Morse code QR code
Type a message and get a QR code that plays it, hides it as a puzzle, or holds the dots and dashes themselves. Download it, or print it on a card. Free, and made in your browser.
What the code holds
Opens the message in the translator, where it can be played.
Colors
Error correction
Quartile (Q): scans with up to 25% of the code damaged. The logo in the middle needs Q or H; choose Plain QR for L or M.
QR image
The logo in the middle, and a band with what to do, the Morse and the site.
Printable card
Your QR code
Scans asLink
https://translatemorsecode.com/decode/#2FCSccUTiickg
Message.... . .-.. .-.. ---
PNG 731 × 1024 px; SVG sharp at any size, with the site’s fonts inside. The code keeps its full quiet zone.
How to use
Type your message, up to 160 characters.
Choose what the code holds: Link, Puzzle, or Dots and dashes.
Pick a color pair, the download size and the error correction level.
Check the preview. Scan it with your own phone to be sure, and copy the link if you want to test it.
Press Download PNG, Download SVG or Card. Where your browser allows it, you can copy the image too.
What it does
It makes a standard QR code that any phone camera can read, with your message inside as Morse.
- Three kinds of codeA link that plays the message, a puzzle that hides the answer, or the plain dots and dashes.
- Six color pairsInk, Signal red, Navy, Forest, Ink on paper, and White on black, all with strong contrast. White on black comes with a note that some older scanners can’t read it.
- Print-ready sizesPNG at 512, 1024 or 2048 px, or an SVG that scales without blurring.
- Error correctionThe four QR levels, Low (L), Medium (M), Quartile (Q) and High (H), so a code can survive scuffs and stickers.
- A printable cardThe code with your caption and the Morse, ready to print.
- A density checkThe preview shows the QR version and warns when the code needs printing larger.
Ideas
Where Morse QR codes get used.
- Treasure huntsHide puzzle codes along the route: each one is decoded by ear to find the next.
- InvitationsPut a puzzle code on the card: the date or the place, revealed once it’s decoded.
- ClassroomsPrint cards for a decoding race, or pin a code to the board each morning.
- Gift tagsA short message that plays when it’s scanned: a name, a date, a line.
- Ham radio clubsA callsign or a club greeting on QSL cards and handouts.
- Escape roomsThe dots and dashes as plain text, with no link, for a code to crack offline.
How it works
Your message is first turned into International Morse code. For Link and Puzzle, the Morse is packed into a short code and put after the # of a link to the site's translator. The plain text is never in the link, and the part after # is never sent to a server.
A Puzzle link adds a flag that tells the translator to hide the answer until it is decoded by ear. Dots and dashes holds no link at all: any QR scanner shows the Morse as text, even offline.
The more a code holds, the bigger its grid. QR versions run from 1 (21 × 21 squares) to 40, adding four squares a side each step.
Higher error correction stores more backup data, which also makes the grid bigger. The page draws a 2-square white border, the quiet zone scanners need.
Examples
What each kind of code holds, and what a scan shows:
| Kind | The code holds | A scan |
|---|---|---|
| Link | A link to the translator, with the message as Morse after the # | Opens the message, ready to read, play or flash |
| Puzzle | A link like Link, marked as a puzzle | Opens with the answer hidden until it is decoded by ear |
| Dots and dashes | The Morse itself as text, such as .... . .-.. .-.. --- | Shows the dots and dashes, with no link |
The QR version each message needs at Medium error correction:
| Message | As a Link | As dots and dashes |
|---|---|---|
| HELLO | Version 4 (33 × 33) | Version 1 (21 × 21) |
| SOS | Version 4 (33 × 33) | Version 1 (21 × 21) |
| HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAM | Version 5 (37 × 37) | Version 4 (33 × 33) |
| MEET AT THE OAK TREE AT NOON | Version 5 (37 × 37) | Version 4 (33 × 33) |
How large each download prints at 300 dpi:
| Download | Width at 300 dpi | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 512 px | 1.7 in (4.3 cm) | Screens, small labels |
| 1024 px | 3.4 in (8.7 cm) | Cards, flyers, gift tags |
| 2048 px | 6.8 in (17.3 cm) | Posters, signs |
How much of the code can be damaged and still scan:
| Error correction | Can recover |
|---|---|
| Low (L) | About 7% |
| Medium (M) | About 15% |
| Quartile (Q) | About 25% |
| High (H) | About 30% |
Tips
- Print it big enoughAt least 2 cm (0.8 in) wide, more for a dense code. Leave the white border around it.
- Scuffed or covered?Raise the error correction: the code still scans with part of it missing.
Good questions
Frequently asked questions.
About Morse QR codes
What happens when someone scans the code?
With Link, their phone opens the message in the translator, where they can read it, play it as sound or flash it as light. With Puzzle, the answer stays hidden until they decode it by ear. With Dots and dashes, the scanner shows the Morse itself, with no link.
Is my message in the link?
Only as Morse code, after the # in the address. That part never reaches a server, so the message stays out of server logs.
Which colors scan best?
Dark on light, with strong contrast. All six color pairs have that, but some older scanners can't read light-on-dark codes, so test White on black with the phone that will scan it.
Will the code expire?
No. The message is inside the code itself, so it works for as long as the site does, with no account, and the message never reaches a server. A Dots and dashes code doesn't need the site at all.
Should I download PNG or SVG?
PNG for screens, messages and most printing: pick 512, 1024 or 2048 px. SVG for print shops and design tools, because it stays sharp at any size.
How small can I print it?
At least 2 cm (0.8 in) wide for a short message, with the white border left around it. Codes above version 10 are dense, and the page asks for at least 3 cm (1.2 in). A longer message or a higher error correction level makes the code denser.
What is on the printable card?
The QR code, your caption (up to 40 characters), the message in dots and dashes, and the site's name, on a 1200 × 1600 px PNG in your chosen colors. For a Puzzle, the card says Decode it by ear instead of showing the Morse.
Trust and limits
Private by design.
Honest about limits.
On your device
Made in your browser
The QR code is made in your browser: your message isn't uploaded, and a link carries it only as Morse after the #.In the link
Link codes need this site
Link and Puzzle codes need this site to open; Dots and dashes codes work anywhere.Know the limits
What it leaves out
Morse covers letters, digits and common punctuation, so other characters are left out of the code and listed under the box.Who keeps it
Independent and current
Maintained by Translate Morse Code, an independent site; last updated November 2026.