QR scanner

Read a QR code from your camera or an image.

Scan from image

Turn on the camera or upload a QR image to scan automatically.

Results will appear here.

Someone sends you a screenshot with a QR code in it, and your phone camera cannot scan an image on its own screen. Or you want to see where a printed code actually leads before tapping it. This scanner decodes the code and shows you the contents as plain text first.

How it works

Two ways to scan

Start camera asks for permission to use your device camera and then reads continuously — hold the code steady in frame and it decodes automatically, no shutter button. The rear camera is requested by default on phones. Press Stop when you are done to release the camera.

Scan from image opens a file picker instead. Choose any image file containing a QR code — a screenshot, a photo, a saved graphic — and it is decoded locally without the camera ever turning on. This is the option to use on a desktop, or when the code is already on your screen.

Getting a clean read

If nothing decodes, the usual causes are worth checking in order:

Problem	What to try
Blurry or too close	Move back until the whole code plus a margin is in frame
Poor lighting	Add light, or avoid glare from a glossy surface or screen
Code partly cut off	QR codes need all four corners, including the quiet margin
Heavily angled	Face the code as squarely as you can
Low-resolution screenshot	Re-crop from the original rather than a compressed copy

Damaged codes often still work — QR includes error correction that can recover a code with a portion obscured, though not an unlimited amount.

After it decodes

The decoded contents appear in the results area. A QR code can hold plain text, a URL, contact details, Wi-Fi credentials or payment information. Read the value before acting on it. A code is unreadable to the human eye, which makes it an easy way to disguise a link — if the decoded address is unfamiliar or does not match the organisation the code claims to come from, do not open it. Decoding happens entirely in your browser; no image or camera frame is uploaded.

Terms explained

QR code: A two-dimensional barcode that stores data in a square grid, readable from any orientation.
Quiet zone: The blank margin around a code. Without it a scanner may fail to find the code's edges.
Finder patterns: The three large squares in the corners, which a scanner uses to locate and orient the code.
Error correction: Redundant data built into the code, allowing it to be read even when part of it is dirty or missing.
Camera permission: The browser's one-time request to access your camera. Scanning cannot start until you allow it.

Frequently asked questions

Are my scans uploaded to a server?

No. Decoding runs in your browser using a JavaScript library, and neither camera frames nor uploaded images leave your device. Nothing about what you scan is stored or logged.

Why will the camera not start?

The most common reasons are a denied permission prompt, another application already holding the camera, or a page not served over HTTPS — browsers block camera access on insecure connections. Check your site permissions for this page and close any other app using the camera.

Can I scan a QR code that is already on my screen?

Yes, and that is what the image option is for. Take a screenshot, then use **Scan from image** to decode it, since a camera cannot easily read a code displayed on the same device.

Is it safe to open a link from a QR code?

Treat it the way you would treat a link in an unexpected email. Malicious codes placed over legitimate ones on posters and parking signs are a known tactic, so read the decoded address first and only open it if the domain matches the organisation you expect.

Why does a damaged or partly covered code still scan?

QR codes carry error-correction data, so a scanner can reconstruct the content even when a portion is obscured. There is a limit, though — once too much of the grid or any of the corner finder patterns is lost, the code becomes unreadable.