Instagram is now allowing users to share anyone’s photos through a QR code.
TechCrunch reports that Instagram users can now use a QR code to share posts or Reels from the social media platform. They can also share a QR code location through its searchable Map experience on the app.
According to TechCrunch, the new QR code tool could be effective in marketing campaigns and for promoting businesses on Instagram. This means that people don’t have to send a direct message, or even a URL, if they wish to share an Instagram photo.
To use this new feature, you need to go to an Instagram photo or Reel and then click the three dots menu. You will see the QR code sharing option. To generate a QR code, you can also add “/qr” to any post URL on the website.
Notably, Instagram has had the feature of sharing profiles through QR codes for a few years now. But this is the first time the company is releasing such an option for individual posts.
“To make it easier for people and businesses to share specific content, we recently launched the ability to create QR codes for profiles, tags, locations, reels, and more,” a Meta spokesperson tells TechCrunch.
The new QR code-sharing feature was first spotted by Alessandro Paluzzi, a developer known for reverse engineering apps and finding early versions of upcoming updates.
#Instagram is working on the ability to share posts using a QR code pic.twitter.com/2RIaCW6ows
— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) March 27, 2022
In March, Paluzzi shared that Instagram was working on the QR code-sharing feature. It appears that it is now available for all users.
It is unknown if QR code sharing is being made available to everyone.
As Techcrunch notes, the new feature could be useful for Instagram users who want to promote their content on the app.
A photographer might post a QR code that leads people to a photo-dump. Restaurants can also print them out to allow customers to view the photos and place before they visit it.
Earlier this week, Instagram was testing another feature that copies the photo-sharing app BeReal, which continues to hold on to the number one spot in the U.S. on Apple’s App Store charts.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
