Telegram QR code: a chat, channel or group from print

Username, channel or invite link

A public username is the simplest: type it above without the @ and the code opens t.me/yourname, which is your chat, your channel or your group depending on what the username belongs to. Public channels work exactly the same way.

Private groups and channels have no username, so they use an invite link instead. Copy that link from the group's invite screen in the app and paste it as a plain link code. Treat a printed invite link as public from the moment it leaves the printer: anyone who photographs the poster can pass it on, and that is the point of a poster, but it is not the way to let a small private group in. For those, print a code to a page or a form and send the invite link yourself.

• Public username: the everyday code for a shop, a creator or a support chat.
• Public channel: the code for announcements, on a flyer or a shelf card.
• Private group invite link: only where you are happy for anyone to join.
• A bot: bots have usernames too, so a bot code is just its t.me address.

Telegram's own codes

Telegram draws QR codes inside the app, for a profile and for an invite link; where the QR icon sits has moved between versions and platforms, so look on the profile screen or the invite-link screen of whichever app you use. Those codes are ordinary QR codes and any camera reads them, so for showing someone across a table they are all you need.

The reasons to make one here are the printed ones: an SVG that stays sharp at poster size, a frame and caption saying what the chat is, your own colors, and a code whose destination you can change after the print run. Telegram's picture is fixed to the address that made it.

Where it works

Telegram earns its place where a community meets in person: the noticeboard in a co-working space or a climbing gym, the flyer for a local group, the stand at a conference, the sticker on a laptop, the last slide of a talk. For businesses in the countries where Telegram is the default messenger, it also belongs everywhere WhatsApp would go: the window, the counter, the delivery bag.

Write the promise next to the square. "Join the residents' channel" or "Message us on Telegram" gets scanned; a bare code with a paper-plane logo does not.

Why make it dynamic

Telegram addresses move more than most. A community outgrows its group and becomes a channel, an invite link gets replaced after the wrong person joins, a username changes hands, a project's chat moves to a new one. Everything printed with a static code goes with it. A dynamic code keeps one printed square pointing at whichever chat is current, and counts how many people scanned it, which is the only number that separates a poster that recruits members from a poster nobody read.

Dynamic codes are part of Premium, $4 a month. Static vs dynamic, explained.

Step by step

1. 1

   Type your username

   Without the @. For a private group, paste the invite link as a plain link code instead.

2. 2

   Caption it

   "Join the channel" or "Message us on Telegram" in the frame.

3. 3

   Download for the surface

   SVG for posters and signs, PNG for stickers and inserts.

4. 4

   Keep it repointable

   On Premium, send the same printed code to a new group or channel when the community moves.

Questions people ask

How do I make a QR code for my Telegram?

Type your username (without the @) into the generator on this page and download the code. It opens t.me/yourname, which any phone camera will hand to the Telegram app if it is installed.

Does Telegram have its own QR code?

Yes. The app shows one for your profile and for group and channel invite links; the QR icon has moved around between app versions, so look on the profile or invite-link screen. They are normal QR codes, so a camera reads them. Make one here when you need print quality, a caption, or a code you can change later.

Can I make a code for a private group?

Yes, from the group's invite link, but think about it first: a printed invite link is open to anyone who sees the print or a photo of it. For a small private group, print a code to a sign-up page and send invites yourself.

What happens if someone does not have Telegram?

The link opens t.me in the browser, which shows the profile or channel and offers to open or install the app. Nothing is lost; there is just an extra step.

What if my username or invite link changes?

A static code is dead the moment the address changes, because the address is inside the pattern. A dynamic code is edited in your dashboard and everything printed keeps working, which is the usual reason communities regret printing static codes.

Is this the same as the Telegram Web login code?

No. The code on web.telegram.org is a login code your own app scans to sign you in; it is personal, changes constantly, and should never be printed or shared. This page is about codes that open a chat, channel or group for other people.