This Week's Sponsor:

Listen Later

Listen to Articles as Podcasts


Visual Codes Generates QR Codes for iOS 11’s New Camera Features

With the move to iOS 11, we’ve seen flashy releases centered around augmented reality, drag and drop, and depth mapping, showcasing what the headlining features of the new OS look like in practice. But an under-the-radar feature, QR code support in the Camera app, is shaping up to have a promising future, and Visual Codes shows us why.

Created by Benjamin Mayo, Visual Codes generates QR codes for digital actions – like adding a contact, connecting to Wi-Fi, or calling a number – and allows you to use them in the real world. Basically, all you need to do is add the relevant information to the app, label your code, connect to a printer, and you have a physical shortcut in your hands.

Apple saw promise of tools like this when Craig Federighi showcased the feature on stage at WWDC; QR codes, Federighi said, could make connecting to Wi-Fi as simple as pulling out your phone’s camera and pointing at a QR code on your router. Now, we see that that and more can be feasibly done in iOS 11, and I can’t imagine a better app for it than Visual Codes.

Not only does the app create your codes quickly, but it also makes it a breeze to organize and share them for when you need them the most. With the ability to change the code’s colors, users can have more control over how they look in a home, on a sticker, or on a computer screen. And when you’re ready to print, you’ll get the option to print one or many codes on a single sheet of paper.

Whether you’re looking to speed up common tasks or help others get more information, Visual Codes and the Camera app is a winning combination. When all of my friends update to iOS 11, they can start using the QR codes I plan to put up around my house.

Unlock More with Club MacStories

Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for over six years.

In that time, members have enjoyed nearly 400 weekly and monthly newsletters packed with more of your favorite MacStories writing as well as Club-only podcasts, eBooks, discounts on apps, icons, and services. Join today, and you’ll get everything new that we publish every week, plus access to our entire archive of back issues and downloadable perks.

The Club expanded in 2021 with Club MacStories+ and Club Premier. Club MacStories+ members enjoy even more exclusive stories, a vibrant Discord community, a rotating roster of app discounts, and more. And, with Club Premier, you get everything we offer at every Club level plus an extended, ad-free version of our podcast AppStories that is delivered early each week in high-bitrate audio.

Choose the Club plan that’s right for you:

  • Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with app collections, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, a Club-only podcast, periodic giveaways, and more;
  • Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus exclusive content like Federico’s Automation Academy and John’s Macintosh Desktop Experience, a powerful web app for searching and exploring over 6 years of content and creating custom RSS feeds of Club content, an active Discord community, and a rotating collection of discounts, and more;
  • Club Premier: Everything in from our other plans and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio.