Scan a QR code from an image.
Drop in a screenshot or a photo and read what the code actually says, before you decide whether to follow it. Free, no account, and the image never leaves your device.
Drop a QR code image here
or paste a screenshot with Ctrl/Cmd + V
The image is read on your device. It is never uploaded.
Check the destination
What does this QR code link to?
Add an image above to see the encoded text before opening anything. If the result is a URL, read the domain and decide whether you recognize it.
A dynamic code can contain a short redirect URL instead of the final website address. This scanner reads what is in the image; it does not follow that redirect, check the website for threats, or guarantee where a link will eventually take you. Some codes contain plain text, contact information, or Wi-Fi details instead of a web link.
Try the workflow with our sample QR codes and their stated destination.
How it works
Three steps, none of them a signup.
A camera scanner points at the world. This one points at a file you already have, which is the situation most people are actually in.
Add the image
Drag a file in, paste a screenshot, or pick one from your device. Screenshots are the common case and they work as well as photos.
Read the result
The decoded text appears underneath, whether it is a link, Wi-Fi details, a phone number, or plain text. Nothing opens on its own.
Decide what to do with it
Copy it, or open it once you have read the destination. Checking the domain before you follow it takes a second and is the whole reason to decode rather than scan blind.
Your image stays on your device
Most online QR scanners upload your image to a server, decode it there, and send the answer back. That means a file you may not own, possibly containing someone else’s Wi-Fi password or a private link, sitting on a machine you know nothing about.
This one decodes in the page. The image is painted to a canvas in your own browser and read there. No upload, no server round trip, nothing stored. It is also why the tool keeps working with the tab offline.
The same rule governs the rest of what we build, which we wrote down in the privacy promise.
Scanner FAQ
Common questions.
What does this QR code link to?
Upload or paste an image into the scanner to read the text encoded in the QR code without opening it. If it contains a URL, check the domain before following it. A dynamic QR may encode a redirect address rather than the final destination; this tool decodes the image and does not follow redirects or certify a site's safety.
How do I scan a QR code from an image?
Drop the image onto this page, paste a screenshot with Ctrl+V or Cmd+V, or pick a file. The code is read in your browser and the text it contains appears underneath. It works on a screenshot, a photo of a printed code, or a saved PNG.
Can I scan a QR code without a camera?
Yes, and that is what this page is for. A phone camera needs the code in front of it. If the code is already on your screen, in a PDF, or in a photo you were sent, an image scanner reads it directly and you never have to point one screen at another.
Is this QR scanner free?
Yes. No account, no ads, no scan limit, and no watermark on anything. There is nothing to sign up for because there is nothing being stored.
Is it safe to scan an unknown QR code here?
Safer than scanning it with your camera, because nothing opens automatically. You see the decoded text first and decide whether to follow it. That is the useful habit: a link inside a QR code gets none of the scrutiny you would give the same link in an email.
Does my image get uploaded?
No. The image is read on your device, drawn to a canvas in the page and decoded there. No upload, no server round trip, and nothing kept afterwards. Close the tab and there is no trace of it anywhere.
Why does it say no QR code found?
Usually one of three things: the code is cropped so one of the corner squares is missing, the image is too small or too blurry for the modules to separate, or glare is washing part of it out. A tighter crop that includes the whole code plus a little margin fixes most of them.
Need to make one instead?
The generator is free too, including 15 dynamic codes you can repoint after they are printed.