Creating QR Codes on Apple Devices
This is a QR Code for https://alexcatalano.com/2024/12-15/daily-photo.html
📱 💻 You can make your own QR codes with Apple devices via a program called "Generate QR Codes."
## Generate QR Codes is launched from within a program called "Shortcuts."
Searching for "shortcuts" with "Spotlight Seach."
Spotlight Search is launched on a mac computer by simultaneously pressing the keyboard's command key and space bar.
## Shortcuts Interface
Apple's shortcut interface.
📱 Shortcut's Generate QR Code iPhone interface
Shortcut's Generate QR Code iPhone interface
a. Type the URL in the blue-tinted text box. (This wasn't obvious to me).
b. Hit the ▶️ triangle play button to generate the qr code.
💻 Shortcut's Generate QR Code Desktop interface
Generate QR Code Desktop interface
a. Repeat the same steps as above.
b. Hit the 👁️ eye button to launch a popup of the qr code.
From the popup, I "Opened with Preview" where exporting and saving as a png was my preference!
I saw Shortcuts had another program that interested me:
- 🖇️ Shorten URL
The Shorten URL program simplifies long, unwieldy links by generating a shorter, more manageable version. But it's more than just having a more human-readable link to share.It's about the added layer of obfuscation:
🙋♂️ Small Rant:
QR codes and shortened URLs share a common trait: obfuscation. They add a layer of abstraction between the user clicking the link and the original destination. The actual link redirects to a new destination, which decides where to send the user next.
It’s not inherently malicious, but it’s also not literally straightforward. That tiny layer of control shifts clarity away from the user. Something to think about.