I just returned to the US after two years away. I find the QR codes for restaurant menus to be one of the worst applications. I'm at a restaurant to get offline, enjoy my dinner and socialize. The last thing I want is to start the experience using a smart phone.<p>I do like QR codes on WiFi routers for connecting to the WiFi quickly, and in apps to easily share credentials and links with other devices. QR codes that share contact cards would be a great addition to a business card.
Go to Asia and you can see QR codes everywhere. Payments mostly, but in Singapore you will find it also for checking in and out of places for COVID-19 contact tracing and everyone uses it (although now Bluetooth/ tap your phone is taking over).<p>I use it for guests wanting my wifi - just scan this QR and you’re in without much fuss.
Appliance labels. Went to take a picture of the tiny little model number ready to type it in somewhere and found a direct link to the product page & manual.
Downloading timetables from stations. They are available in dead tree format but next to them is a QR code that takes you direct to the PDF you need which you can save to your phone.
I've made a tool to back up my important files on paper using QR codes and erasure coding: <a href="https://gitlab.com/thexa4/ocrbackup" rel="nofollow">https://gitlab.com/thexa4/ocrbackup</a>
I have been loving the QR code to pay online instead of waiting for our waiter to return, etc. I could live without the QR code for menus. It’s very easy to get sucked back into work mode when you see a slack notification, etc.
Here in Sweden they are used for mobile payments<p><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swish_(payment)" rel="nofollow">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swish_(payment)</a>