This reads a QR code from an image and shows you exactly what it contains. Use it when a phone camera cannot help: the code is in a screenshot, an email, a PDF or a photograph, or you are on a laptop with no scanner. It runs entirely in your browser, so the image never leaves your device — which matters when the code holds a Wi-Fi password, a ticket or anything personal.
Check a code before you scan it
QR codes hide their destination by design — that is the point of them, and it is also the risk. Stickers placed over legitimate codes on parking meters, restaurant tables and delivery lockers are a known scam, sometimes called quishing, because a printed code carries no visible clue about where it leads.
Reading the code in a browser first shows you the raw destination without opening it. If the URL does not match the business whose sign it is printed on, do not scan it with your phone.
Frequently asked questions
How do I scan a QR code with my phone?
Open your normal camera app and point it at the code — no separate app is needed on any iPhone since iOS 11 or Android since version 9. A notification appears; tap it to open the link. Our guide on how to scan a QR code covers each device in full.
Can I scan a QR code on a laptop?
Not with the camera on most laptops, but you do not need to. If the code is already an image — a screenshot, an email attachment, a PDF — read it from the file using the box above. If the code is physical, photograph it with a phone and open the photo here.
Is my image uploaded anywhere?
No. The decoding runs in your browser using JavaScript. The file never leaves your device and nothing is stored or logged.
Why would I read a code instead of scanning it?
To see where it goes before visiting. Malicious QR codes — sometimes called quishing — hide a phishing URL behind a printed sticker, often placed over a legitimate code on a parking meter or restaurant table. Reading it first shows you the destination safely.
It says no code found. Why?
Usually the image is too small, blurred, cropped too tightly, or the code is at a steep angle. Try a larger or straighter image, and make sure the whole code including its white margin is visible.
What formats can I use?
Any image your browser can open — PNG, JPEG, WebP, GIF. You can also paste a screenshot straight from your clipboard.
Need to create a QR code?
Dynamic codes you can edit after printing, with scan tracking. Free to start.
Open the generator