An app sits in two stores, and each store gives it a different URL. A QR code holds exactly one URL. Put the App Store link in the code and every Android phone that scans it opens a page it cannot install from. Print two codes side by side and the person has to read the small label under each one, work out which matches their phone, and aim the camera at that one only. Nothing stops them from scanning the wrong one.
An app download QR code fixes this with a single code that checks the phone and opens the matching store. This guide covers how that works, how to set it up, how to place the code next to the official store badges, where it is worth the print space, and how to tell which box, flyer or poster actually brought the scans.
How one code opens two stores
The code does not contain either store URL. It contains a short link, for example linx.ly/your-app. When a phone scans it, the camera opens that short link, and the browser tells the server which operating system the phone runs. iPhones are forwarded to the App Store, Android phones to Google Play. A Huawei phone without Google services can go to AppGallery, and a laptop or anything else lands on a fallback page you choose.
That short link is an app download link, and the QR code is simply its printed form. The redirect itself is explained in more detail in one link for the App Store and Google Play.
For print, one side effect matters more than the routing. Because the code holds a short link and not a store URL, you can change where it points after the code is already on a box. Add AppGallery later, replace the fallback page, and every printed code follows the change. A static QR code with the store URL baked in cannot do that.
Why one code is better than two
On a receipt, a product box or a table card, a second code takes space from something else, and both codes end up smaller than they should be.
Two codes also give the person a task before anything happens: read the labels and pick one. With one code they point the camera, and the phone they are holding makes the choice.
The counting problem shows up later. Two codes give you two numbers to add up, and if either of them is a plain static code, that half gives you no number at all.
How to make an app download QR code
Nothing has to be installed inside the app. The setup takes a few minutes.
- Copy the public store URLs. The App Store link is on your app's store page or in App Store Connect. The Google Play link has the form
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yourapp. - In Linxly, create a deep link and paste both URLs. If the app is also listed on Huawei AppGallery or the Amazon Appstore, add those links too.
- Set a fallback URL for desktops and other devices. Usually this is your website or a landing page with both store buttons.
- Choose a readable slug such as
linx.ly/your-app. It helps when the link is printed under the code for people who prefer to type. - Save. The QR code is generated with the link automatically. Put your logo in the center if you want, then download it.
- Scan the code with an iPhone and with an Android phone before anything goes to print.
If your app also runs on iPad, scan the code with an iPad as well. Since iPadOS 13, Safari on iPad identifies itself as a Mac by default, so check which page it opens before the code is printed.
Put the code next to the store badges, not instead of them
Apple and Google both publish official download badges, "Download on the App Store" and "Get it on Google Play". People recognize them at a glance, and that is exactly what a QR code lacks. A bare black square does not say what it opens.
So the badges and the code do different jobs. The badges tell the reader that this is an app and which platforms it runs on. The code does the routing. On paper the badges cannot be tapped, so they need the code next to them to be any use.
A layout that works on most print pieces:
- one QR code, large enough for its scanning distance
- both badges beside or under it, using the official artwork from Apple's and Google's marketing pages (both companies publish usage rules, so do not redraw them)
- one short line of text such as "Scan to download the app"
- optionally, the short link printed under the code
The code still has to follow the normal print rules: at least a tenth of the scanning distance in width, a clear margin around it, and dark squares on a light background. The full sizing and logo guidance is in how to make a QR code for a link.
Where an app download QR code is worth the space
The code makes sense wherever the person already has a phone in hand and typing a store search would be a chore.
Product packaging and inserts are the clearest case. If a device needs a companion app to be set up, the code on the box or the quick start card is the first thing the buyer looks for. Receipts, delivery bags and table cards work for restaurant and delivery apps, because the person is already holding the order. Event booths, posters at a launch and a slide on a projector screen work too, as long as the code stays on screen long enough for people to raise their phones.
A few places are a poor fit. A billboard read from a moving car cannot be scanned safely. And a QR code on a mobile web page is close to useless, since nobody can scan the screen they are reading it on. On a phone screen, a tappable link or the badges themselves do the job better.
One code per placement
If the same code goes on the box, the flyer and the event banner, all the scans land in one number and you cannot tell which piece worked.
The fix is a separate link for each placement: linx.ly/app-box, linx.ly/app-flyer, linx.ly/app-booth. Each one points to the same store URLs and gets its own QR code, so each printed piece gets its own count. Linxly reports QR scans separately from link clicks and breaks them down by operating system, country and referrer. The details of reading that data are in how to track QR code scans.
Be clear about what that number is. It counts scans that were forwarded to a store, not installs. Installs are reported in App Store Connect and the Google Play Console. Compare the two over the same weeks. If a placement gets plenty of scans and installs stay flat, the problem is more likely on the store listing than on the code.
Mistakes that waste a printed code
Most failed codes fail for ordinary reasons:
- The code holds one store URL, so every phone on the other platform opens a page it cannot install from.
- The code is static, so you cannot add a store, change the fallback or count scans after printing.
- There is no line of text. Without "Scan to download the app" or the badges, many people will not know why they should scan.
- Nobody tested it. Scan it on iPhone and Android, and on iPad if the app supports it, before the print run.
- The finish works against it. Glossy lamination can reflect light straight into the camera. Test the printed sample under the lighting where it will actually hang.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an app download QR code?
It is a QR code that holds a short link instead of a store URL. When someone scans it, the link checks the phone and sends iPhone users to the App Store and Android users to Google Play.
Can one QR code work for both iPhone and Android?
Yes. The code opens a smart link that detects the operating system and forwards to the matching store. Desktops and other devices go to a fallback page you set.
Does the code open a specific screen inside my app?
No. It sends people to the right store listing for their device. Opening a particular screen inside an installed app is a different kind of deep linking.
Can I change the stores after the code is printed?
Yes. The printed code holds a short link, so you can add AppGallery, change a store URL or replace the fallback page in your account and the same code follows the change.
Can I see how many installs came from the code?
The link shows how many scans were forwarded, by operating system and country. Installs are reported by App Store Connect and the Google Play Console, so compare the two over the same period.
Is it free?
You can try Linxly free for 7 days with full access. After the trial, plans start at $0.99 a month, billed monthly, cancel anytime.