What QR scanner works for vCard QR?

The default camera app on iPhone (iOS 11 onwards) and Android (most builds since 2018) detects vCards. Older phones may need Google Lens or a dedicated app — but in practice, the camera works for the vast majority of recipients today.

Is there a size limit on what the QR can carry?

Yes. QR codes have a fixed pixel budget; longer text needs more pixels and finer detail to scan reliably. CardCard encodes a URL into the QR rather than the full vCard, so the code stays small at any practical print size.

Will scanners pull the same record on iPhone and Android?

Yes. The vCard format is identical; the scanner UX differs. iPhone shows an Add to Contacts sheet; Android shows a Google Contacts sheet. The fields land identically on both — a contact is a contact, regardless of OS.

Guide

vCard QR codes, briefly

A vCard QR is a contact record encoded as a square — scan with the camera, the contact opens, no website round trip.

Definition

A vCard QR code is a square barcode that encodes a vCard text record. The vCard format is the IETF standard for contact data — name, phone, email, organisation. When a phone camera reads the QR, the operating system parses the vCard and offers to add the contact in one tap.

How it works

The QR carries text, not a URL by necessity. The text is a vCard 3.0 or 4.0 record beginning with BEGIN:VCARD and ending with END:VCARD. Modern iPhones and Android phones detect the format from the camera app and offer Add to Contacts. Older phones may need a dedicated scanner app to do the same.

A worked example

Anna prints her CardCard public URL as a QR on the back of a paper card. A scanner sees the URL, fetches the page, and the page surfaces both an Add to Wallet button and a vCard download. The downloaded contact carries her name, the public phone if any, the public email, and the LinkedIn from the front of the card.

When it matters

Trade shows, paper handouts, and conference badges. A phone camera scans the QR from across a table without typing a URL. The recipient walks away with the contact saved on the phone, not just a tab to remember. QR-on-paper bridges the printed card and the phone-based card.

When it does not

Long contact records bloat the QR until it is unreadable from a normal viewing distance. CardCard avoids this by encoding a short URL in the QR rather than the full vCard, so the code stays small at any phone-to-paper size and the record itself stays unbounded.

Questions

What QR scanner works for vCard QR?: The default camera app on iPhone (iOS 11 onwards) and Android (most builds since 2018) detects vCards. Older phones may need Google Lens or a dedicated app — but in practice, the camera works for the vast majority of recipients today.
Is there a size limit on what the QR can carry?: Yes. QR codes have a fixed pixel budget; longer text needs more pixels and finer detail to scan reliably. CardCard encodes a URL into the QR rather than the full vCard, so the code stays small at any practical print size.
Will scanners pull the same record on iPhone and Android?: Yes. The vCard format is identical; the scanner UX differs. iPhone shows an Add to Contacts sheet; Android shows a Google Contacts sheet. The fields land identically on both — a contact is a contact, regardless of OS.

Reviewed 2026-05-08 by the CardCard atelier.