Instagram Account QR Code: How to Make and Print One

Open your Instagram profile, tap Share Profile (or the three-line menu at top right), choose QR Code, then tap the Download icon to save it. That code opens your Instagram profile when someone scans it with their phone camera. If you want it to open a link page instead, paste that page's URL into a QR generator.

Instagram's built-in code is available to every account, personal or business. The steps below cover phone, desktop, printing and the link page option.

Instagram menus change between app versions, and the entry point is not the same everywhere. Look for either the hamburger menu or the Share Profile button.

Find your QR code in the Instagram app

There are two routes on mobile. Use whichever one your app shows.

Route A: the menu

1. Open your profile.
2. Tap the three-line (hamburger) menu at the top right.
3. Tap QR Code.

Route B: Share Profile

1. Open your profile.
2. Tap Share Profile, which sits below your bio.
3. Choose QR Code (some versions label it Show QR Code).

Check the screen before you save anything. Your username should appear above the code. If it doesn't, you may be on the scan tab. Go back and tap Share Profile again.

Change the color or background

On mobile you can restyle the code before you save it. Tap the Color option at the top to switch between color or gradient, Emoji and Selfie backgrounds. Tapping the screen cycles the color, the emoji or the selfie filter.

Pick the style that fits where the code will live, but keep it readable first (more on that below). An older version of this feature, then called a Nametag, also let you choose a photo from your gallery. Whether that Image option still exists today is unconfirmed, so don't count on it.

Save the code as an image

Once you like the look:

1. Tap the Download icon on the QR code screen.
2. Find the image in your photo gallery. A 2026 guide from qrcodedynamic.com says the download is a PNG.
3. Or tap Share to send the code by message, email or social.

A screenshot also works if you can't find the Download icon.

Before you order a print run, print one test copy at the size you plan to use and scan it.

Get the code on desktop

You can also do this from a computer, which is handy if you're sending the file to a printer or designer.

1. Go to instagram.com and open your profile.
2. Click the gear icon next to Edit Profile.
3. Choose QR code.
4. Pick a color. A May 2024 post from Visibly Media says there are six.
5. Click Download QR code.

The desktop version only offers color choices. Emoji and selfie backgrounds are mobile only.

One 2026 guide says you can also open instagram.com/yourusername/qr in a browser. That shortcut is unconfirmed, so treat the steps above as the reliable route.

Make a code that opens your link page instead

Instagram's built-in code points to your Instagram profile. If you want a flyer or product label to open a link-in-bio page, an online store or a booking page, you need a third-party generator such as Canva or QRFY.

1. Copy the URL you want people to land on. For your profile, that is instagram.com/username. Share Profile then Copy Link also gives you this link.
2. Paste it into the generator.
3. Customize the look. Generators are said to offer logos, brand colors and frames.
4. Download it as a PNG or SVG.

Here is how the two routes compare:

Some third-party tools also offer scan tracking and let you change the destination without reprinting. Rebrandly says this is useful for campaigns across several locations. It also says Instagram's built-in code may be enough for occasional promotions by solo creators or small businesses. Check pricing and free plan limits before you commit to a tool for a print run.

Make it scan every time

A code that doesn't scan wastes the flyer. A few habits help:

• Use strong contrast. A dark code on a light background works best, especially on older phone cameras.
• Put readability before creative colors. A pastel gradient looks nice on screen but can be harder to read on paper.
• Test before you print. Scan the code with the camera app on at least two phones, one of them older if you can.
• Leave room around it. Don't crowd the code with text or crop it at the edge of a flyer.

Since August 2020, Instagram QR codes open the profile directly from a phone's normal camera app or any QR scanner app. People don't need to open Instagram first, as they did with the old Nametags.

It is also not confirmed whether a printed code keeps working if you later change your Instagram username. If you plan to print a lot, settle on your username first.

How this works with Olaa

A profile code is fine when you want followers. When you also want people to reach a shop, a booking page or a playlist, a link page does more.

Olaa gives you one short link, olaa.im/yourname, that opens a page with everything you want people to find. A QR code is included on the free plan, so you can put it on a flyer, a product label or an event sign and send people to the whole page. Setup takes a few minutes and needs no code.

The same olaa.im/yourname link goes in your Instagram bio, so people who find you online and people who scan your flyer land in the same place. If you're new to the idea, our guide on what link in bio means covers it, and how to add a link to your Instagram bio walks through the bio side. You can see what a finished page looks like in the Ember demo, or sign up free.

Whatever tool makes the code, scan it on a phone before it goes to print.

Where to put the code

Codes work best where people have a few seconds and a phone in their hand:

• Flyers and posters: next to a short line telling people what scanning opens.
• Product packaging and labels: a small code on a tag or sticker sends buyers to your page. Shops can see how this looks on our page for shops.
• Event signs and tables: at eye level, on a light background, with room around it.
• Business cards: keep it dark on light and test the small size before printing.

Write a short line beside the code that says what scanning opens, so people know what to expect.

If your link goes to a link page instead of your profile, the link in bio QR code guide covers Linktree's code and Olaa's.

FAQ

Can anyone get an Instagram QR code?

One 2026 guide says the built-in code is available to every account, personal or business. It doesn't cite Instagram for that, and no follower minimum or region limit was found. If you can't see the option, update the app and check both the menu and Share Profile.

Can I scan an Instagram QR code with my normal camera?

Yes. Since August 2020, Instagram codes can be scanned with a phone's regular camera app or any QR scanner app, and the profile opens directly. Old Nametags only worked inside Instagram.

Can I get a QR code for someone else's profile?

A May 2024 post says yes. Open that profile, tap the three dots, then tap Show QR code. On desktop, click the three dots, then Share To, then QR Code.

Can I make a QR code for a post, Reel or Highlight?

It's unclear. TechCrunch reported in 2022 that Meta said codes could be made for tags, locations and Reels, but another source says the built-in tool only covers your profile. If you need a code for something specific, copy its URL and use a third-party generator.

How do I make the QR code open my link page instead of my profile?

Instagram's built-in code points to your profile. Copy your link page URL, paste it into a QR generator such as Canva or QRFY, and download the result as a PNG or SVG. With Olaa, the QR code for your page is included on the free plan. See our pricing for what Pro adds.

Why won't my QR code scan?

onlysocial.io advises strong contrast, with a dark code on a light background, because that works best on older phone cameras, and says readability should come before creative colors. Test the code on more than one phone before printing.