QR Code Stopped Working? Causes and Fixes

Quick diagnosis: what happens when you scan it?

Scan the code with your phone camera and look at what you get. Each answer points to a different cause.

What you see	Likely cause	What to do
The camera doesn't react, or shows no link	A print problem: too small, low contrast, light code on a dark background, margin cropped, glare, a curved or damaged surface	Try another phone and better light. If it still fails, reprint (checklist below).
It opens the QR service's own page: "inactive", "expired", a sign-in or an upgrade page	A dynamic code the service switched off: trial ended, plan cancelled or unpaid, scan limit reached, or the code or account was deleted	Reactivate with that service, or replace the printed code. No other QR service can repoint it.
It opens your website, but the page says "not found"	The code works; the page moved or was deleted	Restore the page at that address, or redirect the old address to the new one. No reprint needed.
The site doesn't load at all	Your domain or hosting expired or is down	Renew the domain or fix the hosting. The code itself is fine.
It says the code is paused	Someone with access to the account paused it	Resume it in that account.

Static or dynamic? How to tell in ten seconds

Point your phone camera at the code but don't tap yet: most phones show the address first.

Your own address (your website, your menu PDF, a Google Form) usually means a static code. The link is stored in the pattern itself, so no company can switch it off. If it fails, the problem is the page it points to, or the print.
A short link on a domain you don't recognize, usually the name of a QR code service, means a dynamic code. The pattern holds that service's short link, and the service decides where each scan goes. That's what lets you change the destination after printing, and also what lets the service turn it off.

One exception: some paid plans put dynamic short links on the customer's own domain (a custom or white-label domain), so a dynamic code can show your own address too. If you set that up, the domain is yours, but the redirects still run through the service.

A code that shows a "Join network", "Add contact" or plain-text prompt instead of a link is static too.

Why dynamic QR codes stop working

The free trial ended. Some generators let you make dynamic codes during a 7- or 14-day trial and deactivate them when it ends unless you subscribe. People often find out only after printing, because the code worked fine while they tested it.
The subscription was cancelled or a payment failed. At some services, dynamic codes stop when the paid plan ends, right away or after a grace period.
A scan limit was reached. Some free plans include dynamic codes with a fixed number of scans.
The code or the account was deleted or paused, sometimes by a colleague or a former agency that set it up.
The link service shut links down. Google retired its goo.gl shortener: links that showed no activity in late 2024 stopped working after August 25, 2025, while actively used links were kept (Google Developers Blog).

What some generators' own help pages say

We read each service's help pages on October 13, 2026. This is what they say about their own codes; your account's terms may differ, so check with the service.

QR Code Generator (qr-code-generator.com, which its help center now calls QRCG by Bitly): when the 14-day free trial expires, dynamic QR codes "are deactivated and point to a service page rather than the original destination"; static codes keep working, and upgrading reactivates the dynamic ones (trial article). After you cancel a paid plan, dynamic codes keep redirecting through the paid period plus 30 days, then point to a service page (cancel article).
QRFY (qrfy.com): dynamic codes created during the 7-day trial "will be deactivated and linked to a service page"; upgrading the account reactivates them (trial article).
Uniqode: "Dynamic QR codes stop working when your trial expires," and after a cancel they "stop working on your renewal date"; reactivating the account brings them back (subscription article, cancel article).
QR TIGER: the free plan includes "3 dynamic QR codes with a 500 scan limit each" (plans page); when a paid plan expires or is cancelled, "All dynamic QR codes will become invalid" (help article).
Not every service works this way. Flowcode's help center says its codes "will never expire" and that after a downgrade to its free plan "your Flowcodes will continue to scan" (help article).

Names are trademarks of their owners. QR Code Desk is an independent service, not affiliated with any of them.

What you can do now

Find out which service made the code. The short link's domain tells you. Search your email for sign-up or trial messages from that service. QR Code Generator's help center says it will help you find your account from the code's short URL (reactivation article).
Decide whether reactivating is worth it. If the code is on packaging, signs or thousands of flyers, paying the original service may cost less than reprinting. Before you pay, check whether the plan bills monthly or only yearly, and ask about refunds. Reactivate the original account: QR Code Generator and QRFY say a new account, or a new code with the same content, won't bring the old code back (QR Code Generator, QRFY).
Know that no other QR service can repoint it. The printed pattern holds the original service's domain, and only that service controls where it sends people. Another QR service, including ours, can't take over an existing code. The exception is a short link on a domain you own: whoever controls that domain can point it somewhere else.
If the code opens your own site with an error, fix the page or set up a redirect from the old address to the new one. Every printed copy works again with no reprint.
If you replace it, cover old codes with a sticker of the new one where you can, and test the new code with an iPhone and an Android phone at the real distance before printing the full run.

Printing checklist for the replacement

Dark code on a white or light background. Light-on-dark codes fail on some phones.
Keep a clear margin around the code, about four modules (the small squares) wide. Don't let the design or the cut eat into it.
At least 2 x 2 cm (0.8 x 0.8 in) for something held in the hand. A common rule of thumb is a code about one tenth as wide as the scanning distance, so a sign read from 2 m (6.5 ft) needs a code about 20 cm (8 in) wide.
Matte paper or lamination scans better than glossy under bright lights. Avoid tight curves such as small bottles.

Make a replacement code that can't be switched off

The free generator below makes static codes: your link goes straight into the pattern, with no account, no trial, no expiry and no scan limit. It warns you when colors are too close for phones to read, and won't let you download a combination phones can't scan.

01What should it open?

Destination link

02Pick a style

03Brand it

Custom Background Upload logo

Frame

More design: gradient, corners, shape

Code color fill

Corner frames Corner centers

Own corner color Shape

Keep every color clearly darker than the background: the scannability meter warns about weak combinations and blocks ones phones can't read. Test a print with your own phone before printing many.

04Preview and download

ScannabilityHigh

Go dynamic Go dynamic

Static code: free forever, no watermark. SVG, PDF and EPS are vector files that print sharp at any size.

How to stop it happening again

Use a static code when the link won't change. A link to your homepage, a Google review form or a Wi-Fi network rarely needs a dynamic code.
Or point a static code at a page you own, such as yoursite.com/menu, and change that page instead of the code.
Before printing a dynamic code, read three things on the service's pricing or help pages: what happens when the trial ends, what happens when you cancel, and whether there is a scan limit. If the answer is "deactivated", know the date.
Check how the plan bills. A monthly price can be billed yearly.
Write down which service and which account made each printed code, so whoever handles it next year can find it.

How QR Code Desk handles this

Free static codes from our generator hold your link directly. No account, no trial, no expiry, no scan limit, no watermark.
The Free plan includes 1 dynamic code with no time limit. It's not a trial, so there's no date when they switch off.
We don't cap scans or switch codes off when a plan ends. If you cancel or a payment fails, dynamic codes keep redirecting to their last destination, and the PDFs and pages you host with us stay up.

What changes after a paid plan ends: if you have more dynamic codes than the Free plan includes, they all keep working, but you can't change their destinations until you upgrade again or delete codes down to the Free limit.
When a code does stop: if you pause it, delete it or set an expiry on it yourself, or if it breaks our acceptable use rules. If QR Code Desk ever shuts down, our Terms promise at least 90 days' notice so you can replace codes.

Pro is $9 a month or $90 a year for 100 dynamic codes, with editing, scan stats, menus, PDFs and other hosted pages. Prices are in USD; taxes are calculated at checkout. Plans renew automatically until you cancel, and you can cancel anytime from your account. Payments are handled by Creem, our merchant of record, and our refund policy gives a full refund within 14 days of a first payment or a yearly renewal. See all plans or how dynamic codes work.

Create free account

Free: unlimited static codes + 1 dynamic code. No card needed. Sign in with Google or a link by email.

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Frequently asked questions

Do QR codes expire?

The printed pattern can't expire. A static code holds your link directly and works as long as that link works. A dynamic code holds a short link run by the service that made it, so it works only as long as that service keeps the link switched on. Some services switch it off when a free trial ends or a subscription stops.

Why does my QR code say it is inactive or expired?

Almost always because it is a dynamic code and the service behind it deactivated the short link: a free trial ended, a plan was cancelled or not paid, or a free plan's scan limit was reached. The fix has to come from that service, or you replace the printed code.

Can I reactivate a deactivated QR code for free?

Usually not. Only the service that made it can reactivate it. QR Code Generator and QRFY say you reactivate by upgrading the original account, and Uniqode by reactivating your account. QR Code Generator and QRFY also say a new account, or a new code with the same content, won't bring the old code back.

Can QR Code Desk fix or take over my old printed QR code?

No. If the code holds another service's short link, only that service decides where it goes, and no other QR service can change it. (The exception is a short link on a domain you own, a custom or white-label domain: whoever controls that domain can point it elsewhere.) What we can do is give you a replacement that won't be switched off.

Will a static QR code ever stop working?

Only if the thing it points to breaks: the web page is deleted or moved, the domain expires, or, for a Wi-Fi code, the network name or password changes. Nobody can switch a static code off, but nobody can change it either.

My QR code worked before, and now phones won't scan it. Why?

If nothing happens at all, it is usually the print: the code is too small for the distance, the colors are too close, the white margin was trimmed, or the surface is glossy, curved, scratched or faded. A dark code on a white background, with a clear margin, fixes most of these.

What happens to QR Code Desk dynamic codes if I stop paying?

They keep redirecting to their last destination. We don't cap scans and don't switch codes off when a plan ends. If you have more dynamic codes than the Free plan includes, you can't change their destinations until you upgrade again or delete codes down to the Free limit.

QR code stopped working? Find the cause and fix it