There are so many options when it comes to creating and putting your Flowcode out in the world, we want to ensure you are equipped with the best practices to have your Flowcode be scannable across as many device types as possible!
Design
While Flowcodes & QR codes, in general, are scannable across most devices, ultimately there are some design tips that yield optimal scan performance from both devices & end-users.
Light background & dark data pattern (the various dots and dashes inside the code itself)
High contrast between data and background
Adding a Call to Action (PNG files of CTA resources attached to this article)
Sizing
Once an end-user holds their phone up to scan a code, it typically takes less than 3 seconds for the notification banner to appear. The baseline scanning distance is approximately 1 foot away with the minimum viable Flowcode size to be 1 inch around, this ensures a readable data pattern across different devices. With respect to scanning at distance, a 5:1 ratio is best. For example, if the code is 20' away, it should have a 4' diameter.
iPhone:
iPhones are the most commonly used device type for scanning our codes in the US. They are able to recognize Flowcodes quickly and effectively. Light backgrounds & dark data patterns perform best, but the inverse is also scannable.
Android:
The internal camera of many Android phones (especially phones more than 2 years old) looks for a standard QR code, with a white background and black data points/eyes. Some Android internal cameras will not recognize a QR code that has data points lighter than the background. (white on black, light blue on dark blue, etc.)
We recommend installing Google Lens on your Android phone for optimal scanning speed & ability, especially on older Android models.
Google Lens is an app that is available but not preinstalled on all phones. It is more effective at scanning codes that have dark backgrounds and lighter data points than the standard Android internal camera. Some android phones still struggle with getting a fast scan with a dark background code on Google Lens.