Why do QR codes still scan when partially damaged, and what does it reveal about error correction? This educational explainer walks through the logic with clear examples anyone can follow.

Here's a QR code — version one, twenty-one squares by twenty-one. Smudge a couple of its cells and it still scans fine. Smudge seven, and it fails completely. So why does damage not stop a QR code? A QR code is a journey written on a map.

Chapters 7

0:00 Why this is worth understanding0:14 The shape of it0:42 How it works, step by step (part 1)1:35 How it works, step by step (part 2)2:19 The part that matters most2:28 Example3:20 Recap

Animated by Proverbit, planned with AI · Pictures: Qr-1.svg — Autopilot, adapted, CC BY-SA 3.0