[ad_1]
Quick response (QR) codes are everywhere these days. You’ll find these two-dimensional barcodes in restaurants for the menu, and everyone probably remembers the Super Bowl commercial with the Coinbase QR code. Most people have used a QR code at some point, but have you ever seen an animated QR code?
We’re all familiar with plain, printed QR codes, but they can still work if the image is moving in a GIF or animated. We recently saw a great example of this from a popular YouTuber who tweeted a GIF QR code which quickly went viral.
Below is a QR code that Rick essentially shows you, complete with an animated GIF of internet famous Rick Astley. Never Gonna Give You Up music video. Of course, like any other QR code, scanning the QR code on the go takes you to its destination, which is the YouTube video. It’s amazing, and I love it.
Scan it. scan it scan it scan it scan it pic.twitter.com/11qGgb3onB
– Zack Freedman (@zackfreedman) April 22, 2022
Most people didn’t know this was possible, myself included. Twitter users instantly loved it, with some calling it Magicsaying how great is itand others noted that it is just a clever trick. All crucial elements remain stationary, allowing the QR code to be scanned even when moving.
Without getting too technical, instead of the full QR code being the information a QR scanning app would find, it just part of the image is important. Each larger pixel has 3 × 3 smaller pixels. Some of them move while others store the YouTube link data. Therefore, the QR code still works even when things move.
How to make an animated QR code?
Did you know that you can make QR codes in all sorts of unique ways? For example, you can add color instead of just black and white. You can add a moving GIF, color images, or even add a small animated logo on top of a regular black and white QR code. The options are almost endless.
You can quickly create and customize your own animated QR codes with sites like QR4, created by software engineer Jeroen Steeman. Or try it with apps including Visualead or Acme Codes. Essentially, you choose the logo, colors, animation speeds, and more, and hit create.
The QR4 site just mentioned is a free service and gives you basic options for creating unique codes, but the others may require you to sign up.
So now that you know they exist, go ahead and try making your own. And if animated QR codes are too fancy and you want to try something easier, create a QR code of your home Wi-Fi password to share with visiting friends and family.
via BleepingComputer
[ad_2]
