Does it send the message automatically?

No. Scanning opens the messaging app with the number and text filled in, and the person taps send themselves. No operating system allows a scan to send a message on its own.

Can the message contain a colon?

Yes. The format puts the message after the second colon and treats everything following it as the text, so colons, semicolons and punctuation all survive.

Does it work on both iPhone and Android?

Android reads this format from the camera directly. Some older iPhone scanner apps handle it inconsistently, so test with the phones your audience actually uses.

SMS QR Code Generator

Scanning opens a text, ready to send.

Phone number

Message

Download as

pngsvg

Scanning opens a text, ready to send.

How to use it

Enter the number. Include the country code with a plus if the code might be scanned from another country.
Write the message. Optional. Whatever you put here appears as a draft the person can edit before sending.
Download it. PNG for screens, SVG for print. The encoded value underneath shows exactly what will be sent.

When you would use this

An SMS QR code opens the messaging app with a number and, optionally, a message already written. It suits anything where the reply needs to be traceable: a table number in a restaurant, an asset tag on equipment, a short code on a parking sign. Because the wording is prefilled, the message that arrives is consistent rather than whatever each person decided to type, which makes the replies far easier to act on. The encoding puts the message after the number, separated by a colon, and everything after that separator is treated as the text, so punctuation inside the message needs no escaping and is never truncated. Nothing sends on its own: the draft opens and the person presses send.

Questions

Does it send the message automatically?: No. Scanning opens the messaging app with the number and text filled in, and the person taps send themselves. No operating system allows a scan to send a message on its own.
Can the message contain a colon?: Yes. The format puts the message after the second colon and treats everything following it as the text, so colons, semicolons and punctuation all survive.
Does it work on both iPhone and Android?: Android reads this format from the camera directly. Some older iPhone scanner apps handle it inconsistently, so test with the phones your audience actually uses.