(StatePoint) Ancient civilizations had hieroglyphics, we have QR codes: the patterned graphic boxes prompting you to access restaurant menus, pay for parking, find out information about a package and more.
Generally, quick response (QR) codes are safe, but they can be used to redirect you to malicious websites, so caution is important. Here’s how it works.
kAm• *@F 86E AC@>AE65 E@ FD6 J@FC 56G:46’D 42>6C2]k^Am
kAm• *@F D42? E96 4@56 2?5 2 =:?< A@AD FA]k^Am
kAm• *@F 4=:4< E96 =:?<[ 6IA@D:?8 J@F E@ E9C62E 24E@CD]k^Am
kAm• *@F’C6 5:C64E65 E@ 2AAD[ H63D:E6D[ =@42E:@?D FD:?8 J@FC >2AD 2?5 >F49 >@C6]k^Am
kAmq25 24E@CD F?56CDE2?5 A6@A=6 2C6 :? 2 CFD9[ D@ E9:D :D 2? 2AA62=:?8 7@C> @7 2EE24<] xE’D 2 4@DE\677:4:6?E D42> 3642FD6 E96D6 4@56D 2C6 62DJ E@ 86?6C2E6 2?5 5:DEC:3FE6] p?5 E96J 2C6 4C62E:G6 :? 7:?5:?8 ?6H H2JD E@ >2<6 E96> 2AA62C =68:E:>2E6] x? AF3=:4 A=246D[ 4C:>:?2=D 42? 4@G6C 2? @77:4:2= 4@56 H:E9 2 DE:4<6C @C AC:?E@FE D9@H:?8 2 7C2F5F=6?E 4@56] $@>6 @7 E96 >@C6 AC6G2=6?E 2?5 4@?G:?4:?8 D42>D :?4=F56ik^Am
kAm• kDEC@?8m!2C<:?8 %:4<6E $42>D]k^DEC@?8m rC:>:?2=D A=246 72<6 A2C<:?8 E:4<6ED H:E9 "# 4@56D @? H:?5D9:6=5D[ 42FD:?8 F?DFDA64E:?8 G:4E:>D E@ D42? E96 4@56 2?5 4=:4< E96 =:?< E@ =62C? @7 E96:C @776?D6 2?5 5:8:E2==J A2J E96 2==6865 7:?6]k^Am
kAm• kDEC@?8mqCFD9:?8 $42>D]k^DEC@?8m p 4C:>:?2= H:== D9:A 8@@5D J@F ?6G6C @C56C65[ E96? C6BF:C6 J@F E@ D42? E96 "# 4@56 2?5 4=:4< E96 =:?< E@ D66 H9@ D6?E J@F E96 8:7E]k^Am
kAm• kDEC@?8m!2J>6?E $42>D]k^DEC@?8m rC:>:?2=D 4@G6C 2 =68:E:>2E6 "# 4@56 H:E9 2 DE:4<6C E92E 92D 2 7C2F5F=6?E 4@56 E92E 5:C64ED E@ 2 >2=:4:@FD D:E6] %9:D 42? 92AA6? 2E 82D AF>AD[ 32?< H:?5@HD[ A2C<:?8 =@ED[ 6E4]k^Am
kAm• kDEC@?8mrCJAE@ $42>D]k^DEC@?8m rCJAE@ EC2?D24E:@?D 2C6 @7E6? >256 E9C@F89 "# 4@56D 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 4CJAE@ 244@F?ED[ >2<:?8 E9:D 2? 2AA62=:?8 E2C86E 7@C 7C2F5DE6CD[ 6DA64:2==J D:?46 @?46 4CJAE@ A2J>6?ED 2C6 >256[ :E’D F?=:<6=J E9@D6 7F?5D H:== 36 C64@G6C65]k^Am
kAm%@ DE2J D276 H96? FD:?8 "# 4@56Dik^Am
kAm• kDEC@?8mr964< E96 &#{ik^DEC@?8m ~?46 J@F D42? 2?5 E96 =:?< A@AD FA[ DE@AP tI2>:?6 :E 7@C F?FDF2= 5@>2:? ?2>6D @C D9@CE6?65 &#{D 367@C6 4=:4<:?8]k^Am
kAm• kDEC@?8m'6C:7J E96 D@FC46ik^DEC@?8m ~?=J D42? "# 4@56D 7C@> ECFDE65 D@FC46D[ =:<6 @77:4:2= H63D:E6D @C 2AAD] r@56D 7C@> F?72>:=:2C D@FC46D 2C6 >@C6 =:<6=J E@ 36 >2=:4:@FD]k^Am
kAm• kDEC@?8mr964< 7@C E2>A6C:?8ik^DEC@?8m {@@< 7@C D:8?D @7 E2>A6C:?8[ =:<6 2=E6C65 8C2A9:4D[ 56D:8? 7=2HD @C DE:4<6CD A=2465 2E@A @C:8:?2= 4@56D]k^Am
kAm• kDEC@?8mq6 DFDA:4:@FDik^DEC@?8m %C62E D:E6D 2D<:?8 7@C 2 A2DDH@C5 @C =@8:? :?7@C>2E:@? 2D 2 C65 7=28]k^Am
kAm• kDEC@?8mq6 H2CJ @7 AC@>@E:@?Dik^DEC@?8m q6 42FE:@FD @7 @776CD E92E D66> E@@ 8@@5 E@ 36 ECF6]k^Am
kAm• kDEC@?8m&D6 2 D64FC6 4@??64E:@?ik^DEC@?8m {@@< 7@C 2 D64FC6 4@??64E:@? Ww%%!$X @C A25=@4<]k^Am
kAm• kDEC@?8mr@?7:C> G2=:5:EJ @7 C6BF6DEik^DEC@?8m q67@C6 E2<:?8 24E:@?[ =:<6 >2<:?8 2 A2J>6?E @C 6?E6C:?8 A6CD@?2= :?7@C>2E:@?[ 4@?7:C> 2 C6BF6DE E@ D42? H:E9 E96 4@>A2?J] x7 J@F C646:G6 2 "# 4@56 7C@> D@>6@?6 J@F <?@H[ C6249 @FE E@ E96> E9C@F89 2 <?@H? ?F>36C @C 6>2:= E@ G6C:7J E96J D6?E :E]k^Am
kAmkDA2? DEJ=6lQ7@?E\D:K6i``]_AEQmkDA2? DEJ=6lQ7@?E\72>:=JiQm•k^DA2?mk^DA2?m kDEC@?8m!C@E64E J@FC 56G:46ik^DEC@?8m &D6 2?E:G:CFD 2?5 2?E:>2=H2C6 D@7EH2C6]k^Am
kAmkDA2? DEJ=6lQ7@?E\D:K6i``]_AEQmkDA2? DEJ=6lQ7@?E\72>:=JiQm•k^DA2?mk^DA2?m kDEC@?8m#6A@CE]k^DEC@?8m x7 J@F :56?E:7J 2 DFDA:4:@FD "# 4@56 @C 72== G:4E:> E@ 2 "# 4@56 D42>[ ?@E:7J J@FC 32?< 2?5 C6A@CE :E E@ =2H 6?7@C46>6?E 2?5 E96 u656C2= %C256 r@>>:DD:@?]k^Am
kAmx7 J@F D42? 2 72<6 "# 4@56[ J@FC 32?< 244@F?E[ 6>2:= 2?5 :56?E:EJ 4@F=5 2== 36 2E C:D<] u@C 24E:@?D E@ E2<6[ 4@?DF=E !}r q2?<’D #6A@CE:?8 uC2F5 A286 @? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]A?4]4@>^6?^D64FC:EJ\AC:G24J^C6A@CE:?8\7C2F5]9E>=Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmA?4]4@>k^2m]k^Am
kAmrJ36C 4C:>:?2=D 2C6 2=H2JD 7:?5:?8 ?6H H2JD E@ 567C2F5 E96:C G:4E:>D[ 2?5 "# 4@56D 2C6 ?@ 6I46AE:@?] (:E9 2 =:EE=6 42FE:@? 9@H6G6C[ J@F 42? 36EE6C AC@E64E J@FCD6=7]k^Am
kAm!9@E@ rC65:Ei W4X z@@?D:C: q@@??2< ^ :$E@4< G:2 v6EEJ x>286D !=FDk^Am
kAmk:>8 DC4lQ9EEADi^^7665D]DE2E6A@:?E]?6E^E@H??6HD^A=246>6?E]2D9InEl4U2>Aj:5l`_ge_U2>Aj=l6?\&$U2>AjCl`fcf`he`ga`_g]acQ ^mk^Am