PDFConvertersOnline.comHow to scan a QR code online
- Choose a screenshot or photo of the code, drag it into the blue box, or paste it with Ctrl+V. Or press Scan with camera.
- The code is found and read automatically, and its outline is marked on your image.
- Check the result: open or copy a link, copy a Wi-Fi password, save a contact, or copy the text.
Your phone camera probably scans QR codes already
If the code is in front of you on paper, you usually don't need a website at all. The Camera app on iPhones has read QR codes since iOS 11, and most Android phones do it in the camera app or through Google Lens. Point the camera, wait a second and tap the notification.
This page helps in the situations a phone camera handles badly:
- The code is on your computer screen. A QR code in an email, a PDF or a web page on your laptop is hard to scan with the same device. Take a screenshot and paste it here.
- The code is in a picture on your phone. A screenshot from a chat or a photo in your gallery can't be pointed at with your own camera. Choose it from your photos.
- You want to see what's inside before acting. This scanner shows the full content first and never opens anything by itself.
- Your laptop has a webcam but no scanner app. Use Scan with camera and hold the code up to it.
What you see after scanning
| Code contains | You get |
|---|---|
| A web link | The domain shown large, the full address, and Open link and Copy buttons |
| Wi-Fi details | Network name, password and security type, each with a copy button |
| A contact card | Name, phone, email, company and address, plus Save contact as a .vcf file |
| Email, phone or SMS | The address or number and a button to write, call or copy |
| Anything else | The plain text, ready to copy |
Check links before you open them
Fake QR codes are a known scam: stickers placed over real ones on parking meters, restaurant tables or posters, and codes in emails that pretend to come from a bank or delivery company. They lead to look-alike sites that ask for card numbers or passwords. That's why the scanner shows the destination domain in large type before you click. Look closely at the part before the first single slash: a bank's site should be on the bank's own domain, not a random name with the bank's name added. When in doubt, don't open it; type the company's address yourself instead.
Tips when a code won't read
The scanner tries each image at several sizes and also tries a light-on-dark version, which covers most photos and inverted codes. If it still finds nothing:
- Crop the picture so the code fills most of it; Crop Image helps with busy photos.
- Take the photo straight on, in even light, without glare from glossy paper or a screen.
- Make sure all four corners and the white border are in the picture.
- If it's an ordinary striped barcode, it isn't a QR code, and this tool can't read it.
Only one code is read per image. If a picture shows several QR codes, crop it to the one you need and scan again. iPhone HEIC photos are supported; if one fails, convert it with HEIC to JPG first.
Private scanning
Images are read inside your browser, and the camera video is processed on your device frame by frame; nothing is recorded or uploaded. The camera turns off as soon as a code is found, when you press Stop, or when you leave the page.
Frequently asked questions
Is my image uploaded to scan it?
No. The code is decoded in your browser. The image and the camera picture never leave your device.
Why does the browser ask for camera permission?
Web pages can only use the camera after you allow it. The permission is only needed for Scan with camera; reading an image file works without it. If you blocked it by mistake, allow the camera for this site in your browser's settings.
Can it read normal barcodes on products?
No, it reads QR codes only. Striped product barcodes such as EAN or UPC use a different system.
Why does it read only one QR code in my picture?
The decoder looks for a single code per image. Crop the picture around each code and scan them one at a time.
Does it open links automatically?
Never. You always see the full address first and decide whether to press Open link.