QR codes for gps locations

With increasing frequency, I've seen QR codes in guidebooks for GPS locations. This is a very handy feature. For example, the new sport climbing guidebook for RRG offers QR codes for the locations of parking areas.

I'm confused about how these are generated. It's easy to create a generic QR code; many web sites do this, including this free one.

* If I encode just the coordinates, such as "44.140315,-73.746625", when I scan this with my iPhone, it opens in Safari. (Safari displays search results on the data, and recognizes it as a possible GPS coordinate, so the first entry in the search list is a link to a Google map.)

* If I encode a Google map link, such as "https://goo.gl/maps/ZvJgDv6rzZqCKTcS8" (like the RRG book), when I scan with my iPhone, it opens in Google Maps.

* If I encode a geo location, such as "geo:44.140315,-73.746625" (which my guidebooks for Slovenia and Croatia do), when I scan with my iPhone, it opens in Apple Maps.

Questions:

1. Is there a way to create a QR code for a GPS location that is map-app agnostic? In other words, it opens in whatever mapping app somebody has installed. (Or at least asks which app to open.) My mapping app of preference is Google Maps, but I can appreciate that other people may use other apps.

2. If I choose the Google Maps approach (like the RRG book), I worry about the longevity of the link. If QR codes are printed in a book, they should last a really long time, and best not expire, like on a re-engineering whim of the Google Maps team. I've seen other solutions where the GPS coordinate is embedded in a link to a web site that allow tracking of people that use the QR code; this is interesting, but again raises the link longevity issue.

I appreciate any advice/help y'all have.

And for luddites like me who navigate with a hand-held old GPS unit rather than a smartphone, I'd still need to see the numbers (to enter them into the device). If my Android phone can read the QR and spit the numbers out that's be OK. But if it stalls b/c I don't have a map app installed, then that's NG.

1.  I haven't played around with using GPS coords but you can copy anything you want into a qr code.  So the way the link is setup and your phones settings would dictate what or how it behaves as it opens.  For instance if you put a QR code that was an actual street address, google phones ask what app you want to open the link in.  I've never owned an iphone but I'm sure they ask you to specify what app to open it with?  

2.  There are such things as Dynamic QR codes whos links can be modified later.  So depending how they set it up, someone could report a dead link and the owner could fix it at a later date.  

Jim Lawyer wrote:Questions:

1. Is there a way to create a QR code for a GPS location that is map-app agnostic? In other words, it opens in whatever mapping app somebody has installed. (Or at least asks which app to open.) My mapping app of preference is Google Maps, but I can appreciate that other people may use other apps.

Yes there is, and you already found it (but Apple is up to its Appley tricks):

* If I encode a geo location, such as "geo:44.140315,-73.746625" (which my guidebooks for Slovenia and Croatia do), when I scan with my iPhone, it opens in Apple Maps.

The geo: prefix tells the scanning device that the contents are a geo location, and let's the device decide how to open it. It was intended to work regardless of device or app. On Android, this can use any app you have installed. On iOS, it can be a bit trickier to change the default open-with app to a non-Apple alternative. You might still be able to set a non-Safari preference, but I don't use Apple much do I can't say how.

Thanks for your help. If anyone knows how to configure the geo tag on iOS to open Google Maps instead of Apple Maps, I'm all ears :-)

Never heard of a qr code:/ just take a picture of the crag. I will look for that

Jim Lawyer wrote: Thanks for your help. If anyone knows how to configure the geo tag on iOS to open Google Maps instead of Apple Maps, I'm all ears :-)

Hey Jim,

I think you’re kind of limited here. Google maps for iOS doesn’t support the geo URI and you also can’t change the default mapping app. There are solutions for this if you were developing a custom app, but if you want to use QR codes then I think you’re stuck with encoding a google maps link. 

I tested a few examples and it works reasonably well, but not as seamless as scanning a geo URI and using apple maps. 

You could just sell separate versions of the book.

Gunkiemike wrote: And for luddites like me who navigate with a hand-held old GPS unit rather than a smartphone, I'd still need to see the numbers (to enter them into the device). If my Android phone can read the QR and spit the numbers out that's be OK. But if it stalls b/c I don't have a map app installed, then that's NG.

QR codes are not replacements for printed coordinates. Rather, it's a nice-to-have for tech nerds.