How to save a contact from a QR code on iPhone

More people share their contact as a QR code: on a phone, a watch, a badge or the back of a card. Your iPhone saves it in three taps, with no app.

Guide · Jeric Guillermo, who makes Metwith · 29 October 2026

With the Camera

1. Open Camera and point it at the QR code. You don’t need to take a photo.
2. Tap the yellow button that appears on the screen.
3. Check the details, then tap Create New Contact, or add them to a contact you already have.

The Code Scanner in Control Center does the same, if you’ve added it there.

When it opens a page instead

Some QR codes hold a link to a card online rather than the contact itself. Safari opens the page; look for a button to save the contact, which hands it to Contacts. On a Metwith online card, it’s Save contact, right under the card.

If the code is hard to read

• Ask them to turn up their screen’s brightness, or to show it full screen.
• Hold your phone a hand’s width away and keep it still for a moment.
• A dense code (a contact with many lines) needs more light and a steadier hand than a short link.

Make your own

In Metwith, your card’s QR code holds your contact, so the next person saves you the same way. It’s on your iPhone, your Home Screen and your Apple Watch. How to share your contact with a QR code

Questions

Why doesn't my iPhone react to the QR code?

Make sure Scan QR Codes is on in Settings › Camera, hold the phone steady about a hand's width away, and give the code a moment in good light.

Do I need an app to scan a contact QR code?

No. The iPhone Camera reads it, and so does the Code Scanner you can add to Control Center.

Can I make a QR code with my own contact?

Yes. In Metwith your card's QR code holds your contact, so people save you the same way. It's free.