How to scan a QR code on iPhone
The Camera app on every iPhone with iOS 11 or later reads QR codes automatically.
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Open the Camera app
Use the rear camera in Photo mode. You can open it from the Home Screen, the Lock Screen or Control Center.
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Point it at the code
Hold the phone steady so the whole code, including a little of the blank border around it, is visible on screen. You do not need to press the shutter button.
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Tap the link that appears
A yellow QR code button or a banner shows what the code contains, such as a web address or a Wi-Fi network. Tap it to open the link or confirm the action.
Other ways to scan on iPhone
Code Scanner in Control Center
iPhone also has a dedicated Code Scanner. Add it to Control Center: in recent iOS versions you edit Control Center directly, in older versions you go to Settings > Control Center. Then swipe down from the top-right corner and tap the scanner icon. It has its own flashlight button, which helps in dark rooms.
If the camera does not react
Open Settings > Camera and check that Scan QR Codes is switched on. Also make sure you are in Photo mode, not Portrait or Video, and that the lens is clean.
How to scan a QR code on Android
Android phones differ by manufacturer and version, so menu names vary slightly, but most recent models scan straight from the camera.
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Open the camera app
Start the phone's built-in camera in its normal photo mode.
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Point it at the code
Keep the entire code in the frame and hold still for a moment until the camera focuses.
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Tap the result
A link, a pop-up or a small card appears on screen. Tap it to open the website, join the network or save the contact.
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Nothing happens?
Look for a Lens, Scan or QR mode in the camera, or a QR scanning option in the camera settings. Some phones need it switched on once.
Other ways to scan on Android
Quick Settings tile
Many Android phones, including recent Pixel models, have a Scan QR code button in Quick Settings. Swipe down from the top of the screen and tap it. If you do not see it, tap the edit (pencil) icon and add it.
Google Lens
Google Lens reads QR codes too. Open it from the Lens icon in the Google search bar or in the Google app, point the camera at the code and tap the link that appears.
Manufacturer tools
Some manufacturers place their own QR scanner in the quick panel, the camera settings or the phone's assistant. The result is the same: point, wait, tap.
How to scan a QR code from a screenshot or image
A QR code that someone sent you, or one shown on your own phone screen, cannot be pointed at your camera. Take a screenshot and read the image instead.
On iPhone: Photos and Live Text
On iOS 15 or later and supported models, open the image in the Photos app. Tap the Live Text button in the corner, then tap the code, or simply touch and hold the code. A menu offers to open the link.
On Android: Google Photos or Google Lens
Open the screenshot in Google Photos and tap the Lens button, or open Google Lens and choose the image from your gallery. Lens highlights the code and shows its content.
On any device: an online QR code reader
Our free QR code reader decodes a code from an image or screenshot right in your browser. It works the same on a phone, tablet or computer.
How to scan a QR code on a computer
Computers rarely have a camera you can easily point at a printed code, so the practical options are different. If the code is on your screen, for example in an email, a PDF or a web page, save it or take a screenshot and upload the image to a browser-based QR code reader. The content appears as text, and you can check a link before opening it.
In Chrome, the Google Lens option in the right-click menu can also read a code that appears in an image on a web page. And if you have your phone at hand, the quickest method is often the simplest: point the phone's camera at the computer screen.
What happens after you scan
The phone reacts differently depending on the type of content inside the code. Nothing happens automatically: you always confirm with a tap.
Web links
The address appears as a preview and opens in your browser when you tap it. Dynamic QR codes show a short link first, which then forwards you to the final page.
Wi-Fi networks
A Wi-Fi QR code makes the phone offer to join the network by name. Tap Join and the password is filled in for you.
Contacts
A vCard code opens a contact card with name, phone number and email. You decide whether to save it to your address book.
Email and SMS
The mail or messaging app opens with the recipient and text already filled in. The message is only sent when you press send yourself.
Payments and apps
Payment QR codes are usually meant to be scanned inside a banking or payment app, not with the camera. App download codes send you to the App Store or Google Play.
QR code not scanning? Try these fixes
Most scanning problems come down to distance, light or the code itself.
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Clean the lens
A fingerprint on the camera lens blurs the image more than you would expect.
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Change the distance
Too close and the camera cannot focus; too far and the modules are too small. Start at about 20–30 cm and move slowly.
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Fix light and glare
Turn away from lamps that reflect on glossy prints, or switch on the flashlight in a dark room.
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Hold the phone straight
A steep angle distorts the code. Stand in front of it and keep the phone parallel to the surface.
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Check camera permission
If a scanner app or browser tool cannot see anything, allow camera access for it in the phone's settings.
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Suspect the code
Codes that are printed too small, low in contrast, damaged or crowded by text often fail. Our QR code size guide explains what printers should get right.
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Try another scanner
If the camera app still fails, try Google Lens or the Code Scanner on iPhone. Different scanners handle difficult codes differently, and one often succeeds where another does not.
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Scan works, but nothing opens
Check your internet connection. If the page still does not load, the website may be offline or the code's short link may have been deactivated by its owner.
Scan safely
A QR code hides its destination until you scan it, which scammers sometimes exploit. Phones show a preview of the link before opening it, so take a second to read the address. Watch for misspelled brand names, unusual domains and stickers placed over an existing code on parking meters, posters or restaurant tables.
Be especially careful when a scanned page asks you to log in, pay or install an app, and with QR codes in unexpected emails or letters. Our guide to QR code security explains the common tricks and how to spot them.
If you put QR codes in front of customers yourself, you can help them scan with confidence: check your printed codes regularly, replace any that have been covered with a sticker, and where possible show your own brand name in the link so people recognise the address in the preview.