Read QR codes from screenshots and photos
Your phone's camera reads a QR code printed on a poster, but what about a QR code that is already on your screen? A payment code sent in a chat, a WiFi code in a PDF, a link in an email newsletter or a code inside a screenshot can't be pointed at with the same phone. Here you open the image and the code is read from the file.
You can open several images at once, for example a batch of screenshots, and each result is listed separately. It works on computers, where there is often no easy way to scan a QR code, and on phones.
Scan with the camera, privately
You can also use your device's camera. The browser asks for permission first, and the image is only used to find the code: it is not recorded, saved or sent anywhere. When you are done, the camera turns off.
This is useful on a laptop with a webcam, or on a phone whose camera app doesn't show the full content of a code before acting on it.
See the content before opening it
QR codes are a common way to hide a suspicious link, because you can't read the address just by looking at the code. That is why this scanner never opens anything on its own. It shows you the full content as text first. If it is a link, you get a button to open it, together with a reminder to check the address before tapping. Look at the domain carefully, especially on codes stuck over parking meters, posters or payment terminals.
If the code is a WiFi code, the scanner shows the network name and the password, which is handy when you need to type them on a device that can't scan, like a laptop, a smart TV or a printer. Contacts, emails and phone numbers are shown as text you can copy.
What it does not read
This tool reads QR codes only. It does not read barcodes such as EAN, UPC or Code 128, nor other two-dimensional codes. If the image is very blurry, too small or cut off, the code may not be found; try a sharper photo or a closer crop.
Everything happens in your browser. The images you open and what the codes contain are not uploaded or stored. It is free, with no account and no limit. If you need to make a code instead of reading one, the QR code generator creates one in PNG or SVG.