Encoded image based messaging system

1. A method comprising:

causing display of a media item from among a collection of media items within a graphical user interface (GUI) at a client device associated with a user profile, the graphical user interface including a set of graphical elements;

receiving a selection of a graphical element from among the set of graphical elements within the graphical user interface;

generating a set of instructions to cause a user device to display the collection of media items;

generating a graphical element that comprises a display of a graphical avatar associated with the user profile, and a matrix barcode encoded with the set of instructions;

receiving an input that selects a point within the media item; and

generating a presentation of the media item that includes a display of the graphical element at a position that corresponds with the selected point within the media item.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating the presentation of the media item further comprises:

receiving an input that identifies the position within the media item.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the media item comprises image data.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

generating a message that includes the presentation of the media item; and

distributing the message to one or more recipients.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the message includes an ephemeral message that comprises a display duration.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the distributing the message to one or more recipients includes adding the presentation of the media item to a media story that comprises the collection of media items associated with a user profile.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference to the media item includes a uniform resource locator (URL) address.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the client device is a first client device associated with a first user profile, and the method further comprises:

causing display of the presentation of the media item that includes the display of the QR code at the first client device;

receiving a request that includes a scan of the matrix barcode from a second client device associated with a second user profile; and

causing the second client device to perform the set of instructions to display the collection of media items in response to the request.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the encoding the matrix barcode with the reference to the media item includes:

generating the matrix barcode based on user profile data associated with the client device.

10. A system comprising:

a memory; and

at least one hardware processor coupled to the memory and comprising instructions that causes the system to perform operations comprising:

causing display of a media item from among a collection of media items within a graphical user interface (GUI) at a client device associated with a user profile, the graphical user interface including a set of graphical elements;

receiving a selection of a graphical element from among the set of graphical elements within the graphical user interface;

generating a set of instructions to cause a user device to display the collection of media items;

generating a graphical element that comprises a display of a graphical avatar associated with the user profile, and a matrix barcode encoded with the set of instructions;

receiving an input that selects a point within the media item; and

generating a presentation of the media item that includes a display of the graphical element at a position that corresponds with the selected point within the media item.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the generating the presentation of the media item further comprises:

receiving an input that identifies the position within the media item.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the media item comprises image data.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a message that includes the presentation of the media item; and

distributing the message to one or more recipients.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the message includes an ephemeral message that comprises a display duration.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the distributing the message to one or more recipients includes adding the presentation of the media item to a media story that comprises the collection of media items associated with a user profile.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the reference to the media item includes a uniform resource locator (URL) address.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the client device is a first client device associated with a first user profile, and the operations further comprise:

causing display of the presentation of the media item that includes the display of the QR code at the first client device;

receiving a request that includes a scan of the matrix barcode from a second client device associated with a second user profile;

causing the second client device to perform the set of instructions to display the collection of media items in response to the request.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

causing display of a media item from among a collection of media items within a graphical user interface (GUI) at a client device associated with a user profile, the graphical user interface including a set of graphical elements;

receiving a selection of a graphical element from among the set of graphical elements within the graphical user interface;

generating a set of instructions to cause a user device to display the collection of media items;

generating a graphical element that comprises a display of a graphical avatar associated with the user profile, and a matrix barcode encoded with the set of instructions;

receiving an input that selects a point within the media item; and

generating a presentation of the media item that includes a display of the graphical element at a position that corresponds with the selected point within the media item.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the generating the presentation of the media item further comprises:

receiving an input that identifies the position within the media item.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the media item comprises image data.