How to scan a QR code

Most phones scan QR codes with the camera they already have, so there's no app to install. Point the camera, wait a moment, and tap the link that appears. Here's how on each kind of device, and what to do when a code is in a screenshot or nothing happens.

On an iPhone

With the Camera app:

1. Open Camera.
2. In Photo mode, hold the iPhone so the QR code appears in the frame.
3. Tap the link that appears at the bottom of the screen.

With the Code Scanner in Control Center:

1. Open Control Center and tap Scan Code.
2. If you don't see it, touch and hold the background of Control Center, tap Add a Control, then tap Scan Code in the gallery.
3. Hold the iPhone so the code appears on the screen, then tap the link. In dim light, tap the flashlight.

On an Android phone

Menus differ a little from phone to phone. These are Google's steps for Pixel phones and for Chrome.

With the Camera app:

1. Open Camera and point it at the code.
2. Wait a moment. The camera shows a bubble or a link.
3. Tap the link.

If nothing appears, check the camera's settings for Camera scan suggestions and turn it on. You can also swipe down from the top of the screen, and tap Scan QR code in Quick Settings.

With Google Lens in Chrome: open a new tab, tap Google Lens in the search bar, then Search with your camera. Put the code in the box and tap the link.

A code in a screenshot or photo

Neither Apple nor Google gives official steps for opening a QR code that's inside a screenshot. Two things to try:

• On Android, open Google Lens from the Google search bar and choose the screenshot under Screenshots. If Lens recognizes the code, tap its link.
• On any phone, show the picture on another screen, such as a laptop or a friend's phone, and scan it with your camera as usual. Keep the code sharp and large enough, and try scanning it with your camera.

On a computer

On Windows, open the Camera app, select the Barcode button on the right, and hold the code in front of the camera. When it reads a QR code, a link appears at the bottom. Select it.

On a Mac, Apple doesn't document a QR scanner. The easy way is to scan the code with your phone.

If the code is on your computer's screen, scan the screen with your phone.

If nothing happens, and before you open the link

If nothing happens: move closer or farther, so the whole code fills about half the screen. Add light, wipe the lens, and keep the phone still. If it still won't scan, the code may be printed too small, too faint or without its border. See why a QR code won't scan.

Before you tap the link, read the address your phone shows. Is it the business you expect? Be careful with a sticker placed over another code, or a code that asks you to sign in or pay. If an ovbq code sent you somewhere harmful, please report it.

Want your own code? Make a free QR code, with no sign-up.

Related: Why a QR code won't scan · Why a QR code stopped working · Help

More guides