QR codes on gravestones provide digital memories for those left behind

QR codes are everywhere these days — and now, they’re even turning up in cemeteries. Make a visit to your local cemetery and you might see a small, unobtrusive QR code attached to a gravestone.

These codes are often printed on durable metal or acrylic plaques so that they can withstand the elements, like rain or snow. Plus, they’re accessible to anyone paying their respects or even just a stranger passing by who finds themself curious about the names or dates on a headstone.

Once the QR code is scanned, a visitor to the gravesite can read stories or view images and videos of the deceased person on the website linked to that QR code. This allows visitors a much more robust way to interact with the gravesite beyond just leaving flowers. The loved one who sets up the website can even create a virtual guest book and allow people to leave notes or remembrances of the deceased.

Companies like Turning Hearts offer relatively inexpensive QR codes that can be attached anywhere. Turning Hearts’ product is $99.99 and is easy to use; simply purchase, attach, scan, and start filling out a profile for your loved one (or yourself).

Turning Hearts affiliates went a bit viral on TikTok last year posting promotional videos of people scanning their QR codes and being sent to videos of the deceased, dancing with loved ones, like the below:

MORE: Man spends free time cleaning old tombstones and they look amazing when he’s done

While personalized headstones, including ones etched with a portrait or a quote, have been around for a long time, they’re often very pricey and must be decided on and purchased at the time of the funeral. QR code technology, on the other hand, is inexpensive and can be added to a grave at any point in time.

Other companies, like Monumark and Life’s QR, also offer memorial QR code services that are easy to create and set up. Monumark charges $79 for a tag and a page on its website indefinitely, while Life’s QR offers an entire package with a guest book for $250. Many of these companies are relatively new and more are coming, so it remains to be seen what kind of longevity they have.

In this YouTube video, Sharna Burgess of “Dancing with the Stars” explains Life QR’s product:

In some cases, companies that produce gravestones or monument markers work with QR code companies to offer services and special pricing. For example, Monumark works with Patten Monument Group. So, if you’re in the position of shopping for grave markers, you may wish to ask about this possibility.

Individual sellers on Etsy also offer options. Or someone can go the DIY route and order a QR code plaque from Etsy and link it to a website of their choice, including a Facebook page.

While it’s never easy to say goodbye to a loved one, a QR code can help keep a person’s memory alive every time someone pulls out their phone and scans it.