Everyday · sharing · geo:<lat>,<lon>?q=<lat>,<lon>(<label>)

A place, in the code

Latitude and longitude in the standard geo: format, with an optional label. Scan and the phone opens its map at that exact point — a shop entrance, a meeting spot, a trailhead.

Make this code now →

Opens the generator with this type selected. Everything happens in your browser.

Round WIA Code carrying a map location
Rendered by the same engine as the generator. Point the WIA scanner at it — or a plain camera at the small booster QR in the middle.

What the code carries

A geo: URI (RFC 5870): the coordinates, plus an optional query with a label so the map shows a name, not just a pin. In the generator you enter the coordinates (or a WIA pin) and an optional label.

geo:<lat>,<lon>?q=<lat>,<lon>(<label>)

What happens when it is scanned

  1. The scanner reads the coordinates from the code.
  2. It shows the label and the coordinates on a card.
  3. One tap opens the phone's map app at that point — Apple Maps, Google Maps, whichever is default.

Why a WIA Code for this

Works with no signal: the coordinates are in the code, so the map app can open even before it loads tiles.
No link to a map service that may change its URL scheme — the geo: format is the phone's own.
Print it on a trail sign, a delivery note, an event flyer in a shape that suits it.

How much fits

Measured on the live engine (bytes of content, after error correction). The QR column is a standard QR code of the same printed size, for comparison.

GridWIA Code (bytes)Same-size QR (bytes)With booster QR
S · 64 modules · round23960—
M · 96 modules · round608151—
L · 128 modules · round11283221092

This page's example is 60 bytes. The booster QR is a small standard QR placed in the centre so phones without the WIA scanner still get somewhere useful — it leads to the web scanner, which then reads the full code.

Questions people ask

Which map app opens?
The one the phone uses for geo: links — the default map app. The user can change that in the phone settings.
Can I add the shop name?
Yes, as a label in the query part. The generator fills it in for you.
How precise is it?
As precise as the coordinates you enter; five decimals is about one metre.
Does a plain camera work?
A plain camera reads the booster QR, which opens the WIA web scanner; the scanner then opens the map.
Can it hold a route?
No — a single point. For directions, the map app takes over after the point opens.
Make this code now →All kinds of content →

Other kinds of content

A link, inside the codeText that lives in the codeWi-Fi, joined by scanningAn event that adds itselfAll kinds of content →

WIA Code is a radial-symmetry 2D code. The content lives in the code; there is no server in between when it is scanned. Generated with the WIA Code engine · scannable · no account needed