How to scan a QR code on any phone, tablet or computer

To scan a QR code, open the Camera app on your phone, point it at the code so the whole square is on screen, and hold still for a moment. A link or button appears. Read what it says, then tap it. Recent iPhones and most recent Android phones do this with the built-in camera, so you do not need a separate app. To scan a code that is already on your screen, such as a screenshot, use Photos on an iPhone or Google Lens on Android.

How to scan a QR code on an iPhone

1. Open the Camera app from the Home Screen, the Lock Screen or Control Centre.
2. Use the rear camera in Photo mode and point it at the code. You do not need to press the shutter button.
3. Hold the phone steady until a QR code button or banner with the address appears.
4. Read the address, then tap the button to open it.

If the camera does not react, open Settings, go to Camera, and check that the option to scan QR codes is switched on. Then try again from a little further away, so the code and its white border both fit in the frame.

Use the Code Scanner in Control Centre

Recent versions of iOS also include a dedicated Code Scanner, which Apple's iPhone User Guide lists as a Control Centre option. It opens a full-screen scanner with a torch button for dim rooms, which is handy for small or awkwardly placed codes. To find it, open Control Centre and look for the Code Scanner icon. If it is not there, add it from the Control Centre editing screen, or from Settings > Control Centre on older versions. You can also find it by searching for "Code Scanner" in Spotlight.

The same steps work on an iPad. Its camera reads codes in the same way, and the Code Scanner is available in Control Centre on recent versions.

How to scan a QR code on Android

Android phones vary by maker and software version, so menu names differ. Most recent phones offer at least one of the options below.

• The Camera app. Open the camera, point it at the code and tap the link that appears. If nothing happens, open the camera settings and look for an option to scan QR codes or barcodes.
• Google Lens. Open the Google app and tap the Lens icon in the search bar, or use the Lens button that some camera apps include. Point it at the code and tap the result.
• Quick Settings. Many recent Android versions include a Scan QR code tile. Swipe down from the top of the screen to open Quick Settings. If the tile is missing, tap the edit (pencil) icon and drag it into place.
• Circle to Search. On phones that support it, press and hold the home button or the navigation handle, then circle or tap the code on screen. This reads codes inside apps, videos and web pages without a screenshot.

Older Android phones may need a scanner app. Choose a well-known one from the official app store, and avoid apps that ask for permissions a scanner should not need, such as access to your contacts.

Can you scan a QR code from a screenshot or photo?

Yes. Open the image in Photos on an iPhone, or in Google Photos with Lens on Android, and the phone reads the code from the picture. You need this because a phone cannot point its camera at its own screen. This matters when someone sends you a code in a chat or email, or when a ticket or boarding pass arrives as an image.

• On an iPhone: open the image in the Photos app. In recent versions the phone detects the code automatically. Press and hold the code, or tap the Live Text button in the corner of the photo, then tap the link that appears.
• On Android: open the image in Google Photos and tap Lens. Or open Google Lens and choose the image from your gallery.
• With Circle to Search: where available, circle the code wherever it appears on screen.
• With a second device: show the image full screen on one device and scan it with another phone.

Can you scan a QR code on a laptop or desktop?

Yes, but scanning with your phone is usually quicker. Laptops are not built for scanning. Webcams face the user and often struggle to focus on something held close. These options work best.

• Use your phone. For a code on your laptop screen, scanning it with your phone is the quickest route. Raise the screen brightness if the camera hesitates.
• Google Lens in Chrome. Right-click an image on a web page and choose to search it with Google Lens. Lens reads any QR code in the image and shows the link.
• The Windows Camera app. Recent versions of the Camera app on Windows 11 include a barcode or QR scanning option. Hold the code steady in front of the webcam, close enough to fill much of the frame.
• On a Mac, the simplest choices are your phone or Google Lens in Chrome.

What happens after you scan a QR code?

Your phone looks at the type of content in the code and offers a matching action, such as opening a web page. It always waits for you to tap before doing anything.

That pause before you tap is your chance to check where a code leads. Read the address in the preview and make sure it matches the business or organisation you expect. Our guide are QR codes safe? explains what to look for.

On many recent Android phones you can also scan a WiFi code from the WiFi settings screen. Look for a small QR icon next to the option to add a network. Android can also show a code for the network you are connected to, under the network's share option, so a friend can scan it from your screen.

WiFi codes are a good example of how much typing a scan saves. Learn how they work in our WiFi QR code guide, or make one with the free WiFi QR code generator.

Tips for a quick, reliable scan

• Frame the whole code. Include the white border around it. If you are too close, step back.
• Hold still. Give the camera a second or two to focus.
• Find better light. Move out of your own shadow, or turn on the torch.
• Avoid glare. Tilt the phone slightly if light reflects off glossy paper, glass or a screen.
• Clean the lens. A smudged lens blurs small codes.
• Try another method. If the camera fails, try the Code Scanner, Google Lens or a second phone.

If a code still will not scan, the problem may be the code rather than your phone. Work through our QR code not scanning checklist to find out why.