QR Code Reader is a free online scanner that reads QR codes from a photo, a screenshot or your device’s camera, without installing an app. It shows exactly what the code contains, whether a website link, a Wi-Fi password, an email address or plain text, before you act on it. Images and camera frames are read in your browser and never uploaded.
How to scan a QR code from an image
- Drag a photo or screenshot of the code onto the page, click Choose file, or paste a screenshot with Ctrl+V (⌘V on a Mac).
- The code is read straight away, and its contents appear below the image.
- Copy the text, or check the website address and click Open link.
How to scan with your camera
Click Scan with camera and allow camera access when your browser asks. Hold the code inside the frame; it is read automatically and the camera switches off. On a phone, the back camera is used. Nothing is recorded.
Check links before you open them
Fake QR codes stuck over real ones on parking meters, posters and restaurant tables are a common scam (sometimes called “quishing”). They lead to look-alike payment or login pages. The reader shows the website’s name prominently, so you can check that a parking code really goes to the parking company, for example, before you open it.
Find a Wi-Fi password from a QR code
Wi-Fi QR codes contain the network name and password. Scan one here to see and copy the password, which is handy for connecting a laptop or smart TV that can’t scan codes itself.
If no code is found
- Make sure the whole code, including its corners, is in the picture.
- Use a sharp, well-lit photo taken straight on rather than at an angle.
- Crop the image so the code fills most of it, for example with the Image Cropper.
Need to make a code of your own? Use the QR Code Generator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I scan a QR code on my computer?
Take a screenshot of the code, then paste it here with Ctrl+V (⌘V on a Mac), or drag the image onto the page. If your computer has a webcam, you can also click Scan with camera and hold the code up to it.
Is the camera image uploaded?
No. Camera frames and images are read inside your browser and never recorded or sent anywhere. The camera turns off as soon as a code is found.
Is it safe to open a link from a QR code?
Not always: criminals stick fake codes over real ones on parking meters, posters and restaurant tables. This reader shows you the website’s address before you open it, so you can check it’s the one you expect.
Why can’t it find the code?
Make sure the whole code is in the picture with a little space around it, and that it isn’t blurry or at a steep angle. Cropping the image so the code fills most of it often helps.
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