schools as often as possible since every child of school age has a cell phone glued to his/her hands. If they can scan something and have information on the phone, they can't say they didn't get it.
 
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smirking

macrumors 68040
Aug 31, 2003
3,861
3,927
Silicon Valley
We've all seen 'em on ads and stuff, but, just out of curiosity, does anyone actually use them as much more than just a cool thing to scan? I don't, and I've never really seen anyone else do it...

I think I've scanned a few, but I can count only once when I scanned a QR Code because I was really motivated to do so. All of the others were ones in which I just wanted to figure out how the stupid QR scan worked. They were random lookups done for research. I find them frustrating. I never remember what I'm supposed to use to scan it and numerous times I saw something I was interested in and when I saw that the only way I could access more info was by QR code, I put it on the backburner and never got around to it.

I'm glad the QR code fad is over. They'll be around. They ARE useful, but only for specific applications. It's not a replacement for more tried and true ways of leaving a calling card like a website address. It was truly frustrating when QR Code mania hit its peak and organizations were sometimes giving room for a QR code instead of a website address.
 
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Jessica Lares

macrumors G3
Oct 31, 2009
9,612
1,057
Near Dallas, Texas, USA
Polarr is using them as the way you share/install filters in their apps. Snapchat is also using a variation of it for adding people to your friends list.

I've scanned a few Polarr filters in, made a few in the past, and scanned people's avatars out of curiosity, but that's about it.
 
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smirking

macrumors 68040
Aug 31, 2003
3,861
3,927
Silicon Valley
Polarr is using them as the way you share/install filters in their apps. Snapchat is also using a variation of it for adding people to your friends list.

I also did use it to scan a snapchat contact in once as well. That was one of the few times I used the QR code and it was also the only time I (barely) used Snapchat. It was also very frustrating, but if I did it all the time it wouldn't have been a big deal and therein lies the problem for trying to use the QR code on a widespread basis. Even when you know how it works, there is no universal understanding of what data the codes plug into. It could be any of the following: a website address, a Snapchat contact, a product, a Polarr filter, an app code, and so forth.

They're superior to bar codes because they're more compact, but ironically because they're so versatile, it's hard to know exactly what it's for and so that results in frustration. Bar codes can be used for a lot more than just retail products, but they're so tightly associated with products that we know what's likely to happen when we scan a barcode. You get a price or you get additional product info.
 

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,682
43,735
Not really, I think the were a solution in search of a problem and while they were popular in a fad-ish sort of way it seems the bloom is off the rose and they're not really being used that much
 

danny_w

macrumors 601
Mar 8, 2005
4,471
301
Cumming, GA
I see several people every day paying for food at the company cafeteria (I don't remember the payment name). They also have codes on all their of the menu items so that you can get information but I've never seen anyone scan them.

EDIT: I don't know why they pay this way myself, it always takes longer than just using a credit card or cash. I guess they want to be seen as "hip", to me they just look like a dork holding up the line.
 
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willmtaylor

macrumors G4
Oct 31, 2009
10,314
8,198
Here(-ish)
Some organizations and professors at my university will post campus announcements or course announcements on bulletin boards. They'll put QR codes on them, so students and snap a quick pic to get more info about the event or course.
 
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