How to make a QR code offline on Windows
Short answer
A QR code is just text or a link encoded as a pattern, so it can be made on your PC with no upload. Microsoft Edge can make one for the page you are viewing, but not for any text you like. An offline generator such as AppRig turns any text, link, Wi-Fi details or contact card into a QR code on your PC and saves it as a PNG.
The manual way
Microsoft Edge can make a QR code for the page you are on: right-click the page and choose “Create QR code for this page”, and download the result as an image. It is quick for sending a web page to your phone, but it only works for the address you have open, not for Wi-Fi details, contact cards or plain text.
For anything else, most people search for an online generator. That means pasting your data into someone else’s website, and some services hand back a “dynamic” code that sends every scan through their own short link first. Those codes can stop working if the service closes or a free plan ends. For a public link that may not matter; for a Wi-Fi password or a personal contact card, it is worth keeping the data on your own PC.
The faster way with AppRig
AppRig’s QR Code tool turns any text or link into a QR code on your PC as you type. Paste a URL, a Wi-Fi config or a vCard and the code updates live. The data goes straight into the pattern, so there is no redirect link to expire, and the renderer makes no network calls.
You can pick the error-correction level and invert the colours, and AppRig Pro adds custom module and corner shapes, transparent backgrounds and large export sizes sharp enough for print. Then copy the code as an image or save it as a PNG.
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Common questions
Do QR codes expire?
A plain QR code never expires, because the text or link is stored in the pattern itself. Codes from some online generators are "dynamic": they point to a short link on the generator's own site, which then redirects to yours. If that service shuts down, or a free plan ends, the code can stop working. Making a static code yourself avoids that.
Is it safe to use an online QR code generator?
For a public web link it is usually fine. For anything private, like a Wi-Fi password, a personal contact card or an internal link, remember that whatever you type is sent to someone else's server. Some services also route scans through their own redirect links, which can be used to count scans. An offline generator keeps the data on your PC.
How do I make a QR code for my Wi-Fi network?
Encode a line of text in the standard Wi-Fi format, WIFI:T:WPA;S:YourNetworkName;P:YourPassword;; and turn it into a QR code. Most phone cameras will offer to join the network when they scan it. Because the password is stored inside the code, make it with an offline tool rather than a website.
What size should a printed QR code be?
A common rule of thumb is at least 2 cm (about 0.8 inch) across for scanning up close, and bigger for posters read from a distance. Export at a high resolution so the edges stay sharp, keep a clear margin around the code, and use a higher error-correction level if it may get scuffed or have a logo on top.
Related questions
AppRig does this and more, all in one local-first Windows app. See what AppRig does →