Scan QR codes on your computer without an app
Most QR codes you meet on a PC are on the screen itself: in an email, a PDF, a web page, a video call or a login prompt. Holding your phone up to the monitor works, but then the link is on the wrong device. This QR code scanner for PC reads the code where it is, on the computer you are using.
It also works with a laptop webcam or USB webcam for codes on paper, cards and packaging. Everything is read in your browser, and images and video never leave your device.
Typical examples: a Wi-Fi code on a router label, a link in a slide deck during a meeting, a ticket or boarding pass in an email, or a photo of a poster a colleague sent you. The same page works on Windows, ChromeOS, Linux and macOS, in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and other modern browsers.
How to scan a QR code on a laptop or desktop
- Press Windows + Shift + S and drag a box around the QR code. On a Chromebook, press Ctrl + Shift + Show windows.
- Open this page and press Ctrl+V to paste the screenshot into the scanner.
- Read the result, then copy it or open the link after the safety check.
- For a printed code, choose the camera option, allow access, and hold the code about 15 to 25 cm from the webcam.
Built-in options on Windows and Chromebook
Windows 11's Camera app has a scanning mode that can read QR codes through the webcam. It is handy for paper codes, but it cannot read a code that is already on your screen. ChromeOS's Camera app also has a Scan mode that detects QR codes.
Use NeoReader when the code is in a screenshot, image file or document, when you need a barcode read as well, or when you want the link checked before it opens.
Scan every code on a web page
If you often meet QR codes in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, the free NeoReader QR browser extension scans every QR code and barcode visible on the current page in one click, including ones in images, canvases and videos. You can also drag to select an area.
Tips for webcam scanning
- Light the code from the front, not from behind.
- Laptop webcams have fixed focus, so move the code further away if it looks blurry.
- Mirrored previews are fine. The scanner reads codes either way round.
- Wi-Fi QR codes show the network name and password, so you can connect a laptop that has no camera app.
- If the camera will not start, check that no other app, such as a video call, is using it, and that the browser has camera permission.
