Device-Targeted QR Codes: Send iOS Users to the App Store and Android to Google Play
A qr code ios android separate link guide for driving installs of an already-live app — how device-based redirect rules detect a scanner's OS automatically and route to the correct app store, with no extra tap or choose-your-platform page.
The Problem: One Printed Code, Two App Stores
An app install campaign — packaging, a retail counter standee, a print ad — needs one QR code, but has two genuinely different correct destinations depending on who's scanning: the App Store for iPhone users, Google Play for Android users. Without device targeting, most brands either pick one store and silently lose installs from the other platform, or add a middle "choose your device" page — a real extra tap that measurably costs conversions at exactly the moment someone decided to act.
How Device-Based Redirect Solves It Directly
SMLLR's device-based redirect rules (Pro plan, ₹4,999/month) detect the scanning device's operating system automatically and route to a different destination per platform — no middle page, no extra tap, and no guessing which store to pick. The same printed code genuinely serves both audiences correctly, which matters most for installs of an app that's already live (this guide), as distinct from the pre-launch scenario covered in our app launch QR code guide, where the store listing doesn't exist yet at all.
Setting It Up for an App Install Campaign
Configure the iOS destination as your App Store listing URL and the Android destination as your Play Store listing URL. Set a sensible fallback for anything that isn't detected as either — typically a mobile landing page describing the app with links to both stores, rather than defaulting to one platform's store page for a scanner on neither.
A Note on iPad and Tablets
The iOS destination covers iPhone and iPad together as a single category — both are routed the same way. If your app has meaningfully different iPhone versus iPad experiences worth distinguishing, that's a product-level distinction the App Store listing itself handles, not something the QR redirect needs to separate.
Common Use Cases Beyond a Simple Install Link
The same mechanism is useful for more than just "go install the app":
- **Platform-specific promo codes** — different redemption flows if your iOS and Android apps handle in-app purchases differently.
- **Platform-specific support documentation**, where setup steps genuinely differ between the two operating systems.
- **Comparison or "why download our app" pages**, tailored to mention features relevant to the platform the scanner is actually on.
Testing and a Pre-Print Checklist
Test the code on an actual iPhone and an actual Android device before committing to a print run — not a simulator, which doesn't reliably reproduce how a phone's camera app or browser identifies itself. Confirm the fallback destination makes sense for a desktop scan too, since a QR code photographed off a screen rather than scanned from a phone is a real scenario worth accounting for. Our three-destination smart routing guide covers adding an explicit desktop destination rather than relying on the fallback for it.
Create your QR code on SMLLR, set your iOS and Android destinations once, and let one printed code correctly serve both audiences.
Related Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
Can one QR code send iOS and Android users to different app stores?
Yes — device-based redirect rules (Pro plan, ₹4,999/month) detect the scanning device's operating system automatically and route to a different destination per platform, with no extra tap or middle "choose your platform" page.
Does this work for an app that hasn't launched yet?
This specific setup assumes the app is already live with a real store listing URL for each platform. If the store listing doesn't exist yet, see our app launch QR code guide for the pre-launch pattern instead.
Are iPhone and iPad treated differently by device-based redirect?
No — both are covered under the same iOS destination as a single category.
What should the fallback destination be if the device isn't detected as iOS or Android?
A mobile landing page describing the app with links to both stores, rather than defaulting to one platform's store page for a scanner who may be on neither.
Can device-based redirect be used for things other than app store links?
Yes — platform-specific promo codes, support documentation, or comparison pages that differ meaningfully between iOS and Android can all use the same mechanism.
How should I test a device-targeted QR code before printing?
Scan it with an actual iPhone and an actual Android device — not a simulator, which doesn't reliably reproduce how a real phone identifies itself to the routing service.