Read a QR code
Read the content of a QR code from a screenshot of one shown on your screen or from a saved image. You can also read it with the camera on a PC or phone. Images and video are processed in your browser and never sent anywhere.
Images, camera video and the content that is read are processed in your browser and never sent anywhere.
QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED.
How to use
- 1
Choose an image or use the camera
Drop an image that contains a QR code, or click to choose one. You can also paste it with Ctrl+V (⌘V on a Mac) to read it. To read with a camera, press “Scan with camera”.
- 2
Check what was read
The content of the QR code is shown. For a URL, the host name of the destination and any points that need attention are shown.
- 3
Copy or open
“Copy” copies the text to the clipboard. A URL opens in a new tab only when you press “Open”.
About the QR code reader
On devices whose browser has a built-in QR code reader (BarcodeDetector), such as Chrome on Android or macOS, that reader is used. On other devices, codes are read with zxing-wasm (MIT license), a WebAssembly build of the open-source zxing-cpp. The reading component (about 0.9 MB) is downloaded from this site, not from any other server. If one image contains several QR codes, all of them are read.
URLs that are read are never opened automatically. Because there are scams that use QR codes to lead people to fake sites, the host name of the destination is shown in large text, along with points that need attention, such as a URL that starts with http, an internationalized domain name, an IP address or a URL shortener. The URL opens only when you press “Open”. QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED.
Specifications of this tool
- Input
- PNG, JPG, WEBP, GIF, BMP, AVIF, SVG
- Output
- None (the decoded content is shown on the page)
- Limits
- One file at a time. No file size limit (processed within your device's memory)
- Free, no sign-up, no app to install
- Files are never uploaded (processed in your browser)
Frequently asked questions
Can it read a QR code shown on my PC screen?
Yes. Take a screenshot that includes the QR code (Win+Shift+S on Windows, ⌘+Control+Shift+4 on a Mac), then press Ctrl+V (⌘V on a Mac) on this page to read it. You can also drop a saved image.
Are scanned URLs opened right away?
No. The host name of the destination and any points that need attention are shown, and the URL opens in a new tab only when you press “Open”. QR code scams sometimes lead to addresses that look like the real one, so check that the host name is the site you intended before opening it.
What should I do if the camera cannot read the code?
Hold the camera far enough away that the QR code fits inside the frame and is in focus. Dark places and strong reflections on a screen make codes harder to read. If you have not allowed camera access, change it to allowed from the icon to the left of the address bar. If you can save the code as an image, reading it from the image is more reliable.
Are the images or the content sent to a server?
No. Images, camera video and the content that is read are processed in your browser and never sent anywhere. This page does not send processing statistics either. The page does communicate with ad and analytics services, but that traffic does not include images or the content that is read.