Users can now use quick response barcodes to share their reels, tags, locations and other information.
Instagram has announced that it is assigning a unique QR code to every new post made on its app, with the goal of making it easier to be able to share images, reels, tags, and locations on its searchable map.
The photo sharing app us using the well recognized and popular barcodes to enhance real world sharing.
As a result of the pandemic, QR code barcodes have made their way onto pretty much everything from advertising to product packaging, product manuals, and restaurant menus. Hopping onto this trend, Instagram is using the barcodes so that users can share the various components of the application in which they’ve participated. This way, posts, reels, image tags and other features can be easily shared with other users.
Meta, the company that owns Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp among others, is hardly the first to have adopted these barcodes. Many others are using them for similar reasons or to share additional information on websites and other online locations. That being the case, anyone who had their doubts about the longevity of the barcodes will likely be changing their mind now that even the massive players such as Meta have taken it on.
The QR code has massive appeal to companies of all size due to its ease of use and affordability.
Moreover, due to the pandemic, consumers are highly familiar with these barcodes and are quite comfortable using them. Moreover, many people far prefer to use them than to have to search for something on their phone or type a URL manually on their touchscreen. Simply scanning a barcode to get the same result certainly has its draw.
The way Instagram is using the QR code makes it possible for users to be able to share their content wherever they want. It means that they can add the barcode to virtually any place to be able to share posts, reels and other content on Instagram that they feel other users will want to see. Even if the post or reel isn’t at the top of the roll, it can be seen where it needs to be spotted.
Meta explained in a media announcement that they made the choice to add the QR code to posts and other Instagram content “to make it easier for people and businesses to share specific content.”