Free QR Code Scanner
Scan QR codes with your camera or from a screenshot. See links, Wi-Fi, contacts and events as safe text, and nothing opens until you click.
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How to scan a QR code from your camera or a screenshot
Use this scanner when your phone's camera app is not handy, when the code is already on your screen, or when you want to check where a code leads before you visit it. It reads the code locally and explains what it contains: a website, Wi-Fi details, a contact card, an email, a phone number, a text message, a map location, a calendar event or plain text. To create codes instead, use the QR Code Generator.
- Choose Camera and select Start camera. Allow camera access when your browser asks, and pick another camera from the list if your device has more than one.
- Hold the QR code inside the frame until it is read. Turn on the flashlight if your phone offers it and the light is dim.
- Or choose Image or screenshot and pick a file, drop it on the panel, or press Ctrl+V (⌘+V on a Mac) to paste a screenshot.
- Read the result panel: the detected type, each field with its own Copy button, and any safety warnings.
- For links, check the website name shown under the button, then select Open link in new tab only if you trust it. Contacts and events can be saved as .vcf or .ics files.
When a browser QR scanner is the better choice
Phone camera apps are fine for a poster in the street, but plenty of QR codes reach you in other ways. A conference badge arrives as a PDF, a colleague sends a screenshot of a Wi-Fi code, a bank or app shows a two-factor setup code on the same screen you are reading it on, or a parcel slip has a code you want to check before you visit the link. In all of those cases you either cannot point a phone at the code easily or you would rather read it on a laptop.
This scanner covers both situations. The camera mode works with laptop webcams and phone cameras, including a camera picker for devices with several lenses and a flashlight switch when the browser exposes one. The image mode reads uploaded photos, screenshots and images pasted straight from the clipboard. It is also a safer way to inspect an unfamiliar code, because nothing happens until you decide: the content is shown as text, links get warnings, and the Open button is a separate, deliberate click.
Worked example: a Wi-Fi code and a suspicious link
Imagine a café prints a Wi-Fi code that contains WIFI:T:WPA;S:Cafe Lumen;P:latte\;2026;H:false;;. The scanner detects the Wi-Fi type and splits it into four fields: network name Cafe Lumen, security WPA/WPA2/WPA3, password latte;2026 and hidden network No. Notice the backslash before the semicolon in the raw text. Semicolons separate fields in the Wi-Fi format, so a semicolon inside a password must be escaped, and the scanner removes the escape for you. The password stays masked until you select Show, and it has its own Copy button.
Now consider a sticker that decodes to http://bank.example@login-check.example/verify. The result is a website link, but it carries three warnings: it is an external link, it is not encrypted because it uses http rather than https, and it contains text before an @ sign. Everything before the @ is treated as a user name, so the site you would actually reach is login-check.example, not bank.example. The scanner shows that real website name under the Open button, which makes this classic phishing trick easy to spot.
How the scanner reads and classifies codes
When your browser has a built-in barcode detector (available in some browsers, such as Chrome on Android and macOS), the scanner uses it first because it is fast and handles difficult angles well. Otherwise, and as a backup, it uses jsQR, an open-source QR decoder that runs in the page. Camera frames are scaled to about 800 pixels on the long side for speed. Uploaded images are tried at several sizes and in both normal and inverted colours, which helps with very large photos and with light-on-dark codes.
The decoded text is then matched against well-known formats: http and https links, WIFI:, vCard and MECARD contacts, mailto: and MATMSG: emails, tel: numbers, SMSTO: and sms: messages, geo: coordinates, calendar events, and otpauth: two-factor setup codes. Anything else is shown as plain text, and links for apps or other schemes, such as payment requests, are displayed as text only with no Open button. Every value is rendered as plain text, so a code cannot inject formatting or scripts into the page.
Common mistakes when scanning QR codes
The most frequent problem is a code that is too small or blurry in the picture. Move closer, tap your phone screen to focus if needed, or crop a photo so the code fills most of the frame. Strong glare across the squares and very low contrast, such as pale grey on white, also stop decoders. A code printed on a curved bottle can work better if you scan it from a little further away.
The second mistake is trusting a code because it looks official. Stickers placed over genuine codes on parking meters, menus and posters are a known scam. Read the website name before opening anything, be wary of link shorteners that hide the destination, and never type a password on a page you reached from a QR code unless you are sure it is the real site. Treat two-factor setup codes like passwords: anyone who sees the secret can generate your sign-in codes.
Useful tips and limitations
- If a code will not read from a photo, crop closer so the code fills most of the image, and avoid glare across the squares.
- Wi-Fi passwords and two-factor secrets are hidden until you select Show, so you can scan them with people nearby.
- Paste a screenshot directly with Ctrl+V or ⌘+V, with no need to save it as a file first.
- Download contact and event codes as .vcf or .ics files and open them with your address book or calendar app.
Common questions
Does the QR Code Scanner open links automatically?
No. A decoded link is shown as text with the website name and warnings. It only opens in a new tab when you select the Open button.
Can I scan a QR code from a screenshot on my computer?
Yes. Choose Image or screenshot and pick the file, or copy the screenshot and press Ctrl+V or ⌘+V on the page.
Why does the camera not start in the QR Code Scanner?
Your browser needs permission to use the camera, and only one app can use it at a time. Allow camera access in the site settings, close other apps using the camera, or upload an image instead.
Can the QR Code Scanner read damaged or partly covered codes?
Often, yes. QR codes include error correction, so a code with a small logo or minor damage can still be read. Heavily damaged codes may fail; try a sharper photo or better light.
Is my scan history saved?
Only in the open tab. The recent scans list disappears when you close or reload the page, and you can clear it at any time.
Why is a web address shown as text without an Open button?
An Open button appears only for complete http or https links. An address without http:// or https://, or a link for an app or another scheme, is shown as text so nothing is guessed or opened unexpectedly.
Images, screenshots and camera frames are processed in this browser and are not uploaded to ToolWorld Online. Nothing is stored after you close the tab, so save any result you need.