No. The QR code Chrome makes from its share menu is a static code: the page’s address is written directly into the pattern. There’s no account behind it, no server in the middle and no subscription, so there’s nothing that could expire. It keeps working for as long as the page it points to is still there — which is the only thing that can stop it.
How to make a QR code in Chrome
Google’s own instructions, by device:
- Computer: open the page, then choose More (⋮) → Cast, save, and share → Create QR code. You can copy the link or download the code as an image.
- Android: open the page, tap More → Share → QR Code, then share or download it.
- iPhone and iPad: open the page, tap Share → Create a QR Code.
Why a Chrome QR code can’t expire
Expiry is a property of dynamic QR codes. A dynamic code encodes a short redirect address belonging to the company that made it, and that company’s server forwards each scan — so the code works only while the company keeps forwarding, which on most services means while the subscription is paid. (How that works, and why it breaks, is covered in what happens when a QR code expires.)
Chrome doesn’t do any of that. When a phone scans a Chrome QR code, it reads the page address straight off the pattern and opens it. Google isn’t involved after the moment the code is drawn, which is why it has no expiry date, no scan limit and no account to cancel.
When a Chrome QR code stops working
Because the code simply opens a page, anything that breaks the page breaks the code:
- The page is deleted or moved. A new address means the old code leads to an error. If it’s your own site, redirecting the old address to the new one fixes every printed copy.
- Its sharing settings change. A Google Doc, Sheet or Drive file set back to “Restricted” shows scanners a request-access screen instead of the file.
- The page itself closes. A Google Form that stops accepting responses still opens — it just tells people it’s closed.
- The address was temporary. Chrome encodes the address exactly as it is in the address bar, so a link that includes a login session or a short-lived token may not open for anyone else.
The limits worth knowing before you print one
Chrome’s generator is excellent for sharing a page with the person next to you. For anything printed, three things are worth checking:
- It can’t be edited. If the page might move, the only fix for a static code is a new code.
- It encodes the whole address. Tracking parameters and long paths make a denser pattern that needs a bigger, cleaner print. Trim the address to its essentials first.
- It offers little control over the design. You can’t set colours or add your own logo, or export a vector file for print.
If you need a print-ready file, any free QR code generator that exports SVG makes the same kind of static code with more control. If the page might ever change, use a dynamic QR code instead — ideally one you pay for once, so it can’t lapse the way subscription codes do.
Sources
From Google Chrome Help, checked 26 September 2026: