# Location QR code generator

> Free location QR code generator. Encode geo coordinates so one scan drops a map pin in Apple Maps or Google Maps. No account, and the code never expires.

Source: https://qr-code-build.com/location-qr-code-generator/  
Last reviewed: 2026-08-24  
Publisher: QR Code Builder

## Summary
A location QR code encodes geographic coordinates using the geo: URI scheme. Scanning it opens the phone's default map app with a pin at that point. Because it uses coordinates rather than an address, it can mark places that have no postal address at all.

## How to find the numbers
Right-click the spot in Google Maps on desktop and the coordinates appear at the top of the menu, ready to copy. On mobile, press and hold to drop a pin and the coordinates show in the search bar.

Format is decimal degrees: `53.79648, -1.54785`. Not degrees-minutes-seconds. Positive latitude is north, negative is south; positive longitude is east, negative is west. Five decimal places puts you within about a metre, which is more precision than any delivery driver needs.

## Places that addresses describe badly
- Delivery entrances that are on a different street from the shop front.

- Festival gates, campsite pitches and car park entrances on a large site.

- Trailheads, viewpoints and bothies with no address at all.

- Construction site access points that change as the build progresses.

- Farm gates and field entrances identified only by a grid reference.

- Meeting points at airports and stations, where *Terminal 2* covers a lot of ground.

## Which map opens depends on the phone
The `geo:` scheme opens whichever map app the phone treats as default — Apple Maps on a stock iPhone, Google Maps on most Android handsets. You do not get to choose, and that is usually fine.

If you specifically need Google Maps on every device, encode a `https://maps.google.com/?q=lat,lng` link with the [link generator](/url-qr-code-generator/) instead. It is longer, so the code will be denser, but the destination is predictable.

## Frequently asked questions
### Which map app opens when it is scanned?
The phone's default — Apple Maps on iPhone, usually Google Maps on Android. Encode a maps.google.com URL if you need one specific app.

### Can I use a street address instead of coordinates?
The geo: format expects coordinates. For an address, encode a maps link with the address as a query instead.

### How precise should the coordinates be?
Five decimal places is about one metre. Four is about ten metres, which is plenty for a building entrance.

### Does it give turn-by-turn directions?
It opens the pin. From there the map app's own directions button takes over, using the person's current position.

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Licence: this page may be quoted with attribution to QR Code Builder (https://qr-code-build.com/location-qr-code-generator/).