QR Code Reader

QR Code Reader reads the QR code in a photo or screenshot and shows what it contains: a website link, text, Wi-Fi details, a contact card or anything else. Choose an image, drop it on the page or paste it with Ctrl+V, and the code is read straight away. No app and no phone needed, and the image is read in your browser, so it is never uploaded.

How to read a QR code from an image

1. Choose an image file, drag it onto the page, or copy a screenshot and press Ctrl+V (Cmd+V on a Mac).
2. The data appears in the result box within a second.
3. Click Copy, or, if the code holds a web address, open the link shown below the result.

What a QR code can contain

• A link (the most common): shown as a clickable address. Check where it leads before you open it.
• Plain text, such as a serial number, a message or a ticket code.
• Wi-Fi details, written like WIFI:S:NetworkName;T:WPA;P:password;;, where S is the network name and P the password.
• A contact card (vCard, starting with BEGIN:VCARD), an email, a phone number or a text message.

Tips if no code is found

• Make sure the whole code, including its quiet white border, is in the image.
• Use a sharp image: blurry, tiny or heavily compressed codes cannot be decoded.
• Crop away other content with the Image Cropper if the code is small in a large photo.
• Very low contrast, reflections and glare on screens or glossy paper also cause failures; retake the photo at an angle.

Stay safe with QR codes

QR codes are increasingly used in phishing ("quishing"): a sticker over a parking meter code or a QR code in an email can lead to a fake login page. Reading the code here first lets you see the real address before you visit it. Check the domain carefully, and expand shortened links with the URL Unshortener to see their final destination.

When it comes in handy

• Reading a QR code in a screenshot or email on your computer, without a phone.
• Checking where a QR code leads before you scan it with your phone.
• Getting the Wi-Fi password out of a saved Wi-Fi QR code.
• Testing QR codes you made with the QR Code Generator or QR Code Editor before printing them.

Frequently asked questions