diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 15ff29d..05365b8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -19,6 +19,12 @@ Every entry says what changed as a caller sees it, why, and what to watch for 
   exists so the CLIs do not chase versions, and a change they need not follow gives them nothing to chase. Its
   changelog still marks it "may break callers" for outside users.
 
+### Removed
+
+- **`--qr-file` is no longer a vocabulary flag.** tg, max and cli-core dropped the option that wrote the login QR
+  code to a PNG; a CLI now prints the QR code as text for the user or agent to paste. A CLI that still declares
+  `--qr-file` fails `option-role` in `cli-dev lint`; none does today.
+
 ## 0.47.1 — 19.10.2026
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/audit/baseline/same-path-contract.json b/audit/baseline/same-path-contract.json
index 88b66e1..f2b943d 100644
--- a/audit/baseline/same-path-contract.json
+++ b/audit/baseline/same-path-contract.json
@@ -266,12 +266,10 @@
   "max+tg server start --idle",
   "max+tg session end: summary",
   "max+tg session start --app",
-  "max+tg session start --qr-file",
   "max+tg session start --sms",
   "max+tg session start: summary",
   "max+tg session: summary",
   "max+tg setup --app",
-  "max+tg setup --qr-file",
   "max+tg setup: summary",
   "max+tg stats chats official: presence",
   "max+tg stickers list: presence",
diff --git a/docs/standards/security.md b/docs/standards/security.md
index 27cf608..a28d68f 100644
--- a/docs/standards/security.md
+++ b/docs/standards/security.md
@@ -124,8 +124,8 @@ the message store. The owner adds `--allow-any-file` to send one anyway.
 ### WC-SECR-10 · Private files are written atomically with private modes
 
 A file that holds a secret or private state is written with `writeSecurely`: atomically, mode `0600`, in a directory
-created with mode `0700`. `writeSecurely` takes text or bytes, so a login QR image is written the same way. A
-temporary credential file, such as that image, is `0600` and removed in `finally`.
+created with mode `0700`. `writeSecurely` takes text or bytes. A
+temporary credential file is `0600` and removed in `finally`.
 tg's `doctor` reports a wrong mode and prints the `chmod` fix without applying it.
 
 - **Why:** another user on the same computer must not read the session.
diff --git a/src/standards/flags-how.ts b/src/standards/flags-how.ts
index 7f55360..5134563 100644
--- a/src/standards/flags-how.ts
+++ b/src/standards/flags-how.ts
@@ -177,13 +177,6 @@ export const HOW_FLAGS: VocabularyFlag[] = [
     type: "switch",
     meaning: "also print edits, deletions and other changes; every line names its event",
   },
-  {
-    name: "--qr-file",
-    value: "<png>",
-    role: "output",
-    type: "path",
-    meaning: "write the login QR code to this PNG instead of drawing it",
-  },
   { name: "--all-versions", role: "output", type: "switch", meaning: "also the earlier versions a newer one replaced" },
   { name: "--measure", value: "<name>", role: "sort", type: "choice", meaning: "the metric a ranking is ordered by" },
   { name: "--newest", role: "sort", type: "switch", meaning: "newest first instead of best first" },