QR · Barcodes · PDF417 · Aztec · Data Matrix

Every optical code, scanned, explained and created.

Optical Code Lab is your universal tool for optical codes: it reads them, tells you exactly what they contain, and creates new ones from simple forms — all on your iPhone, with nothing sent anywhere.

Coming soon onApp StoreiPhone · soon Coming soon onGoogle PlayAndroid · soon

Create a code online, free

iPhone and iPad with iOS 17 or later · 16 languages · Android version on its way

The Optical Code Lab icon: the Apalala dragon in a lab coat and glasses, in front of a QR code
Features

A real laboratory for optical codes

From the shop shelf to the parcel label, Optical Code Lab understands what the camera sees.

  • Fast, steady scanning

    Guide frame, steady-hold guidance, torch, front or back camera and pinch-to-zoom. A code is locked only after two identical reads.

  • Results that make sense

    Payments with grouped IBAN and amount, Wi-Fi networks, contacts, events, links: each field is decoded and explained, with the raw content one tap away.

  • Create from templates

    Wi-Fi, contact, event, website, SMS, phone, email, text, location, messaging and SEPA payment: fill in a plain-language form and watch the code appear.

  • Every symbology

    QR, Data Matrix, PDF417, Aztec, Code 128, EAN-13, EAN-8 and UPC-A, with checksum validation for retail barcodes.

  • Your own style

    Colours, module shapes, finder eyes and a logo in the middle — then share it, or save it in your library.

  • Reads in the dark

    In dim light, an enhanced decoder kicks in automatically, and the torch lights up by itself when it is really dark.

  • Photos of your codes

    Save a photo of a recognised code, or let the app do it automatically, in a dedicated Optical Code Lab album.

  • 16 languages

    The whole app speaks 16 languages, with right-to-left layout for Arabic.

Create

Create the right code, without knowing the format

Pick what you want to share; Optical Code Lab writes the standard payload for you and checks it as you type.

  • Website (URL)
  • Plain text
  • Contact card (vCard)
  • Wi-Fi network
  • SEPA payment (EPC)
  • SMS
  • Email
  • Phone call
  • Calendar event
  • Location
  • WhatsApp · Telegram
  • IBAN, BIC and structured RF references checked before the code is drawn
  • Custom foreground and background colours, export from 128 to 1024 pixels
  • PNG and SVG export, copy to the clipboard, share sheet
  • The Create Code screen with the template gallery: Wi-Fi network, contact, calendar event, website
    A template for every need
  • The Wi-Fi template filled in for the “Home Guest” network, with the QR code generated live
    Wi-Fi code, generated as you type
  • A QR code for the text “Thank you for using Optical Code Lab”, with the Customize option
    Raw QR codes, ready to customise
  • The welcome screen: “Welcome to Optical Code Lab — your universal tool for scanning and creating optical codes”
    Your universal tool
  • The settings: language, automatic photo capture, appearance and privacy
    Language, appearance, privacy
Generate Online

No iPhone at hand? Generate online

The same templates and code types work in your browser, for free. Everything is computed on your computer: what you type never leaves the page.

Create a code online, free

  • A Wi-Fi network QR code
  • A contact card QR code
  • A SEPA payment QR code
  • A website QR code
Privacy

What you scan stays yours

No account, no advertising, no tracking. Your history, saved codes and photos stay on your device; the app only goes online when you tap a lookup button yourself.

  • No account
  • Works offline
  • No tracking
  • GDPR compliant
  • Coded in Belgium

Read the privacy policy

The Apalala dragon mascot in a lab coat and glasses

Coming soon to the App Store

Optical Code Lab is being reviewed by Apple and will be available on the App Store very soon. Meanwhile, the online generator is open to everyone.

Coming soon onApp StoreiPhone · soon Coming soon onGoogle PlayAndroid · soon