WhatsApp, Instagram and other social media QR codes

For: EveryoneDifficulty: Easy⏱ 2 min

Step by step

1. On QR codes, tap Make a QR code, open the Social tab and pick the platform.
2. WhatsApp — enter your number (choose the country, so a local number like 0803… becomes the right international one) and, if you like, the message that should already be typed when the chat opens.
3. Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Snapchat — enter your username or paste the link to your profile, Page or post. Some platforms also offer a DM version: Instagram DM, Messenger, X message.
4. Telegram opens a chat, channel or group; Telegram bot starts your bot with a campaign parameter it can read.
5. Anything else — Threads, Pinterest, Discord — use Other social link.
6. Save, and scan it with your own phone.

Tips

• Scanning opens the platform’s own app when it is installed, and its website when it is not.
• Direct messages only reach you if your privacy settings on that platform accept messages from people who do not follow you.
• A pre-filled WhatsApp message tells you which poster or packaging the chat came from — “Hi, I saw your stall at the fair” — without asking the customer anything.

Frequently asked questions

Why does a DM code open the profile instead?
Where a platform offers no public link straight into a message, the code opens the profile, where the Message button is one tap away.

Does it know whether they messaged me?
No — see Advanced QR codes: what each plan includes. The scan is counted; what happens inside the app is private to the platform.