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Free QR Code Scanner Online

Scan a QR code with your phone or laptop camera, or from a screenshot or photo. Links, Wi-Fi passwords and contact cards are laid out so you can read them first. Nothing opens automatically and nothing is uploaded.

Scan with your camera

Point your camera at a QR code. Links, Wi-Fi details and contacts are laid out for you.

Your browser asks for camera access first. The video is read on your device and never uploaded.

Results

Scanned QR codes appear here. Links are shown, never opened automatically.

Tracking equipment? In Shelf, every asset gets its own QR code, and existing barcodes can be added with the Alternative Barcodes add-on.

What the scanner shows you

A QR code is just text. The scanner works out what kind of text it is and lays it out, so you know what a code does before you act on it.

Links

The domain is shown large, with the full address underneath. Links open only when you click Open link.

Wi-Fi

Network name, security type and password. The password stays hidden until you tap Show, and has its own Copy button.

Contacts

vCard and MECARD contact codes are laid out as name, company, phone numbers and email addresses.

Email, phone and SMS

See the address or number (and any subject or message) first, then use Write email or Call if you want to.

Locations

Map codes (geo:) show the latitude and longitude rather than jumping into a maps app.

Plain text and other codes

Anything else is shown as text you can copy, including serial numbers on asset tags and 1D barcodes.

How to scan a QR code on iPhone, Android or a laptop

iPhone

The built-in Camera app reads QR codes: point it at the code and tap the link that appears. To see what a code contains before opening it, or to read one from a screenshot, open this page in Safari and use Start camera or Image.

Android

Many Android phones read QR codes from the camera app or Google Lens. In Chrome, open this page and tap Start camera, or switch to Image to read a screenshot or a photo from your gallery.

Laptop or desktop

Click Start camera, allow webcam access and hold the code up to the webcam. For a QR code on your screen, such as in an email or a PDF, take a screenshot and drop it on the Image tab.

Is it safe to open a QR code link?

Scanning a QR code is harmless; the risk is where the link sends you. Fake codes stuck on parking meters, posters or sent in emails can lead to look-alike login or payment pages. Before you open a link:

  • Check the domain (shown in bold above the full address) is the site you expect.
  • Look for misspellings, extra words or unusual endings in the domain.
  • Be careful with shortened links, which hide the real destination.
  • Don't enter a password or card details on a page you reached from a code you don't trust.

This scanner never opens a link by itself. You see the full address first and open it only by clicking Open link. Domains written with international characters, which can imitate familiar names, get a warning.

FAQ

How do I scan a QR code online?

Open this page, tap Start camera, allow camera access and point the camera at the QR code. The result appears in the list next to the camera. To read a QR code from a screenshot or photo instead, switch to Image and choose or drop the file.

Can I scan a QR code from an image or screenshot?

Yes. Switch to Image and choose or drag in one or more PNG, JPG or WebP files. Each image is read for one code, and every result is added to the same list.

Is it free, and do I need an app?

It's free, with no signup and no app to install. It runs in your web browser on iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows or Linux.

Is my data uploaded anywhere?

No. The QR code is decoded in your browser. Camera video, images and the decoded text stay on your device, and the list is gone when you close the page unless you copy or download it.

Can it read Wi-Fi QR codes?

Yes. For a Wi-Fi QR code it shows the network name, the security type and the password, which stays hidden until you tap Show. A web page can't join a Wi-Fi network for you, so copy the password and paste it into your Wi-Fi settings.

Why won't my QR code scan?

Glare, blur and distance cause most failures. Hold the code flat, fill most of the frame and move back a little if the picture is blurry, since phone cameras can't focus very close. A damaged or partly covered code, or a very small code in a large photo, may not read at all; crop the photo around the code and try again. For a blurry, dark or engraved code, the blurry QR code reader explains each cause and how to retake the photo.

Can I scan many QR codes and export them?

Yes. Keep pointing the camera at one code after another; each new code is added to the list with its format and time. Skip duplicates (on by default) ignores codes already in the list. Download CSV saves code, format and scanned_at columns for Excel or Google Sheets.

Does it read other barcodes too?

Yes. Besides QR codes it reads Data Matrix, Aztec and PDF417, plus 1D barcodes such as UPC, EAN, Code 39, Code 128 and ITF. The barcode scanner page covers those formats in more detail.

QR codes for your equipment

Shelf gives every asset its own QR code. Scanning it in the Shelf web app or the free Shelf Companion app opens the asset, so your team can see who has it and where it is. Print the codes with the free asset label designer.

CES Utility Solutions
Fabel Film
HAARP
ResQ
Eastern Michigan University
Purdue University — School of Aviation and Transportation Technology
Universal Music
Nokia
Virgin Hyperloop
British Airways
Chicago Bulls
Arup
Feadship Royal Dutch Shipyards
Berkeley University of California
Florida State University
Sea Shepherd
Sunrun
Laerdal Medical
AK Film It!
Arcca
Arellano Associates
Berkeys
Big Slate Media
Biltmore Church
BL
Black Owl
Brunt Workwear
Capital Crewing
CBI Consultants
Classic Teleproductions
Data Plus Communications
dBs Institute
Elements Studio
Funke
FWHT
Houston Parks Board
Ideative
Kansas City Art Institute
Lifeway Mobility
London MEP
Merit Street Media
misti
niche
OCAD University
Oral Roberts University
Ovoko
Project Vision
Reason Magazine
RFD-TV News
Rise Exhibits
SCAPE Landscape Architecture
Shirogumi
Smith College
Summit
Sun Solar
The Visa
Truespeed
University of Melbourne
University of Windsor
UP TO YOU
Kent State University
University of Missouri
USS Midway Museum
Valuetainment
Village Cinemas
Volstate Community College
Wagner Meinert

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Out in the field? Shelf Companion is free on iPhone & Android.