A QR photo scanner for pictures you already have
Phone cameras are good at codes on paper. They are not much help when the code is already on your screen: in a screenshot, a photo in your gallery, an email attachment, a PDF or a chat. That is what this page is for.
Give it any picture and it finds the QR code, even when the code is small or sits among other things. If there are several codes in one image, all of them are read. It also reads barcodes such as EAN, UPC, Code 128, Data Matrix and PDF417. The image stays on your device and is never sent to our servers.
How to scan a QR code from a picture
- Get the picture. Save the photo, or take a screenshot of the code (see below).
- Open this page and drop the image onto the scanner, tap to choose it from your gallery or files, or paste it with Ctrl+V on Windows or Cmd+V on a Mac.
- Read the result. Links are shown in full with a safety check, and text, Wi-Fi details or contacts are shown as they are.
- Copy the result or open the link once you are happy with it.
How to take a screenshot of a QR code
Cropping close to the code helps, but it is not required. A full screen or a busy photo usually works.
- iPhone: press the side button and volume up together. The screenshot goes to Photos.
- Android: press power and volume down together. Most phones save it to a Screenshots album.
- Windows: press Windows + Shift + S and drag around the code. It is copied, so you can paste it straight here.
- Mac: press Cmd + Ctrl + Shift + 4 and drag around the code to copy it, or Cmd + Shift + 4 to save it to the desktop.
- Chromebook: press Ctrl + Shift + Show windows and select the area.
When a code in a photo will not read
- Blurry or tiny: zoom in on the original and screenshot again, so the code is larger.
- Angled: photos taken from a steep angle distort the squares. Retake it straight on if you can.
- Cut off: all three corner squares and a little white border must be in the picture.
- Low contrast or glare: a reflection across the code can hide part of it. Try another photo.
- Damaged: QR codes carry spare data and survive some damage, but not a missing corner.
Check the link before you open it
Codes shared as images are a common way to pass on scam links. Before you tap anything, NeoReader shows the destination and warns about look-alike brand domains, hidden redirects, link shorteners, bare IP addresses and app downloads.
