QR codes, once considered to be a long-dead relic of the earlier 2010s, are finding a fresh take on life on the coronavirus pandemic. How is it being employed for innovation in 2020, and can they have a far better chance of making it this time around?
QR codes are getting pushed into service all over the world in a variety of means targeted at fighting the pandemic: from tracing possible origins of infection, to employing “contactless” options to things which will probably spread the infection.

Instagram threw its hat to the QR code ring having a feature which will create a QR code heading back to your Instagram profile, made to be suitable for any third-party camera or QR code scanning application. Even though a few social networks have the same features, Instagram is just the 2nd social networking - right after Twitter - to utilize universal QR codes rather than a proprietary version such as Snapcodes (or Nametags, that the QR code feature is changing).
Having QR codes growing throughout the hospitality and healthcare sectors and among the most famous social networks throwing its weight in it, is it here to stay for real this time around?
Let’s check out how QR codes are now being employed in 2020, and how the present QR renaissance may differ from their early 2010s in important ways.
Just how are QR codes being utilized in 2020?
Healthcare

As the coronavirus pandemic happened in China, Chinese authorities started to press QR codes into service being a tool for monitoring and tracking the actions and infection status of numerous citizens. The software, that calls for residents going out in public to scan a QR code whenever going into and departing a place, as well as getting their temperature, was developed in Wuhan and later on used by over 100 Chinese cities.
Although the use of QR codes in China is certainly not new, since they're inserted into day to day life as a way of connecting the offline and online worlds, using QR codes for contact tracing has finally being used all over the world - coming from Singapore to New South Wales, Paris to California. Possibly even companies, just like Woolworths supermarket in Australia, now utilize QR code-based contact tracing in an opt-in basis.
Hospitality

The infamous hospitality sector is quickly adopting QR codes being a key element to locations safely reopening. On restaurants, in which passing all over a physical menu has become a possible vector for infection, QR codes are becoming popular as a way of accessing an electronic menu, scanned using a sticker or a disposable card.
Using ‘contactless’ electronic menus includes a lot of benefits for restaurants: they could be made interactive, easily updated to show dishes while they're added or sell out, and have coupons or special deals. A few electronic menu platforms also provide data analysis. However keying in a webpage URL or downloading a related app presents lots of friction to the procedure of utilizing these menus - that's where QR codes come into play, quickly bringing the user to the related page when they're scanned.
Social media

Instagram’s brand new QR code feature can help businesses motivate visits into their Instagram profiles by providing them a scannable code which they could print on anything from advertising material to signals to cars as well as the sides of buildings.
Having the restored interest in QR codes caused by the coronavirus pandemic, there's a pretty good chance that they'll catch on with customers, that bodes well for brands to whom Instagram is a vital site of consumer engagement, and also those which utilize it to market products.
You will still find drawbacks to utilizing QR codes, of course, like the need to be familiar with the related technology. However, no piece of technology or method of doing things would be totally perfect. However QR codes have the possibility to be a beneficial and adaptable tool in brands’ and businesses’ arsenals if they could defeat the obstacles caused from their gimmicky reputation and previous failings - and to this point, the view is increasingly good.
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