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It would be useful if links could have a QR code next to them as an anti-spoofing or URL-shortening feature. I would guess that in mobile phone browsers this is already supported?

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    Not sure how that would help. Presumably if somebody posts a link to ww.baddomain.com then the QR code will just lead to the same thing. Similarly if it's url.shortener/<short id> then you get the same thing from the QR code.
    – VLAZ
    Commented Sep 30 at 9:43
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    I don't understand how this is useful. Am I supposed to get my phone out of my pocket and then point the camera at the screen to have my phone go to the link? Why shouldn't I just click the link if that was my intent? What is the actual use case for the QR code and which users will benefit from it?
    – rene Mod
    Commented Sep 30 at 9:48
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    In addition to previous comments saying it's not really useful, I've never seen this used anywhere. Do you have example of mainstream site using such a feature?
    – Shadow Wizard
    Commented Sep 30 at 9:56
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    I find QR codes useful when there is a URL from the physical world that I don't want to have to type or remember - like walking by a store window, or viewing a product box, or looking at a user manual. When I'm already on the web site, I'm not quite sure what a QR code buys me over clicking a link? Where would you put such a QR code you'd generate that would be useful for anyone?
    – Aaron Bertrand Staff
    Commented Sep 30 at 12:21
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    "I would guess in mobile phone browsers, this is already supported?" - what? Why? The point of a QR code is to scan it with your phone. You can't do that if the QR code is on your phone.
    – Anerdw
    Commented Sep 30 at 13:15
  • @Anerdw I suspect OP means something else, and doesn't know what is QR code, but can't know - too late though, even if it's edited, there are already valid answers.
    – Shadow Wizard
    Commented Sep 30 at 13:25
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    @Anerdw You pull out another phone to scan the QR code on your phone, clearly :D
    – Journeyman Geek
    Commented Sep 30 at 13:45
  • I think there are (but haven't ever used) features on some devices now that recognize a QR code on a webpage? But I still don't understand how a QR code is more secure than a link.
    – Catija
    Commented Sep 30 at 13:59
  • Oh, do you perhaps mean the other way around (if there's a QR code on a Stack Exchange site, display the URL for that QR code)? That would be a different question; feel free to ask a second one if that's what you're looking for.
    – Anerdw
    Commented Sep 30 at 14:16
  • If you're subject to man-in-the middle attacks, then what you're suggesting would be adding glitter to an unsavory object - aesthetic only and to no practical effect.
    – W.O.
    Commented Oct 1 at 0:00

3 Answers 3

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With an obfuscated URL, you generally can tell, at the very least that its an obfuscated URL.

Ponder this link https://tinyurl.com/5cd7yumt - You can tell immediately that its a shortened link. And its suspicious.

On the other hand, a QR code could be anything

enter image description here

I can't click on it. Is this the latest android malware, a link to a useful site or horror of horrors... Another Rickroll.

You lose the convenience of clicking, ruin accessibility for both desktop users (who need to scan the URL with a phone), phone users (who need to save and run it on their QR code reader... or pull out another phone). It is potentially unusable for screen readers, unless perhaps your image description explains what it is and has the URL you could have put there.

On the other hand, I could just neatly use a standard, readable link like this, telling you this is a rickroll

I'm unsure what the utility of this would be.

As an aside, modern phones often have good enough OCR to recognise a link as a image - so you probably just need to feed it into google lens or similar to get a link with no QR code

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    Can't believe I willingly clicked on both links, just to check whether they truly are a rickroll. Sigh
    – Lino
    Commented Sep 30 at 17:08
  • Well, one would hope one wouldn't scan random UR codes or shortened links in random places. I am a little too amused at this, even if I did try to make it obvious what the links were.
    – Journeyman Geek
    Commented Sep 30 at 17:14
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I don't see the point in this. Wouldn't the QR code send you to the same bad site? Also, when I am browsing Stack Exchange, I'm not going to go take out another device to go scan a QR code rather than just click a link, and nor is anyone else.

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I don't see how this could offer any security benefits (better explained in the other answers), but it's worth noting that a lot of browsers already have the capability to generate a QR code for the current page. For example, you can right click in desktop Chrome to do so (see Help article). I found a Reddit post with some alternatives for Firefox, at least one of which will work cross platform.

While I don't think I've ever used QR codes for SE, I have used them elsewhere (mainly YouTube) as an easy way to send a page to the phone of someone else in the same room.

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