How to use Helptag

Sign up for free

Go to helptag.org and tap Get started free. Enter your name, email address, and a strong password. No credit card required.

Verify your email

Check your inbox for a verification link from hello@helptag.org. Click it within 5 minutes to activate your account. Check your spam folder if you don't see it.

Set up your profile

Add a profile photo and choose a unique username — your public profile URL will be helptag.org/@username. You can update this anytime from Settings.

Open QR Tags

Tap QR Code in the sidebar. Then tap Create New Tag. You'll be asked to choose a tag type first.

Choose a tag type

Select from Medical, Vehicle, Lost & Found, Child Safety, Elder Safety, Travel, or General. Each type has fields tailored to its use case.

Fill in the details

Add the information you want shown when someone scans your tag. For a Medical tag this might be blood type, allergies, and an emergency contact. For a Vehicle tag it could be your registration number and a contact phone.

Set visibility

Choose Public (anyone who scans sees the info) or Private (you get a scan alert but visitors see a minimal prompt to call your emergency contact). You can change this at any time.

Save and get your QR code

Tap Save. Your QR code is generated instantly. Download it as a PNG or PDF, or share the tag URL directly.

Download your QR code

From the tag detail page tap Download. Choose PNG for digital use or PDF for printing. The QR code is high-resolution and prints clearly at any size above 2 cm × 2 cm.

Print on a sticker

Use any home printer with sticker paper, or order waterproof labels from a local print shop. A 4 cm × 4 cm square is a good all-round size.

Apply where it matters

Stick it to your car windscreen, inside a helmet, on a child's backpack, on a pet collar, or inside a wallet. The physical sticker never needs replacing — only the content behind it changes.

No app needed

Anyone with a smartphone can scan a Helptag QR code using the built-in camera app. Point the camera at the QR code and tap the notification that appears. Works on iOS and Android.

The tag page loads

The scanner sees a clean page with the information you chose to share — emergency contacts, medical data, vehicle info, or a contact prompt for private tags.

One-tap actions

If you added a phone number, a Call button appears. If you added an email, a Mail button appears. Scanners can contact you or your emergency contact in seconds.

Real-time notifications

Every time your QR tag is scanned, you receive an email alert with the scan time, approximate location (city/country), and device type. Enable push notifications in Settings for instant alerts.

View your scan log

Open Scan Logs in the sidebar to see a full history of every scan — when, where, and on what device. Useful for tracking if a lost item has been found.

Adjust alert settings

In Settings → Notifications you can choose which tags send alerts and how frequently. Useful if a busy vehicle tag generates many scans.

Open the feed

The Home feed shows safety posts from your community. Use the Explore page to browse by category or location — even without logging in.

Create a post

Tap the compose button and choose a category: Emergency, Missing Person, Scam Alert, Theft, Suspicious Activity, Parking Issue, Need Assistance, and 13 more. Add a title, description, and an optional image.

Set the location

Posts are tied to a location so they reach the right community. You can pin to your current location or search for a specific area.

Post reaches your community

Your post is visible to everyone browsing that area instantly. People can react, share, or report the post using the action buttons.

Public profile

Your public profile at helptag.org/@username shows your display name, bio, and any QR tags you've set to public. You control what appears here.

Edit your details

Go to Profile → Edit to update your name, bio, profile photo, and social links. Changes are instant.

Privacy controls

Toggle individual QR tags between public and private at any time. Private tags still send you scan alerts but show only a minimal contact prompt to the scanner.

Welcome bonus — 10 free credits

Every new account receives 10 QR credits on registration — a one-time welcome bonus. These credits never expire and let you start creating tags immediately without any purchase.

How credits are used

One credit creates one QR tag. Credits are only consumed at the moment of creation — editing tags, receiving scan alerts, and viewing scan history are always free.

Buy more credits

Once your free credits are used, go to Credits in the sidebar to purchase additional packs. Credits purchased separately also never expire and are added to your balance instantly.

Why location matters

Setting your location lets the Home feed show community posts relevant to your area. Without a location set, you'll see a generic feed.

Set your pincode

Tap the location pin icon in the bottom of the sidebar. Enter your postal code or allow browser location access. Your location is stored only on your device.

Change anytime

Travelling? Change your location to see alerts for the area you're visiting. Useful when you're away from home and want local safety information.

Browse Explore

Tap Explore in the sidebar to browse all community posts. Filter by category (Emergency, Scam Alert, Missing Person, etc.) to find what you need quickly.

Search by area

Use the location filter on the Explore page to browse posts from a specific pincode or city — even if you haven't set it as your home location.

Bookmark posts

Tap the bookmark icon on any post to save it. Access all saved posts from Bookmarks in the sidebar.