How to Scan a QR Code From a Screenshot or Photo
A surprising number of QR codes arrive on your screen — in an email, a chat message, a PDF ticket, or a website you’re already viewing on the same phone. You can’t point your camera at your own screen easily, so here’s what to do instead.
On iPhone
- Photos app: open the screenshot in Photos. If iOS detects a code, a small icon appears in the bottom corner — tap it. You can also tap the Live Text / data-detector button.
- No icon? Upload the image to our online QR scanner and it decodes instantly in the browser.
On Android
- Google Lens: open the screenshot in Google Photos, tap the Lens icon, and Lens reads the code.
- Google Lens from Search also lets you pick an image from your gallery.
On a computer
Desktop browsers don’t have a camera pointed at codes, so the easiest route is to upload the image file:
- Open the QR code scanner.
- Choose Upload an image or screenshot.
- The decoded text — link, Wi-Fi details, contact, and more — appears right away.
Because decoding happens entirely on your device, it’s safe for tickets, payment codes and private links.
Why our scanner is private
Many “online scanners” upload your image to their servers. Ours uses your browser’s built-in barcode detection (with a JavaScript fallback), so the screenshot never leaves your device.
Scanning a lot of codes on the go? Our free iOS app reads codes straight from screenshots too. And if you need to make a code, try the QR code generator or a WiFi QR code.