Analytics
How to see who scanned your QR code (and what the data tells you)
When someone scans a dynamic MyQR code, the scan is recorded with a handful of useful details: the country, region, and city it came from, the device, operating system, browser, and language, where the scan came from (the referrer), and the time it happened. You also get total scans and a unique-in-24-hours count. It's deliberately coarse and pseudonymous — MyQR doesn't store the scanner's raw IP address — so you learn about your audience as a group, not as named individuals. One important catch: only dynamic codes can be tracked. A static code can't tell you anything.
Can you actually see who scanned a QR code?
You can see meaningful patterns about the people who scanned — where they are, what device they use, and when they scanned — but not their personal identity. MyQR records scans coarsely and pseudonymously, without storing a raw IP address.
"Who scanned" doesn't mean a name and a face. It means the profile of your audience: a scanner in Austin on an iPhone at 7pm, another in Toronto on an Android phone the next morning. Add a few hundred of those together and you get a real picture of who your printed code is reaching.
MyQR keeps this data coarse on purpose. It does not store the scanner's raw IP address, so you're reading group-level trends rather than tracking one person across the internet. That's enough to make smart marketing decisions, and it's the level of detail the full data picture in the Privacy Policy describes.
What data does a dynamic QR code record per scan?
Each scan of a dynamic MyQR code records nine things: country, region, city, device, OS, browser, language, referrer, and time. Together they answer where your audience is, what they use, and when they show up.
| Data field | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Country | Which countries your printed code is reaching — and where you might not be reaching at all |
| Region / state | The state or province, so national reach breaks down into real regions |
| City | The town the scan came from — handy for events, store locations, and local ads |
| Device | Phone, tablet, or computer — tells you what screen your landing page has to look right on |
| Operating system | iOS vs Android vs desktop — shapes which app links and wallet passes make sense |
| Browser | Safari, Chrome, and the rest — useful when a page misbehaves on one of them |
| Language | The scanner's browser language — a signal for whether to translate your page |
| Referrer | Where the scan came from when there's a source to record |
| Time | The date and time of the scan — feeds your trends and your best-time-to-post read |
Swipe the table sideways to see more →
On top of those per-scan fields, you get the totals: how many scans in all, a unique-in-24-hours count so a handful of curious re-scans don't inflate the number, and trends over time. Full field details live in the Privacy Policy and in What scan data do I get?.
What can a marketer actually do with this?
The data answers three plain questions: where to advertise, which device to design for, and when to post. Location tells you where, device and OS tell you what to build, and time tells you when.
- Where to advertise — if most scans cluster in two cities, that's where your next flyers, local ads, or pop-up should go. If a region you expected is empty, your code isn't reaching it.
- Which device to design for — if most scans are iPhones, build the landing page mobile-first and test it on Safari before anything else.
- When to post and reprint — if scans spike on weekday evenings, that's when to push your social posts and when fresh printed codes get seen.
- Which language to add — a steady share of non-English scans is a concrete reason to translate the page that code points to.
Because a dynamic MyQR code can be re-pointed from your dashboard, you can act on what you learn without reprinting. Seeing a lot of evening mobile scans? Re-point the same printed code at a mobile-friendly page tonight — the sticker on the wall never changes.
Why can't a static QR code be tracked?
A static code bakes your final link straight into the pattern, so there's no middle step to count the scan. Only a dynamic code routes through a short redirect link, and that hop is what records the data.
When a phone reads a static code, it jumps straight to your URL — nothing in between, nothing to log. A dynamic code encodes a short redirect link instead, so every scan passes through MyQR for a few milliseconds on its way to your page. That quick stop is exactly where the country, device, time, and the rest get recorded.
So if a code is already printed as static, it can't be made trackable after the fact — you'd create a new dynamic code and reprint. The full breakdown is in Dynamic vs static QR codes, and the analytics side lives on the features page.
When paid plans launch, if you ever stop paying, a paid dynamic code keeps redirecting to its last destination forever — we call it cancel-to-static. You don't lose the link or the printed sticker, only future edits and new scan tracking. How cancel-to-static works.
How private is the scan data, and how do I manage it?
Scan data is coarse and pseudonymous — MyQR does not store the scanner's raw IP address — and the controls are simple: one-click CSV export and instant account deletion. The full data details are stated plainly in the Privacy Policy.
- Coarse + pseudonymous — you see group patterns (a city, a device type), not a raw IP address tied to one person.
- One-click export — pull your scan history out as a CSV whenever you want.
- One-click delete — remove your account and data without a cancellation maze or save-offer loop.
- Magic-link sign-in — no passwords to manage or leak.
The complete picture of what's recorded and how it's handled lives in the Privacy Policy and in How is my data handled?.
Is QR scanning worth tracking at all?
Yes — QR scanning has become mainstream behavior, so a tracked code turns a printed thing into measurable reach. Industry surveys put monthly QR scanning at roughly half of global internet users.
QR scanning isn't a pandemic blip anymore. As of QR code platform Uniqode's 2026 statistics roundup, roughly half of global internet users scan at least one QR code each month, as menus, packaging, and posters keep moving people from print to phone. The upshot for you: a printed code is no longer a dead end you can't measure — a dynamic one tells you exactly how it's doing.
Frequently asked questions
Can I see the name or email of someone who scanned my code?
No. MyQR records scans coarsely and pseudonymously and doesn't store a raw IP address, so you get group-level patterns — city, device, time — not personal identities. If you want to collect a name or email, you'd point your code at a landing page with a form people choose to fill in.
Why does my scan count look higher than the number of people?
Because a total counts every scan, and people often scan twice — once to check, once to act. MyQR shows a unique-in-24-hours count alongside the total so you can tell real reach from curious re-scans.
Does the location come from GPS?
No. Location is approximate, worked out at the country, region, and city level from the scan — not from a phone's precise GPS. It's good enough to tell you which towns your code is reaching, not to pinpoint anyone.
Do I need to pay to see scan data?
No. The free tier includes one dynamic QR code with full scan analytics. Accounts are open and free — create one to see your scan data — and the free generator is open to everyone with no signup at all.
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