About a year and a half ago, Filofax introduced QR codes into some of its diary pages. Laurie wrote about it in Free for All Friday No. 803.
I have yet to use a diary that has the QR codes printed on it. I'm not opposed to the use of QR codes in paper organizers: I use QR codes in my daily life and even create them for professional purposes. However, as Steve commented on Laurie's post, I think Filofax's QR codes work "in the wrong direction." I would rather use them to connect online information to my paper organizer than copy information from the paper to my phone.
Have you used Filofax's QR codes? Do you love them or hate them?
As always on Friday, feel free to discuss anything related to your ring-bound organizer!
I think it makes switching to other manufacturers more logical if you can't get the insert you want without a QR code or have to choose a much more expensive "customizable" version. In general, the company seems very slow to listen to customer requests. If they didn't have such a loyal fan base, they would probably be history long ago... But you're not going to grow that way ;)
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you on that!
DeleteFilofax UK web site is offering a choice of “Reminder App” (QR) or not, which should please everyone.
ReplyDeleteI notice the week on one page size I use doesn’t feature there as a QR version, which may reflect two appreciable problems I’d found in using the QR codes with that format - they take up too much of the available page space and it was too easy to scan the wrong one and end up with an incorrectly dated electronic entry.
It is not my preference working with qr codes in Filofax. I use Filofax since 2000. Last year I was confronted for the first time with no inserts available without codes. Such a shame. I still hope for change !
ReplyDeleteMy business planner from FF this year never had any qr codes. I think the business range never did. I got the day on two pages with a load of monthly project planner spreads, yearly planners for 2025 and 2026 plus the same for project planners too.
ReplyDeleteA hefty planner but I stopped using midway through the year, only just returning to it this week. Mind if relearning how to get the most out of it. I think I'll go to day on a page business version instead next year. I think that has no qr codes too. Might change to another brand as in thinking of getting a Meeplus Slimpad A5 16mm rings. So need a thinner setup. I can't fit three months in a 16mm rings binder.
I wonder if anyone actually uses these QR codes? Anyways, the German Filofax website is finally selling QR code-free inserts for 2026. The selection is even larger than with QR codes. I think they're realizing that the QR codes aren't that popular.
ReplyDeleteOn the Google app store, InkLink has only 5k downloads, and average review score of 1.8, and was last updated Nov 2024.
DeleteI think that tells us a lot...
Of the four (!) purely German-language wo2p inserts in personal size, all four have QR codes. Of course you could buy some multi-language, english or french inserts on the German Filofax website, too, of which there are indeed some without QR code ...
DeleteKlaus, you're right. I didn't pay attention to the language, but to my overall impression. I chose the minimal design, which isn't available in German anyway.
DeleteI see the QR codes in my diary refills, and I ignore. Not a big user of QR codes…but not offended by them.
DeleteAfter having read this post, I had a deeper look into the Filofax Reminder App. Some feature have been added, since I last looked at it. You can add entries from the Reminders overview screen now. Just tap on a certain day. There is a checkmark you can set if you have already transcribed the entry to your Filofax Organizer. After checking it, this option will be gone. Those are pretty much the features, I was missing in the beginning.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately there are lots of bug in the app. When editing an entry you see the date of the reminder not of the entry. You cannot change its date. Time are shown in 12 hours am/pm format but are selected as 24 hours. After having edited the text, it is not shown any more - especially this fooled me, but only once… Reminders can be transferred to the apple calendar on you iPhone (or Google on non-Apple phones), but the times, the reminder alarms are set there, simply are a mystery to me. And in the end you cannot filter those entries net yet transcribed.
In conclusion, you may end up with two diaries - one digital and one paper…
Some more things: The reminder will come up one minute later than set. The is no further sync between calendars. Any entry you delete in the Reminder App must also be deleted manually in your calendar and vice versa.
DeleteQR codes bother my eyes, and I have no interest in the app. (I also checked it out in the app store and noticed the terrible reviews.) I use A5 and the Filofax UK website does not offer any week on two pages inserts without the QR codes (unless of course you pay more for their customised ones). I can either use correction fluid on all of the QR codes or use a different diary insert. This year I printed my own. It is interesting that the Personal size inserts have options with and without the QR codes.
ReplyDeleteI think the QT codes are hateful things and will not use any diary insert which has them. They ruin the aesthetic of the planner and don't take account of the fact that I use paper because I *don't* want a digital solution, or need any connection to one. It's a hard No from me, and will continue to be for as long as Filofax continue with the experiment
ReplyDelete