How to Create a vCard Contact QR Code for Garmin

A contact QR code is usually a vCard encoded as plain text. When another phone scans it, the phone can offer to create a contact with the name, phone number, email address, company, and other fields included in the card. The QR image is only the container; the useful part is the data inside it.

The vCard is the contact data inside the QR code.

The fastest practical path

If the contact already exists on your phone, open the contact, choose Share, and look for a QR code or vCard option. If the phone gives you the vCard text, copy it. In WalletPro, create a QR card, paste the complete text into Value / Secret, save, and sync the watch. If the phone only shows a QR image, do not paste a screenshot into WalletPro; use the short example below or export the contact as a vCard file first.

For the one-second use case, do the setup once and use the watch afterward: open WalletPro, select the saved contact QR card, and show it. The first setup is not one second; displaying an already saved card can be.

What a vCard QR code contains

Here are concrete records you can copy into WalletPro. A name-only card contains just a display name:

Name only

BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
FN:Alex Morgan
END:VCARD

A phone-only card still uses FN as a short label, but the only contact detail is the number:

Phone number only

BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
FN:Alex phone
TEL:+15551234567
END:VCARD

For the common name-and-phone case, use the same structure with the person’s real name. For a fuller business contact, add email and optional company fields:

Name and phone

BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
FN:Alex Morgan
TEL:+15551234567
END:VCARD

Name, phone, email, and company

BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
FN:Alex Morgan
TEL:+15551234567
EMAIL:alex@example.com
ORG:PeakApps
TITLE:Support
END:VCARD

In WalletPro, paste one complete block into Value / Secret without the code-fence markers, save it as a QR card, and give the card a short name. The name-only example is useful for a quick identity card, the phone example for a call-back contact, and the full example for networking. Keep one vCard per WalletPro card so a scanner imports exactly the contact you intended.

The most widely compatible starting point is a vCard 3.0 text record. It begins with BEGIN:VCARD, declares VERSION:3.0, includes a name such as FN:Alex Morgan, and ends with END:VCARD. Phone, email, organisation, address, and note fields can be added when they are genuinely needed.

Keep the record simple for a watch display. Use one value per line, avoid decorative text, and check that the contact name is easy to recognise. A smaller record creates a less dense QR symbol, which is easier for another phone to read from a Garmin screen.

Prepare your contact data

Start with the details you are comfortable sharing. A personal mobile number and email address may be enough. Add a company or website only when it helps the recipient identify the contact. Do not put passwords, private keys, or information that should stay confidential in a contact QR code. Anyone who receives the code can import the data.

If your contact app exports a vCard file, open the file as text and copy the complete vCard content. Preserve the BEGIN:VCARD and END:VCARD lines, the version line, and every field between them. Do not copy a screenshot of a QR image: WalletPro needs the text that the QR image represents.

Save the vCard in WalletPro

WalletPro is available in the Garmin Connect IQ Store. Select the QR card type, enter a short card name such as Contact Alex, paste the complete vCard text into Value / Secret, choose a colour, save the card, and synchronise the watch. The card editing guide explains the same settings path and the on-watch editor.

If the watch editor cannot accept a long value, use Garmin Connect IQ app settings to paste the complete record and sync again. Keep the original text unchanged. Trimming a field, removing a line break, or dropping the final line can turn a valid contact record into data that a phone no longer recognises.

Test the contact QR code

Open the saved QR card on the watch and scan it with a second phone. The phone should show a contact import or contact preview rather than a page of unrelated text. Check the name, number, email, and any other fields against the original record before sharing it.

Test from the distance and angle you expect to use. Increase brightness and keep the entire symbol visible, including its quiet white border. If a phone reads the code but does not offer contact import, inspect the text for missing vCard lines or unsupported fields instead of immediately generating another image. The QR troubleshooting guide covers display, value, and scanner checks.

Know the limits

WalletPro displays the static vCard text you save. It does not synchronise changes from your phone contacts, refresh a live profile, or remove the contact data from a phone after it has been imported. If your phone number or email changes, update the vCard text and sync the revised QR card.

A Garmin watch is convenient for showing a contact code, but it is not a private address book. Review the fields before every share, keep a normal contact method available, and treat the QR as a copy of the information rather than as the source of truth.

The contact format, decoded text, screen contrast, and receiving phone all matter. Once those pieces agree, a vCard QR card is a practical way to carry selected contact details on your wrist.