Free QR Code Reader – Scan from Image or Camera
Decode any QR code online. Upload a photo, paste a screenshot, drop in several images at once, or point your webcam or phone camera at a code. You see exactly what is inside – links, WiFi logins, contacts, events, payments – before anything opens.
Drop a QR code image here
or click to browse · JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP, SVG
You can also press Ctrl+V (Cmd+V on Mac) anywhere on this page to paste a screenshot. Images are decoded on your device and never uploaded.
Detected code is outlined in green
Your browser will ask for camera permission. Video frames are analysed on your device only.
Decoded result
Results appear here. Upload an image or start the camera to read a QR code.
This session
How to Read a QR Code Online
Three ways to scan, no app and no sign-up. Pick whichever matches where the code is.
- The code is in a file or screenshot. Choose Upload image, drag the file onto the box, or paste a screenshot with Ctrl+V. The reader finds the code, outlines it on a preview, and decodes it in a moment.
- The code is in front of you. Switch to Use camera, press Start camera, allow access and hold the code inside the frame. On phones the rear camera is selected automatically; on a laptop it uses the webcam.
- Review the result. The decoded content is sorted by type and shown in plain language. Links display their domain and any warning signs first. Open, copy, or save the result only if it looks right.
Need to make a code instead? Use the free QR code generator to create static QR codes for links, WiFi, vCards and more.
What This QR Code Scanner Can Decode
A QR code only stores text. This reader recognises the common text formats and presents each one in a useful way instead of dumping a raw string.
| Code type | What you see | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Website link | Domain, full address and any safety warnings | Open in a new tab, copy |
| WiFi network | Network name, security type, password | Copy the password or network name |
| Contact (vCard) | Name, company, phones, emails, address | Download a .vcf file for your contacts app |
| Calendar event | Title, location, start and end time | Download an .ics file |
| Email, phone, SMS | Recipient, subject, number, message | Open in your email, phone or messages app |
| WhatsApp link | Number and pre-filled message | Open in WhatsApp |
| Location | Latitude and longitude | Open in Google Maps |
| Payment (UPI, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin) | Payee or address, amount, note | Copy the address, with a reminder to verify it |
| Authenticator setup (otpauth) | Account and issuer only; secret hidden | Copy, with a warning not to share it |
| Plain text | The full text, character count | Copy or save as .txt |
This tool reads QR codes. It does not read product barcodes such as EAN or UPC, or other 2D formats like Data Matrix – use the Barcode Reader for those.
Why Use This Reader Instead of a Scanner App
Images and camera frames are decoded by JavaScript in your browser. Nothing you scan is uploaded to a server.
Nothing opens automatically. You read the decoded content first, with warnings for shortened links, plain http and look-alike domains.
Most phone cameras cannot scan a code that is already on your screen. Upload or paste the image instead.
If an image holds several QR codes, each one is decoded separately. You can also drop in several images together.
Use a laptop webcam, or skip the camera entirely with screenshots. No phone required.
No scan caps, no account, no email gate, no watermark. Just the result.
Is It Safe to Scan a QR Code? How to Spot a Malicious One
A QR code is just a way to type a web address for you, so the risk is the same as clicking an unknown link. Scammers exploit that by sticking fake codes over real ones on parking meters, posters and restaurant tables, or by emailing a code so that security filters cannot read the link. This is often called "quishing". Reading the code with this tool first removes the guesswork, because you see the destination before your browser does.
- The domain. It should match the company you expect. Watch for extra words, swapped letters and unfamiliar endings.
- Shortened links. A bit.ly-style address hides where you are going. If the source is not trustworthy, do not open it.
- http instead of https. Legitimate login and payment pages should always use https.
- Requests for passwords, card details or "urgent" payment. A code on a sticker that asks you to log in is a red flag.
- Physical tampering. If a printed code looks like a sticker placed over another, do not scan it.
This reader flags several of these patterns automatically, but no tool can judge intent. Treat the warnings as a prompt to look more carefully, not as proof that a link is safe when no warning appears.
Why Your QR Code Will Not Scan (and How to Fix It)
A QR code needs a blank border (the quiet zone) on every side. Re-take the screenshot with a little extra space, or crop to it with the image crop tool.
A tiny or compressed thumbnail may not have enough pixels. Use the original file, and retake photos in good light while holding the camera steady.
Pale foregrounds, gradients and busy backgrounds make codes harder to detect. Light-on-dark codes are tried automatically, but strong contrast always helps.
Reflections on glossy paper, screens or bottles break the pattern. Tilt the code slightly or turn off the torch.
QR codes tolerate some damage, but a large tear, a fold through the corner squares or a big logo can make them unreadable.
Barcodes on products, Data Matrix and Aztec codes look similar but use different formats that this reader does not decode. The Barcode Reader reads them.
Codes inside a PDF? Convert the page to an image with PDF to PNG, then upload it here. iPhone photo in HEIC format? Convert it first with HEIC to JPG.
Common Reasons to Read a QR Code Online
A code received in a chat, email or social post cannot be scanned by pointing a camera at the same screen.
Pull a link or WiFi password out of a code on a flyer or slide without reaching for your phone.
Verify what a QR code you printed or generated really contains before it goes to press.
Read the hidden address from an unexpected code first, then decide whether to visit it.
Turn a business-card or invitation code into a .vcf or .ics file you can import.
If you have the join-network code but forgot the password, the reader shows it so you can share it another way.
How QR Code Reading Works
From picture to text
Every QR code has three large square "finder patterns" in its corners. A reader looks for those squares to work out where the code is, how it is rotated and how big each cell is. It then samples the grid cell by cell, turns dark and light cells into bits, and uses built-in error correction to repair damaged or hidden areas before converting the result into text.
What happens in your browser
When the browser supports the native BarcodeDetector API, this page uses it first because it is fast and can find several codes at once. Where it is missing, or when it finds nothing, the page falls back to jsQR, an open-source JavaScript decoder. For uploaded images the reader also tries a few different sizes and both normal and inverted colours, which rescues many small or light-on-dark codes. All of this runs locally in your browser, so the image itself is never uploaded.
Camera access
Live scanning uses your browser's camera permission and works only on secure (https) pages, which this site is. The camera stops as soon as a code is read, when you press Stop, when you switch tabs, or when you leave the page. If permission is denied, reset it in the address-bar site settings or use image upload instead.
Static codes and what a reader can tell you
A reader shows what is encoded in the pattern. For a "dynamic" QR code from a subscription service, that is only a redirect address on the provider's server. The reader will show that address, but not the final destination it later forwards to, and cannot tell you whether the provider will change it. Codes made with the CleanPDF QR code generator are static, so what you read is exactly what they contain.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I read a QR code online?
Upload an image that contains the code, paste a screenshot with Ctrl+V, or switch to the camera tab and hold the code in front of your webcam or phone camera. The decoded content appears on the right, sorted by type, and nothing opens until you choose to.
Can I scan a QR code from an image or screenshot?
Yes. Choose Upload image, drag a file onto the box, or paste a screenshot. This is the only way to read a code that is already on your screen, because a phone camera cannot scan the screen it is running on.
Is this QR code reader free?
Yes. There is no account, no scan limit, no watermark and no paid tier.
Is my image or camera feed uploaded anywhere?
No. Decoding runs in JavaScript inside your browser tab. Uploaded images and camera frames are processed on your device and are not sent to a server.
Can I scan a QR code with my laptop webcam?
Yes. Open the Use camera tab, press Start camera and allow access. On a laptop it uses the webcam; on a phone it prefers the rear camera, and a camera picker appears if the device has more than one.
Do I need to install an app?
No. The reader works in current versions of Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox on desktop and mobile. Camera scanning needs a secure https connection and your permission.
Which kinds of QR codes can it read?
Any standard QR code. It recognises website links, WiFi logins, contact cards (vCard), calendar events, email, phone and SMS links, WhatsApp links, map locations, UPI and cryptocurrency payment requests, authenticator setup codes and plain text.
Can it read several QR codes in one image?
Yes. When an image contains more than one QR code, each is decoded and listed separately. You can also select or drop several image files at once.
Why can't the reader find my QR code?
Common causes are a cropped image with no blank border around the code, low resolution or blur, very low contrast, glare, or damage. Try the original file, crop with some white space around the code, or retake the photo in better light. It also cannot read product barcodes or non-QR formats.
Is it safe to scan a QR code from an unknown source?
Treat it like an unknown link. Reading the code here first lets you see the destination before opening it. Be cautious with shortened links, plain http addresses, look-alike domains, and any code that asks for passwords or payment. The reader highlights some of these patterns, but a missing warning does not prove a link is safe.
Can it read a QR code inside a PDF?
Not directly. Convert the PDF page to an image first, for example with the PDF to PNG tool, then upload that image to the reader.
Can it read a WiFi QR code and show the password?
Yes. For a WiFi code it shows the network name, security type and password, and offers buttons to copy them. This only works for codes that actually contain the password in text form.
Why does the camera not start?
Usually the browser permission was blocked, another app is using the camera, or the page is not on https. Allow camera access in the site settings from the address bar, close other apps using the camera, and try again. Image upload works without any camera.
Can it read barcodes like EAN or UPC?
No. This tool is built for QR codes only. Product barcodes (EAN, UPC, Code 128), Data Matrix and Aztec codes use different formats. To read them, use the Barcode Reader.
What is the difference between a QR code reader and a generator?
A reader decodes an existing code into the text it contains. A generator creates a new code from text you provide. CleanPDF offers both: use the free QR code generator to create codes and this reader to check them.
Which image formats are supported?
JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP, SVG and AVIF work in most browsers. HEIC photos from iPhones only open in Safari, so convert them to JPG first with the HEIC to JPG tool.