Read a QR code from an image

When you cannot just point a phone at it

QR codes are made to be scanned with a phone, but there are plenty of times when that does not work: the code is in a screenshot, a PDF or an email on your computer, it arrived as an attachment, it is printed on something you have only a photo of, or you would simply rather read it on a bigger screen. This tool reads a QR code from an image on your device and tells you what is inside, without sending the image anywhere.

Three ways to give it the code

• Upload or drop a file: a screenshot, a photo or any picture that contains a QR code.
• Paste an image: copy a screenshot to the clipboard and press Ctrl+V (Cmd+V on a Mac) on this page.
• Use the camera: point your computer's or phone's camera at a code; it stops as soon as it reads one.

What you get

The content is shown as text and, when it has a recognisable structure, explained: a web address with its site and path separated, a Wi-Fi network with its name, password and security type, a contact card with its fields, an email, a phone number, an SMS, a map location or a SEPA bank transfer. You can copy the content in one click.

Read it before you trust it

Opening a link from a QR code is like clicking a link in an unsolicited message. Criminals stick fake codes over real ones on parking meters, posters and restaurant tables, and codes can point at shortened links that hide the real destination. For that reason this tool never opens a link by itself. It shows the website name in plain sight, flags the usual warning signs (a shortened link, an unencrypted http address, look-alike domain names, an IP number instead of a name) and leaves you to decide.

Tips for a good read

The code should be sharp, reasonably large in the image and not covered by glare or a logo. Cropping the image around the code helps. If a picture fails, try a screenshot at a larger size or take a photo straight on rather than at an angle. The tool tries the image at several sizes and with inverted colors, since some codes are light on dark.

What it does not do

It reads standard QR codes, not other types of barcode, and cannot read a damaged code beyond what the error correction recovers. It does not check that a link is safe or that a payment recipient is legitimate. To make a code, use the QR code generator.