How to Scan a QR Code From a Screenshot or Photo

Someone texts you a QR code, a ticket arrives as an image, or a sign-up page shows a code on the same phone you'd use to scan it. Phone cameras are made for codes in front of them: Apple's iPhone guide, for example, describes scanning with the Camera app or Control Center. A code that's already on your screen needs a different route. Here's how to read one from a screenshot, photo or saved image, on a phone or a computer, and how to check where it leads before you open it.

Scan a QR code from an image in three steps

1. Save the code as an image. Take a screenshot, or save the picture from the message or email. On a computer, save it as a file: the scanner reads image files, not your clipboard.
2. Open the QR Code Scanner and tap or click the upload area. On a phone, pick the screenshot from your photos; on a computer, choose the file or drag it onto the box. PNG, JPG, GIF and WebP images all work.
3. Read the result. The scanner shows exactly what the code contains. If it's a web address, an Open link button appears under it, and Copy Result copies the text.

The image is read in your browser and isn't uploaded, so it's fine to use for tickets and other codes you'd rather keep to yourself.

Codes in an email or on a web page

On a computer, you don't need your phone at all. If the code is an image in an email or on a web page, right-click it and save the image (most browsers call this Save image as), then drag the saved file onto the scanner. If the code can't be saved on its own, for example because it's part of a larger picture or a document, take a screenshot of the part of the screen that shows it, save that as a file and scan it instead. Either way, the image stays on your computer.

Check where it leads before you open it

A QR code hides its destination until it's decoded, which is why scammers like them. The FTC warns that some cover real QR codes on parking meters with their own, and others send codes by text or email with an urgent story, such as a missed delivery or a password problem.

The scanner never opens anything by itself: it shows the full content and waits for you. Before you tap Open link:

• Read the site name. Look at the end of the name, just before the first single slash. In https://example.com.account-check.net/login, the site you'd visit is account-check.net, not example.com.
• Look for small misspellings and swapped letters, as the FTC suggests. A name that's one letter off is a classic trick.
• Be wary of codes you didn't expect, especially in messages that sound urgent. If a message claims to be from a company, go to its website or app the way you normally would instead.
• Remember that short links hide the destination. If the code holds a link from a link-shortening service, the scanner shows the short link, not where it redirects, so take extra care with codes from people you don't know.

When the code isn't a web link

QR codes can hold other things, and the scanner shows them as text:

• WiFi details start with WIFI:, with the network name after S: and the password after P:. On a laptop, you can read the password from the result and type it in. To make a code like this for your own guests, see how to make a WiFi QR code.
• Contact cards start with BEGIN:VCARD and list details such as a name, phone number and email address.
• Plain text, such as a booking reference or a short note, appears exactly as it is.

The Open link button only appears for web addresses that start with http:// or https://. For everything else, use Copy Result.

If the scanner says no QR code was found

• Use the sharpest image you have. A screenshot is sharper than a photo of a screen. If you photograph a printed code, avoid glare and blur.
• Keep the whole code in the picture, including its three corner squares and a little blank border around it.
• Crop to one code. The scanner reads one code per image, so if a picture has several, crop it until only the one you want is left.
• Light-on-dark codes are fine. The scanner tries each image both ways round, so a white code on a dark background still reads.
• Make small codes bigger. Zoom in before you take the screenshot, so the code fills more of the screen.
• Codes inside a PDF: take a screenshot of the page, or turn the page into an image with PDF to PNG, then scan that.

Scanning a code on another screen

If the code is on your laptop or a TV and your phone is free, switch the scanner to Use Camera and tap Start Camera. Your browser asks for permission first. The scanner uses the back camera, reads the first code it sees and then stops the camera, so you can check the result before doing anything with it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I scan a QR code that's on my own phone's screen?

Yes. Take a screenshot, open the QR Code Scanner in your phone's browser, tap the upload area and pick the screenshot. The code is read on your phone and the image isn't uploaded.

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

Check it first. The scanner shows the full address before anything opens, so you can read the site name and look for misspellings. Be wary of codes in unexpected texts or emails.

Why can't the scanner find the code in my image?

Usually the image is blurry, the code is cut off or too small, or there's more than one code in the picture. Use a sharp screenshot, keep the whole code in view and crop to one code.

Can it read WiFi and contact QR codes?

Yes. It shows whatever text the code holds, such as WiFi details or a contact card. The Open link button only appears for web addresses; use Copy Result for the rest.