Scan a QR Code Online
Choose Upload image to drop in a photo or screenshot, or choose Use camera to scan live. The result appears next to the tool, ready to copy, open or save.
(Tool interface: Upload image tab, Use camera tab, drag and drop area, Paste image button, scan result box with Copy, Open and Save actions.)
Why Use This Free Online QR Code Scanner?
Scan From an Image, Screenshot or Camera
Most people have a QR code in one of three places: on a printed page, on a phone or computer screen, or in a saved picture. This online QR code scanner handles all three. Upload a PNG, JPG, WEBP, GIF or BMP file, paste a screenshot with Ctrl + V, or switch on the camera and hold the code in front of it.
Private: Nothing Is Uploaded
Your images and camera frames stay on your device. The code is decoded inside your browser, so nothing is sent to our servers. That matters when the QR code holds a Wi-Fi password, a business contact or a document link.
Smart Results for Links, Wi-Fi and Contacts
A good QR code reader does more than show a string of text. This one recognises what the code contains. A web link gets an open button. A Wi-Fi code shows the network name, password and security type. A contact card, email, phone number, SMS or map location is shown in a clear, readable way, and plain text is shown as it is.
No App and No Account
A QR scanner website is the quickest option when you do not want to download anything. Open the page, scan and close the tab. The tool works without creating an account.
Works on Phone, Tablet and Laptop
This is a web QR code scanner, so it runs in the browser on a phone, a tablet or a computer. It is useful as a mobile QR scanner when your phone camera app is not handy, and as a laptop QR code scanner when the code is already on your computer.
How to Scan a QR Code Online
Scanning a QR code takes less than a minute. Pick the method that matches where your code is.
Method 1: Scan a QR Code From an Image
- Choose Upload image.
- Drop the file into the box or click Browse files.
- The result appears as soon as the code is read.
Method 2: Paste a Screenshot
- Take a screenshot of the QR code.
- Press Ctrl + V anywhere on this page, or click Paste image.
- Read the result.
Method 3: Scan With Your Camera
- Choose Use camera and click Start camera.
- Allow camera access when the browser asks.
- Hold the code inside the frame, about 15 to 30 cm away.
Final Step: Copy, Open or Save
Copy the result, open the link or save it as a text file. If you need to scan several codes one after another with the camera, turn on Keep scanning after a result.
QR Code Scanner From Image
Searching for a QR code scanner from image is the most common reason people land here. You have the code as a file, maybe a photo from your gallery, a picture sent in a chat or an image saved from a website, and you cannot point a camera at it.
Use this picture QR code scanner by uploading the file. The tool reads PNG, JPG, WEBP, GIF and BMP images. A few things help the QR code image scanner read it the first time:
- Use the original file, not a tiny thumbnail or a heavily compressed copy.
- Keep the white border around the code. If you crop too tightly, the scanner loses the edge it needs.
- Choose a sharp image. A blurry photo taken at an angle is much harder to read than a flat, straight one.
If the picture contains several things, crop closer to the code and try again.
Scan a QR Code on Your Screen
Sometimes the code is on your own screen: in a PDF, an email, a website or a video call. Instead of pulling out your phone, use this on screen QR code scanner:
- Take a screenshot of the part of the screen that shows the code. On Windows press Windows + Shift + S, and on a Mac press Command + Shift + 4.
- Come back to this page and press Ctrl + V (Command + V on a Mac).
- The code is read straight from the pasted picture.
This is the fastest way to scan a QR code from a screenshot on a computer, and it avoids typing a long link by hand. If the code is small on the screen, zoom in before taking the screenshot so the squares are clear.
QR Code Scanner With Camera
If you prefer to scan live, use the QR code scanner camera mode. Click Start camera, allow access and hold the code in view. Most laptops have a webcam, so a QR code scanner for laptop use works well, and a phone camera works as a phone QR code scanner in the same way.
Tips for the camera:
- Good light. Avoid glare and shadows falling across the code.
- Fill the frame. Keep the code about 15 to 30 cm from the lens.
- Hold steady. A moving code or a shaking hand blurs the squares.
- Use HTTPS. Browsers only allow camera access on secure pages. Camera access also requires your permission.
If your computer has no webcam, simply upload an image instead.
What Can This QR Code Reader Read?
This QR code reader decodes the kinds of content people put in QR codes most often.
| Content type | What you see | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Website link | The URL | Open it, copy it |
| Wi-Fi | Network name, password, security type | Copy the details |
| Contact card (vCard) | Name, phone, email and more | Read and copy the details |
| Address and message | Copy it | |
| Phone number | The number | Copy it |
| SMS | Number and message | Copy it |
| Map location | Place or coordinates | Read and copy it |
| Plain text | The text | Copy it, save it as a text file |
Note: for a Wi-Fi code the tool shows you the details. You then enter or copy the password into your device yourself.
How to Scan a QR Code With Your Phone's Camera
You do not always need a website. Most modern phones can scan a QR code with the normal camera app, and this is the quickest way if the code is printed or on another screen.
- iPhone and iPad: open the Camera app, point it at the code and tap the banner that appears.
- Android: open the camera app and point it at the code. On many phones a link or a Google Lens button appears. On some Samsung phones, check that "Scan QR codes" is switched on in the camera settings.
If the camera app does not react, or the code is saved as a picture in your gallery, come back to this page and use the upload option. That is where an online QR code scanner is more useful than a camera app.
Is It Safe to Scan a QR Code?
Scanning a code is safe. Opening what it contains is where the risk is. A QR code can hold any link, including a fake one that copies a real website to steal passwords or card details. This is sometimes called QR phishing.
Before you open a link from a QR code:
- Read the address. Look at the domain. A real bank will not use a strange address with extra words or misspelled names.
- Be careful with codes stuck on top of other codes. A sticker placed over a parking meter, poster or menu may be fake.
- Never enter passwords or card details on a page you reached from a code you do not trust.
- Be suspicious of urgency. "Pay now" or "your account is locked" messages are a common trick.
- Scan first, open later. With this QR scanner you can read the result as text and decide whether to open it.
Because this tool decodes the code on your device, scanning itself does not send your image anywhere.
Why Is My QR Code Not Scanning?
If your scan fails, one of these is usually the cause.
- The image is too small or blurry. Use the original, higher-resolution file.
- The white border is missing. QR codes need a clear blank margin. Do not crop it off.
- Glare or shadow. Move the code or change the light.
- The code is damaged. Folds, scratches and faded ink can make it unreadable.
- The code is too far away or too close. Try about 15 to 30 cm.
- The camera is blocked. Check the browser permission in the address bar. Without permission the camera does not start.
- It is not a QR code. A normal barcode needs a barcode scanner. See the next section.
QR Code Scanner vs Barcode Scanner
A QR code is a square pattern that can hold links, text and Wi-Fi details. A barcode is a row of lines that holds a short number. People often search for a QR and barcode scanner as if they were one thing, but the two codes work differently, and this page is built for QR codes.
To read a barcode from an image or camera, use the Barcode Scanner. To make a new QR code, use the QR Code Generator. To make a barcode, use the Barcode Generator.
Who Uses a QR Code Scanner?
- Shoppers and diners: menus, offers and product pages.
- Office workers: QR codes in PDFs, slides and printed documents.
- Students: links in textbooks and handouts.
- Event guests: tickets, schedules and badges.
- Small businesses: payment links and contact cards. If you send bills with a payment QR code, try the Invoice Generator.
- Anyone with a screenshot: a code received in a chat that cannot be scanned with a second phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is this QR code scanner free?
Yes. You can scan QR codes online at no cost, and no sign-up is needed.
2. How do I scan a QR code online?
Choose Upload image or Use camera. Drop in a picture, paste a screenshot or hold the code in front of your camera. The result appears straight away.
3. Can I scan a QR code from an image or screenshot?
Yes. Upload a PNG, JPG, WEBP, GIF or BMP file, or take a screenshot and press Ctrl + V on this page.
4. Is it safe and private?
Your images and camera feed are processed on your device and are never uploaded to our servers. Still, always check a link before you open it.
5. Why does my camera not start?
Allow camera access in the address bar and make sure the page is open over HTTPS. If your computer has no webcam, upload an image instead.
6. Why will my image not scan?
Use a sharper, higher-resolution image, crop closer to the code but keep the white border, and avoid glare or heavy shadows.
7. Can it read Wi-Fi QR codes?
Yes. It shows the network name, password and security type so you can copy them. You enter the password on your device yourself.
8. What types of QR codes can it read?
Website links, Wi-Fi codes, contact cards (vCard), email, phone numbers, SMS, map locations and plain text.
9. Does it work on iPhone and Android?
Yes. It runs in the browser, so it works on phones, tablets and computers. Many phones can also scan with the built-in camera app.
10. Can I scan barcodes here?
This page is made for QR codes. For product and shipping barcodes, use our Barcode Scanner.
11. Can I save or copy the result?
Yes. You can copy the result, open a link, or save the content as a text file.
12. Do I need to install an app?
No. This is a web QR scanner. Open the page and scan.
Related Tools
More free tools that work well together:
Scan Your QR Code Now
Whether the code is in a picture, on your screen or in front of your camera, scroll back up, choose your method and read it in seconds. Free, private and no sign-up needed.