Save barcodes and QR codes on Apple Watch.

How to add a barcode or QR code to your Watch

1. Capture the code on iPhone. Scan your card with the camera, take a photo, or choose an existing image. Recognition happens on your device.
2. Review and label it. Check the detected format and decoded value, then name the card—for example, “Gym” or “Library.” WristCodes recreates the code and checks that it reads back correctly before saving.
3. Wait for Watch sync. Open WristCodes on both paired devices for the first sync. The iPhone status “On your Watch · ready offline” confirms delivery. If needed, tap Sync while the devices are connected.
4. Open and swipe. Launch WristCodes on Apple Watch and swipe to your card. Present the code to a compatible scanner. An optional watch-face shortcut opens the app with a tap.

Keep up to 20 labelled passes. Add, rename, and remove cards on iPhone; changes reach your Watch when the devices can communicate. Setup requires iOS 17 or later and watchOS 10 or later.

Which codes can you store?

The code’s format matters more than the type of card it is printed on. A gym membership, library card, or store rewards card can be saved when its code uses a supported format and fits clearly on the Watch.

Code 128

Static barcodes containing ordinary printable letters, numbers, and symbols.

UPC-A, EAN-13, and EAN-8

Retail barcodes with their original digits and check digit preserved.

QR codes

Static text or link codes, displayed as a square with a clear white margin. Very dense or unsupported content cannot be saved.

WristCodes displays saved codes in its own app. It does not add passes to Apple Wallet, provide contactless payments, or copy NFC access cards.

Do the codes work without an iPhone nearby?

Yes, after syncing. Your Apple Watch keeps a local copy of the saved codes, so displaying them needs neither a nearby iPhone nor internet access. A website linked inside a QR code may still need internet access on the device opening that link.

WristCodes saves static codes. It cannot update a rotating ticket, extend an expiry date, or check whether a pass has already been redeemed. Continue using the issuer’s app for changing codes.

Will a scanner read my Apple Watch?

The reader must support scanning a screen. Some laser scanners read printed cards but cannot read a phone or Watch display. Recreating the right code cannot change that hardware limitation.

Test a saved card at the actual reader while keeping the original handy. Wake your Watch fully, show the entire code, and try a different distance or angle. If the physical card scans immediately but the same code fails on both phone and Watch, ask the venue whether its reader supports screens.

A supported coupon barcode can also be saved, but retailer rules still apply. A store may require the original paper coupon or its own app. Expiry and single-use restrictions remain unchanged. GS1 DataBar, GS1-128, and FNC1 QR codes are not supported.

Where are my cards stored?

On your devices. WristCodes uses local recognition and paired-device sync, with no separate account, image uploads to an AI service, or advertising trackers. Read the privacy notes for details.