How It Works

What is Popcode?

Popcode brings printed photos to life. Using augmented reality, it lets you attach a video, a voice recording or a montage to any photo — so when someone points their phone camera at that photo, it plays right on screen.

Think of it like a QR code, but instead of a boring link, the photo itself becomes the trigger. Wedding albums that play a highlight reel. Family photos narrated in a grandparent's own voice. Art prints that come alive.

And you can order the printed pieces here too — photo books, wall calendars, framed prints, canvas and more — with the Popcode symbol added for you, so everything arrives ready to scan.

No app download required — it works right in the browser.

How do I create a Popcode?
1
Sign up for an account
Create a free account at popcode.app using your email address.
2
Start a new Popcode
Give it a name — for example, "Addie's First Year" or "Summer Trip 2025." Each photo you add inside it becomes its own scannable Popcode.
3
Add your photos, and what each one plays
For each photo, upload the image that will be scanned, then choose what plays when someone scans it — a video, a voice recording, or a montage built from your photos. Add as many as you like.
4
Share your link
Once your Popcode is ready, you'll get a short link like popcode.app/abc123. Share it with anyone you want to be able to view your Popcode. You can also just give them the code (e.g. "abc123") and tell them to go to popcode.app and enter it.
5
Print them, or have us print them
Download your photos with the Popcode symbol already on them and print them yourself — or order prints, photo books, calendars and wall art from the Shop, and we'll add the symbol for you. Either way, anyone with your link can scan them.
+ New Popcode
What can play when someone scans?

Every photo is set up on its own, so one Popcode can mix all three.

1
A video
Upload a video from your phone or computer. This is the classic Popcode — the photo stays still, then starts moving.
2
A voice recording
Record audio right in the browser — no file needed. Lovely for a grandparent narrating an old photo, a note on a fridge magnet, or a message tucked into a card. The photo stays on screen while the recording plays.
3
A montage
Pick a set of photos and we build a memory video from them — with gentle motion, your choice of shape, and music if you want it. Good when you have plenty of photos but no video.

To choose, tap the playback tile on any photo while you're building your Popcode.

What can I make and order?

The Shop turns your Popcodes into real printed things. Every one arrives with the Popcode symbol already printed on it, so people know the photos are alive.

Photo books. Lay-flat hardcover books in A4 landscape or 8×8" square. Design them page by page, and make any page scannable.

Wall calendars. A4 month-to-view, twelve months of your photos, US holidays included.

Board books. Chunky 6×6" laminated board books for small hands, with every page scannable. You can design one today — printing is coming soon.

Framed prints. Fine-art print behind a perspex glaze in a classic black, white or natural wood frame.

Photo tiles. Ready-to-hang framed tiles in black or white — good on their own or clustered on a wall.

Canvas and framed canvas. Gallery-style stretched canvas with mirror-wrapped edges, on its own or set inside a frame.

Acrylic prints. Your photo behind 10mm high-gloss acrylic with polished edges, floating off the wall.

Prints. Museum-quality enhanced matte fine-art prints, from 4×6" up to 24×36".

Prices are shown before you pay, with printing and shipping listed separately, and we ship to most countries.

Visit the Shop
How do people know to scan my photo?

That's what the Popcode symbol is for — a small visual cue that tells people the photo is alive and ready to scan.

It gets onto your photos in one of two ways:

1
Order from the Shop and we add it
Anything you order — prints, books, calendars, wall art — is printed with the symbol already in place. Nothing for you to do.
2
Printing them yourself? Download them with the symbol on
Open a Popcode from My Popcodes and tap Download. You get your photos with the symbol baked in, ready to send to a printer, and you can pick how large it sits — small, medium or large.

Orders from the Shop also arrive with a small companion card in the box, printed with your link and a note on how to scan — so whoever you're giving it to knows exactly what to do.

How do I scan a Popcoded image?
1
Open the link
Open the Popcode link you were given — either by tapping it directly or by going to popcode.app and entering the code.
2
Tap to scan
Allow camera access when prompted, then tap the button to start scanning.
3
Point your camera at a photo
Hold your phone steady and point it at one of the photos carrying the Popcode symbol. Make sure the whole photo is visible in the frame.
4
Watch it come to life
The video starts playing automatically. If the photo has a voice recording instead, you'll see the photo on screen with audio controls. Tap the X to close and scan another photo.
Having trouble scanning?

Here are a few tips if the video isn't triggering:

1
Make sure the whole photo is visible
Hold your phone so the entire photo fits within the camera frame, with good lighting.
2
Twist or shake your phone slightly
Sometimes a small movement — a gentle twist or shake — is enough to get the scanner to register the photo.
3
Refresh the page
Pull down to refresh or tap the refresh button in your browser, then tap Scan again.
4
Still having trouble?
Email us at hello@popcodeapp.com and we'll help you out.
Still have questions? Email us at hello@popcodeapp.com and we'll help you out.