QR code content inspector

Look before you scan and tap

A QR code is a blind link: you cannot read where it goes until you have already gone there. That is exactly what scammers exploit. They put a sticker over a genuine code on a parking meter, a charging point, a restaurant table or a poster, so that people land on a page that copies a real payment or login form. The habit that protects you is to look at where a code leads before opening it. This inspector lets you do that.

What it shows

• The real website of a link, separated from the path, so that you can judge it by the part that counts: the last two parts of the host name.
• Warnings for shortened links, which hide the destination; for addresses with http instead of https; for domains built with look-alike letters (xn--); for links that use a bare IP number; and for addresses with a user name or password in them.
• The fields of other kinds of content: the Wi-Fi name and password, the details of a contact, the recipient and amount of a bank transfer, the number of a phone call.

Signs that a QR code is not what it seems

A sticker that looks like it has been placed over another, a code that asks you to pay or log in when you expected information, a link that goes to a site with a slightly different name from the business, and a page that pushes you to install an app or enter a card number in a hurry are all reasons to stop. If the address shown here does not match the business you expected, do not continue.

Ways of getting the code in

Drop or upload an image, paste a screenshot with Ctrl+V or scan with the device's camera. The image is analysed in your browser, and the camera feed is not recorded or sent. The tool tries several sizes and inverted colors to read difficult codes.

What it does not do

It does not know whether a website is malicious: it only shows you what the code says and points out the warning signs. It cannot follow a shortened link to reveal its destination without visiting it, which it will not do for you. If in doubt, do not open it and ask the person or business that gave you the code. To make your own codes, use the QR code generator.