Read any QR code from your computer or phone
Your phone camera reads most QR codes on its own, but there are times it can’t help: the code is in a screenshot, in a PDF someone emailed you, in an old photo or on the very screen you’re looking at. This reader handles all of those. Upload the image, drag it in or paste it straight from the clipboard, and you’ll see right away what it contains. On a phone or a computer with a webcam, you can also use the live camera.
The reader recognizes links, Wi-Fi networks, vCard contacts, emails, phone numbers, text messages and coordinates, and lays out the details clearly: for example, the network name and password of a Wi-Fi code with a button to copy the password, or a contact’s details with the option to save them as a .vcf file.
Why we never open links automatically
QR code phishing, or “quishing”, has become common enough that the FTC has warned consumers about it. Scammers put fake stickers over the codes on parking meters, mail letters that pretend to be from a bank or a delivery company, or send emails with a QR code to “verify your account”. The goal is to send you to a look-alike website that steals your login or card details. That’s why this reader never opens the destination by itself. It shows you the domain first, in large type, and warns you when it spots typical warning signs:
- shortened links that hide the real destination;
- IP addresses instead of a domain name;
- domains using characters from other alphabets that imitate Latin letters;
- unencrypted connections (http instead of https);
- an @ sign in the address, an old trick to disguise where it leads.
No warning doesn’t guarantee a site is legitimate. Always check that the domain is exactly the one you expect, and be suspicious of any page reached through a QR code that asks for passwords or payment, especially on parking meters and EV chargers, where official apps are the safer route.
How to use the camera
When you tap Turn on camera, your browser will ask for permission. On phones the rear camera is used. Frame the code inside the box, hold the device steady a little farther away than you would for a photo, and wait: as soon as the code is recognized, the camera turns off and the result appears. Camera frames are analyzed one by one on your device; nothing is recorded or sent anywhere.
If your browser doesn’t ask, you may have blocked the permission before. In Chrome, you can change it from the icon to the left of the address bar; in Safari on iPhone, go to Settings → Apps → Safari → Camera.
If the code won’t scan
- Crop the image so the code fills a good part of it.
- Avoid glare and shadows when photographing a printed code or a screen.
- Check that it’s complete: if one of the three large corner squares is missing, it can’t be read.
- Use more resolution: very dense codes (with lots of data) need a sharp image.
Inverted codes, with a light pattern on a dark background, are recognized too. In supported browsers, such as Chrome on Android, the reader can also identify some product barcodes when it doesn’t find a QR code.
Complete privacy
No image ever leaves your device: decoding runs in JavaScript inside your browser. The list of scanned codes is kept only in the tab’s memory and disappears when you close it.