On iPhone: use the Photos app
The Photos app can read a QR code that sits inside a picture. You do not need to install anything.
- Open the screenshot or the photo in Photos.
- Press and hold the code, or tap the Live Text button in the corner of the picture.
- Tap the link or the action that appears.
If nothing appears, the picture may be too small or too blurry. Zoom in on the code and try again. The next section shows a second way.
This method is quick for one code. It does not keep a record of what you scanned, and it does not check the link for you. For a code from a person you do not know, use a method that shows the full address first.
On iPhone: use QR Code Scanner
A scanner app gives you more control. You see the content of the code first, and you decide what to do with it. Our app reads a code from your photo library in four steps.
- Open QR Code Scanner. Start the app on your iPhone.
- Choose the photo option. On the scanner screen, tap the button that opens your photo library.
- Pick the image. Select the screenshot or the photo that has the code.
- Read the result. Check the link in the preview before you open it.
The app saves the result in your scan history, so you can find the link again later. Free includes scanning. The link safety check is part of Pro, which starts with a 3-day free trial.
On Android: use Google Lens
Android phones have a built-in way to read a code from an image. Use Google Lens.
- Open the image in Google Photos and tap Lens. Lens finds the code and shows the link.
- Or open Lens in the Google app, pick the image from your gallery, and tap the link.
Many scanner apps can also read an image from your gallery. If you want an app made for scanning, see QR code scanner for Android.
On a computer
A code on a web page or in a PDF is easy to read with a phone. You have two options.
- Send the image to your phone, for example by email or a message to yourself. Then use one of the methods above.
- In Chrome, right-click the image and search it with Google Lens. Lens shows the link that the code holds.
When the image does not scan
Most failures have a simple cause. Check these points first.
- Crop the picture close to the code, but keep the white border around it. The border helps the reader find the edges.
- Use the original image. A copy that a chat app compressed can lose the small squares.
- Make sure the whole code is in the image. A code with a missing corner does not scan.
- Try a normal black-on-white version. A dark-mode (inverted) code can fail in some readers.
On a phone with a small screen, a code in an email or on a web page can be very small. Pinch to zoom before you take the screenshot. A larger code gives the reader more detail to work with.
A small screenshot of a code is hard to read. Open the code at full size first, then take the screenshot.
Common mistakes
- A blurry screenshot of a screenshot. Each copy loses detail. Go back to the first image.
- Half of the code is off the edge. Take the screenshot again with the full code in view.
- Opening the link without a look at the address. A code in an image can come from anyone. Read the address first. Our guide on QR code safety shows what to check.
For the basics of scanning with the camera, read how to scan QR codes on iPhone.