Google disabled QR code login Oct 31, 2025

[JustCallMeCrash]

From support.google.com
"""
QR code pairing for web
As of October 31, 2025, Google Messages for web doesn't support QA code pairing.
If you use Messages for web through a QA code:
blah - steps to do it without the QR.
"""

Unfortunately, I'm getting a broken robot page when I try to use email login on the android-messages-desktop interface.

"""
400. That’s an error.
The server cannot process the request because it is malformed. It should not be retried. That’s all we know.
"""

[IGS-GIT]

You need to enable QR pairing from within the Messages app on your phone first. Tap on your profile picture (top right), then tap on Device Pairing. You will find an option that says "Unpair all devices". Once you do that, the option for QR pairing will appear again

[jdrch]

FYI enabling QR code pairing disables Messages' profile functionality, so while it's a workaround it's not really a solution. I switched to PWAsForFirefox instead.

[jdimpson]

@jdrch Does "disabling profile functionality" mean I can't have more than one additional device paired? If so I agree that it's a workaround. I'd like to not have to choose between Messages on my tablet or on my desktop.

I'm not sure how Progressive Web Apps can be used to get Messages on desktop--is there something you can refer me to?

[IGS-GIT]

@jdrch Does "disabling profile functionality" mean I can't have more than one additional device paired? If so I agree that it's a workaround. I'd like to not have to choose between Messages on my tablet or on my desktop.

I'm not sure how Progressive Web Apps can be used to get Messages on desktop--is there something you can refer me to?

It doesn't change the amount of devices available to you, it just means features that require your Google account won't work. So calling, etc.

If you wanted to use a PWA instead, you have to open messages.google.com and click on the triple dot menu (top right), go down to more tools, then install...

[jdrch]

@jdrch Does "disabling profile functionality" mean I can't have more than one additional device paired? If so I agree that it's a workaround. I'd like to not have to choose between Messages on my tablet or on my desktop.

I'm not sure how Progressive Web Apps can be used to get Messages on desktop--is there something you can refer me to?

Messages has a user profile feature akin to WhatsApp, Signal, etc. in which other Messages users can see your Google profile name and picture (this prevents you from looking like spam when you message someone you've never met for the first time).

For the PWA, if you use Chrome or Edge follow @IGS-GIT's instructions. If you use Firefox, you'll need to get PWAsForFirefox set up.

[IGS-GIT]

@jdrch Does "disabling profile functionality" mean I can't have more than one additional device paired? If so I agree that it's a workaround. I'd like to not have to choose between Messages on my tablet or on my desktop.

I'm not sure how Progressive Web Apps can be used to get Messages on desktop--is there something you can refer me to?

Messages has a user profile feature akin to WhatsApp, Signal, etc. in which other Messages users can see your Google profile name and picture (this prevents you from looking like spam when you message someone you've never met for the first time).

For the PWA, if you use Chrome or Edge follow @IGS-GIT's instructions. If you use Firefox, you'll need to get PWAsForFirefox set up.

Although, I hear Mozilla is planning to reimplement PWAs again

https://www.ghacks.net/2025/03/17/firefox-mozilla-is-working-on-progressive-web-apps-pwa-support/

[jdrch]

@jdrch Does "disabling profile functionality" mean I can't have more than one additional device paired? If so I agree that it's a workaround. I'd like to not have to choose between Messages on my tablet or on my desktop.
I'm not sure how Progressive Web Apps can be used to get Messages on desktop--is there something you can refer me to?

Messages has a user profile feature akin to WhatsApp, Signal, etc. in which other Messages users can see your Google profile name and picture (this prevents you from looking like spam when you message someone you've never met for the first time).
For the PWA, if you use Chrome or Edge follow @IGS-GIT's instructions. If you use Firefox, you'll need to get PWAsForFirefox set up.

Although, I hear Mozilla is planning to reimplement PWAs again

https://www.ghacks.net/2025/03/17/firefox-mozilla-is-working-on-progressive-web-apps-pwa-support/

The OP that report is based on is over a year old. Mozilla are terrible at foot dragging on features ... if you search my username you might find some pretty heated threads back in the 2000s when myself and a bunch of folks had to be on them incessantly to produce 64-bit builds because their dev team kept saying it wasn't necessary 🤦‍♂️I wish I had the time to engage with them as I used to, ugh.