Add your input
An image of a QR code, or your camera.
Scan & share
QR code scanner
See where a code leads before you follow it.
Privacy built inYour work stays with you
You can also paste an image.
Choose an image or start the camera.
Your work stays private in your browser while you use this tool.
What does qr code scanner do?
The QR code scanner decodes a code from an uploaded image, a pasted image, or your camera, and shows you the content before you act on it. A decoded link is never opened automatically: the destination is displayed and opening stays an explicit choice, because a QR code is an input you cannot read before you scan it.
- Input
- An image of a QR code, or your camera.
- Result
- The decoded content, with links shown before opening.
- Price
- Free
- Account
- Not required
How to use qr code scanner
Choose your settings
See where a code leads before you follow it.
Save or copy
The decoded content, with links shown before opening.
A practical tip
A scanned link is never opened automatically — you see the destination first.
When to use qr code scanner
Check where a QR code on a poster or menu actually leads before visiting it.
Read the Wi-Fi network and password stored in a code without joining.
Recover the contents of a code from a screenshot someone sent you.
Worked example
A concrete qr code scanner example
- Input
- A photo of a poster QR code
- Result
- The decoded URL shown in full, identified as a link, with an explicit Open action beside it.
What to expect
How it works
Decoding runs in the page with a bundled ZXing decoder rather than relying on the native BarcodeDetector API, which is not Baseline and is missing from desktop Safari and most Firefox builds. The decoded text is classified into a payload kind — link, Wi-Fi, contact, email, SMS, event, or plain text — so you know what you are looking at. Camera scanning starts only after you ask for it, and every media track is stopped when scanning stops, the source changes, or you leave the page.
Know before using
Limits and edge cases
- Only http and https links are offered as openable. A decoded javascript:, data:, or file: URL is shown as text and never turned into a clickable link.
- A blurred, cropped, low-contrast, or heavily angled photo may not decode. Codes damaged beyond their error-correction capacity cannot be recovered.
Standards and sources
Common questions
QR code scanner FAQ
Is qr code scanner free to use?
Yes. QR code scanner is free to use.
Does qr code scanner keep my work private?
Yes. Your work stays private while you use the tool — nothing you enter is uploaded.
Why does the scanner not just open the link it finds?
Because you cannot read a QR code before you scan it. Opening a decoded link automatically is precisely how a malicious code works, so the destination is shown first and opening remains your decision.
Is the camera left running after I stop scanning?
No. Every media track is stopped when you stop scanning, when you switch source, and when you navigate away. Your browser's camera indicator turning off is the confirmation.