What is a LinkedIn QR code?
A LinkedIn QR code is the square code the LinkedIn mobile app shows for your profile, so that someone standing in front of you can reach that profile by pointing a phone at your screen instead of typing your name into search.
LinkedIn Help describes the feature in one article, Using a LinkedIn QR Code to Connect with Members. It says the code makes it easy to meet someone offline and stay in touch on LinkedIn, and that each LinkedIn member has their own unique QR code.
Two things live behind the same icon. The My code tab shows your code. The Scan tab reads someone else's. Both sit in the Search bar at the top of the app home screen, which is why most people never find them.
The Help article for this feature is marked last updated five years ago, checked on September 23, 2026. Labels move between app releases, so treat the wording below as the official steps and expect small differences on your screen.
How to find your LinkedIn QR code
LinkedIn Help gives separate instructions for iOS and Android, and both start the same way: open the app, then tap the QR code in the Search bar at the top of your LinkedIn homepage. Before that, LinkedIn Help asks you to download the most current version of the app.
On iPhone and iPad
- Open the app on your mobile device and look at the search field at the top.
- Tap the QR code icon inside the Search bar.
- Tap the My code tab to find your QR code.
- Tap Share my code to send it by message, email or other third party apps, then pick an option from the dropdown and follow the prompts.
- Tap Save to photos to keep a copy of the image in your photo gallery.
On Android
- Tap the QR code in the Search bar at the top of the homepage, exactly as on iOS.
- Tap the MY CODE tab to find your code.
- Tap SAVE TO GALLERY to save a copy to your device.
- Sharing is listed as coming soon: LinkedIn Help notes that sharing the code by message, email or other third party apps is not yet on Android.
iOS and Android labels side by side
| Action | iOS label | Android label |
|---|---|---|
| Show your own code | My code | MY CODE |
| Read someone else's code | Scan | SCAN |
| Save the image | Save to photos | SAVE TO GALLERY |
| Send the code to someone | Share my code | Coming soon, per LinkedIn Help |
| Use a saved image | Scan from photos | ADD CODE FROM GALLERY |
| Camera permission | Not called out in the article | ENABLE CAMERA ACCESS step |
If a label on your phone does not match, the tab order is the reliable part: your code and the scanner sit behind the same icon in the Search bar.
How to scan a LinkedIn QR code
Scanning is the half that sellers forget. If the other person has their code open, you do not need to show yours at all. One scan is enough to put you on the right profile.
Open the same icon
Open the LinkedIn app and tap the QR code in the Search bar at the top of your homepage.
Switch to the Scan tab
Tap Scan on iOS or SCAN on Android. On Android, LinkedIn Help adds a step: tap ENABLE CAMERA ACCESS before the camera will read anything.
Hold the phone above their code
LinkedIn Help says to hold your mobile device directly above the member's QR code you would like to connect with.
Or use a picture you already have
Tap Scan from photos on iOS, or ADD CODE FROM GALLERY on Android, to read a code you saved or were sent earlier.
Land on their profile and connect
Once the code has been scanned, LinkedIn Help says you will be redirected to that member's profile. From there you send the invitation.
LinkedIn Help describes scanning inside the LinkedIn app. It does not say what the code contains, and it does not describe opening a member code with your phone's built in camera app, so do not promise a prospect that any scanner will work.
Saving and sharing your code
The saved image is the version that does real work. Once the picture sits in your gallery, you can drop it into a slide, a printed card or a chat window without opening the app in front of the person you are talking to.
- Save it today: Save to photos on iOS, SAVE TO GALLERY on Android, so a weak conference network cannot stop you.
- Share it on iOS: Share my code passes the image to message, email or another app from the dropdown.
- On Android, work around the gap: save to the gallery first, then attach that image yourself.
- Keep one copy: a single file in a known folder beats six screenshots, especially before you print anything.
LinkedIn QR code on desktop
LinkedIn Help documents this feature for the mobile app only. The article splits into iOS and Android instructions and has no desktop section, and no other LinkedIn Help article we found publishes a way to open your profile code in a browser.
So the honest answer to "where is the QR code on desktop" is that LinkedIn does not publish one. What you can do from a computer is copy your public profile URL and hand it over as a link, which is covered under how to change your LinkedIn URL.
The saved image is the bridge. Take the picture out of your phone gallery, put it on the slide or the card you are building on your laptop, and the desktop gap stops mattering.
What happens after a scan
A scan is a redirect, not a connection. LinkedIn Help is clear that the scanner is taken to the profile, and the invitation is a separate act on that profile page.
On the profile, LinkedIn Help says you select Connect in the introduction section, and if you do not see Connect, for example when Follow is the primary option, you select More and then Connect. Our guide on how to connect on LinkedIn walks through the same paths.
Using a LinkedIn QR code at events and meetings
For a seller, the code solves one narrow problem very well: the thirty seconds at the end of a conversation when both people are holding drinks and nobody wants to spell a surname twice.
You control the follow-up when the other profile is open on your phone. Ask to scan, then send the invitation while you still remember the conversation.
A saved image on a card, a stand or a badge lets people scan without a queue, and it keeps working while you talk to someone else.
Put the code on your closing slide next to your name and role, so attendees who want a follow-up can take it in one tap.
Tell the room what they get if they scan, such as the checklist you promised, so the scan has a reason beyond politeness.
Events on the platform itself work differently, since attendees are already listed and searchable. Our LinkedIn Events guide covers that side, and LinkedIn networking covers what to do with the people you meet.
A seller's routine for the code
Update the app before you travel
LinkedIn Help asks for the most current version, and lists iOS 18.0 or higher and Android 10 or higher as supported. Do this at home, not in the venue lobby.
Save the image to your gallery
Open the QR icon in the Search bar, tap My code, then Save to photos or SAVE TO GALLERY. Now the code works without a signal.
Tidy the profile the code points at
The scan lands on your profile, so headline, photo and current role do the talking. Fix them before the event, not after.
Scan the other person when you can
Switch to the Scan tab and hold the phone above their code. You land on their profile and keep the next step in your own hands.
Send the invitation with a note
Select Connect on the profile, add a short note about where you met, and send it before you leave the room.
Write the real message the same day
The invitation is the handshake. The follow-up message is where the conversation continues, and memory of the booth fades fast.
Printed codes, business cards and badges
What a LinkedIn QR code business card should show
A printed card carries the saved image well, because the card is already in the hand of the person you want to reach. Put the code on the back with a short line telling people what it opens, and keep your name and role readable without a phone.
| Surface | What the code adds | What to check first |
|---|---|---|
| Business card | A profile in one tap instead of a typed name | Print size, quiet space around the square, and a test scan from the printed card |
| Event badge | Scanning while you are mid conversation | That the badge holder does not cover part of the code |
| Closing slide | A follow-up path for a room you will never meet again | Contrast on the projector, and a code large enough from the back row |
| Email signature | Little, on mobile, where the reader is already on a phone | Whether a plain link would serve the reader better |
| Booth stand or poster | Scans without a queue at your table | Height, glare and whether the code sits above waist level |
| Printed handout | A path back to you after the pile is sorted | That the paper is not glossy enough to reflect the camera |
Once a code is printed you cannot edit it. Scan the proof with two phones before you order a box of cards, and keep the file you printed so you can compare later.
What a LinkedIn QR code does not do
Card vendors and code generators publish scan rates and connection lift measured on their own users. None of those figures are quoted on this page. If you want a number, count invitations sent from scanned profiles at one event and compare it with the next.
Why your LinkedIn QR code may not work
There is no LinkedIn Help troubleshooting article for this feature, so the table separates what LinkedIn documents from what is simply good practice at an event.
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No QR icon in the Search bar | Old app version, per the Help article's first instruction | Update the app, then reopen the homepage |
| Scan tab shows a black screen on Android | Camera access not granted | Tap ENABLE CAMERA ACCESS, which LinkedIn Help lists as a step |
| The app will not update | Unsupported operating system | LinkedIn supports iOS 18.0 or higher and Android 10 or higher |
| Camera permission was refused earlier | Optional permissions can be declined, and features then break | Re-enable camera access in your device settings |
| Nothing happens on a printed card | Size, glare or a damaged print | Test the printed proof on two phones before the run |
| The scanner is not on LinkedIn | No account, or signed out | Offer your public profile link or a plain email address instead |
LinkedIn Help explains that app permissions are optional and that certain features may not work properly without them, and it names scanning QR codes as one of the things the camera permission is used for.
Camera access, in LinkedIn's words
The permissions article says consent to device permissions is optional and you can use the app either way, but refusing consent can stop features from working. Camera is listed as covering video posts, profile pictures and scanning QR codes.
That matters at a booth, where you may be handing your unlocked phone to a stranger for a second. Grant the permission in advance and scan the code yourself rather than passing the device around.
Alternatives when the code is not the answer
- A custom public profile URL: readable, sayable and printable. LinkedIn Help says custom URLs are first come, first served, and you can hold one at a time.
- Send your profile in a message: from your profile, the Resources button offers Send Profile in a message, and your public profile URL fills the text box.
- A plain email address: for buyers who will not open LinkedIn in front of you, or who are not members at all.
- Third party code generators: a category, not a recommendation. They encode any link you give them, including your profile URL, with their own design and tracking.
- Digital card apps: another category that stores a full contact record rather than a single profile link.
A generated code points at whatever URL you typed. Change your custom URL later and every printed copy of that code can break, which is one more argument for choosing the address once and leaving it alone.
Other QR codes you meet on LinkedIn
Not every square code on LinkedIn is a profile code. If you verify your identity to recover account access from a desktop computer, LinkedIn Help says to use your phone to scan the QR code shown on the screen and continue the verification process there.
That code has nothing to do with networking, and LinkedIn Help notes you are not asked to scan anything if you started the process on a mobile device. Knowing the difference keeps a support flow from being mistaken for a profile code.
Turning a scan into a conversation
The scan is free. The invitation is where limits start, and LinkedIn Help publishes them plainly.
- Personalized invitations: LinkedIn Help says you can add a message to up to three connection requests per month, a second Help article says five, and each message can be up to 200 characters.
- Premium: LinkedIn Help says Premium members can send unlimited personalized invitations, while connection request limits may still apply, covered in LinkedIn Premium.
- Network ceiling: members can have a maximum of 30,000 first degree connections, as our LinkedIn connection limit page explains.
- Invitations can be restricted: LinkedIn Help warns your account may be temporarily restricted from sending invitations if members report them as unwanted or spam.
- You need a primary email address on the account to send connection invitations at all.
Three or five notes a month is a real constraint for anyone working a conference. Spend them on the conversations you actually remember, send plain invitations to the rest, and put the detail in a message once they accept. If you are prospecting at scale, LinkedIn prospecting covers the sequencing.
Common mistakes with the code
- Opening the app to find the code while the other person waits, instead of using a saved image.
- Showing your code when scanning theirs would have put the next step in your hands.
- Printing a code that points at a custom URL you later change.
- A profile that the scan lands on with no headline, no photo and a job from two roles ago.
- Assuming the scan created a connection, so no invitation is ever sent.
- Spending a 200 character personalized note on a stranger you will not follow up with.
- Promising prospects that any camera app will open the code, which LinkedIn Help does not claim.
- Putting a code in an email signature where a plain link would be faster to use.
The profile is the product
Everything above moves someone to one page. If that page is thin, the code has done its job and the profile has undone it. Check the headline, the photo, the current role and the first two lines of the about section before any event.
If you are starting from scratch, our guide on how to create a LinkedIn profile covers the sections in order, and the LinkedIn glossary entry explains how the pieces fit together.
The note to send after a scan
This note was written for this page, and it fits inside the 200 character limit LinkedIn Help gives for a personalized invitation. Replace the placeholders, keep the venue detail, and send it the same day.
Hi {{firstName}}, we scanned codes at {{event}} after the {{session}} talk. You mentioned {{topic}} and I said I would send the {{resource}}. Sending it once we are connected.
You met forty people and send the same line to all of them, or the detail is wrong because you wrote it three days later.
Then it reads like a template, which it is. Write the note at the event, or send a plain invitation instead.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the QR code on LinkedIn?
It is in the LinkedIn mobile app. Tap the QR code in the Search bar at the top of your homepage, then use the My code tab for your own code or the Scan tab to read someone else's.
How do I find my LinkedIn QR code on iPhone?
Open the app, tap the QR code in the Search bar, then tap the My code tab. From there you can tap Share my code to send it by message, email or another app, or Save to photos to keep a copy.
How do I find my LinkedIn QR code on Android?
Tap the QR code in the Search bar at the top of the homepage, then the MY CODE tab. Tap SAVE TO GALLERY for a copy. LinkedIn Help says sharing the code by message or email is coming soon on Android.
How do I scan a LinkedIn QR code?
Tap the QR code in the Search bar, then the Scan tab, and hold your phone directly above the other member's code. On Android, tap ENABLE CAMERA ACCESS first. You are then redirected to that member's profile.
Can I scan a LinkedIn QR code from a screenshot?
Yes. LinkedIn Help lists Scan from photos on iOS and ADD CODE FROM GALLERY on Android, which read a code you already saved to your photo gallery. That covers codes someone emailed you or a photo of a printed card.
How do I save my LinkedIn QR code as an image?
On the My code tab, tap Save to photos on iOS or SAVE TO GALLERY on Android. The image goes to your photo gallery, where you can add it to a slide, a card or a message without opening the app.
Is there a LinkedIn QR code on desktop?
LinkedIn Help documents this feature for the mobile app only, with separate iOS and Android steps and no desktop section. From a computer, share your public profile URL instead, or use an image you saved from the app.
Does scanning a LinkedIn QR code connect you automatically?
No. LinkedIn Help says a scan redirects you to that member's profile. You still select Connect on the profile, or More and then Connect if Follow is the primary button, and the other person still has to accept.
Why can I not find the QR code icon in the LinkedIn app?
The Help instructions start by asking you to download the most current version of the app. If it will not update, check your operating system: LinkedIn supports iOS 18.0 or higher and Android 10 or higher.
Does a LinkedIn company page have a QR code?
The LinkedIn Help article covers member codes and says each LinkedIn member has their own unique QR code. It does not describe a Page code, so treat any Page code you see as one made with an outside generator.
Can I track who scans my LinkedIn QR code?
LinkedIn Help publishes no scan tracking for member QR codes, so assume you cannot. A code you generate yourself from your profile URL can carry its own tracking, which belongs to that tool rather than to LinkedIn.
Can I put my LinkedIn QR code on a business card?
Yes. Save the image from the My code tab and place it on the card with a line saying what it opens. Print a proof and scan it with two phones first, because a printed code cannot be edited later.
Does the LinkedIn QR code expire or change?
LinkedIn Help says each member has their own unique code and publishes nothing about expiry, so there is no documented end date. Reprint from a fresh copy anyway if you change your custom public profile URL.
What can I use instead of a LinkedIn QR code?
A custom public profile URL you can say out loud, the Send Profile in a message option from the Resources button on your profile, or a plain email address for buyers who are not LinkedIn members.
- LinkedIn Help, Using a LinkedIn QR Code to Connect with Members, for the My code and Scan tabs, the Search bar location, Share my code, Save to photos, SAVE TO GALLERY, ADD CODE FROM GALLERY, the Android camera access step and the redirect to the member's profile, checked Sep 23, 2026.
- LinkedIn Help, Various ways to connect with people on LinkedIn, for Connect in the introduction section, the More menu, the 30,000 connection maximum, the primary email requirement and invitation restrictions, checked Sep 23, 2026.
- LinkedIn Help, Personalize invitations to connect, for the three personalized invitations per month, the 200 character limit and the Premium exception, checked Sep 23, 2026.
- LinkedIn Help, Differences between InMail Messages and personalized invitations, for the five notes on Basic accounts and the 300 character Premium notes, checked Oct 1, 2026.
- LinkedIn Help, Supported operating systems and devices for the LinkedIn mobile app, for iOS 18.0 or higher and Android 10 or higher, checked Sep 23, 2026.
- LinkedIn Help, LinkedIn mobile app permissions explained, for optional permissions and the camera permission covering QR code scanning, checked Sep 23, 2026.
- LinkedIn Help, Manage your public profile URL, for custom URLs being first come, first served and one at a time, checked Sep 23, 2026.
- LinkedIn Help, Share a profile with connections and coworkers, for the Resources button and Send Profile in a message, checked Sep 23, 2026.
- LinkedIn Help, Verify your identity to recover account access, for the desktop identity verification QR code, checked Sep 23, 2026.
- LinkedIn Help, Build your professional network, for the 30,000 first degree connection maximum and the connect, follow and InMail options, checked Sep 23, 2026.
- Jeluvi entries this guide builds on: how to connect on LinkedIn, how to change your LinkedIn URL, LinkedIn connection limit, LinkedIn Events.
- The event routine, the placement table and the connection note were written for this page. No scan rates or connection figures are quoted.