Yes, you can scan a QR code from a picture. Open the image in your phone's photo app or in Google Lens, and tap the link that appears on the code. It works for screenshots, saved photos and images in messages or emails, with no QR app needed.
Here are the steps for each device.
The quickest way on each device
| Device | Quickest way |
|---|---|
| iPhone | Open the image in Photos and tap the link or Live Text button on the code |
| Android | Open the image in Google Photos and tap Lens |
| Mac | Open the image in Chrome and choose Search with Google Lens, or Control-click the code in Photos or Preview |
| Windows PC or laptop | Open the image in Chrome and choose Search with Google Lens |
| QR code on a computer screen | Point your phone camera at the screen |
How to scan a QR code from a photo on iPhone
With the Photos app
- 1
Open the screenshot or photo in the Photos app.
- 2
When iPhone recognises the code, a link or the Live Text button appears. Touch and hold the QR code, or tap the Live Text button.
- 3
Tap the link to open it.
If nothing appears, zoom in so the code fills more of the screen, or try Google Lens below.
With Google Lens on iPhone
- 1
Open the Google app and tap the Lens icon in the search bar.
- 2
Tap the photo icon and choose the screenshot or picture.
- 3
Tap the link that Lens finds in the code.
Scanning with the camera instead? See how to scan a QR code on iPhone.
How to scan a QR code from a picture on Android
With Google Photos
- 1
Open the image in Google Photos.
- 2
Tap Lens at the bottom of the screen.
- 3
Tap the link that appears on the code.
With the Google Lens app or Google app
- 1
Open Google Lens, or the Google app and tap the Lens icon.
- 2
Tap the gallery icon and choose your image.
- 3
Tap the link Lens finds.
Many Android phones also have a Lens or scan option in their own gallery app. To scan a code in front of you instead, open the Camera app, or on Pixel phones use the Scan QR code tile in Quick Settings, as described in Google's Pixel help.
How to scan a QR code from a screenshot
A screenshot is just a picture, so the steps above work for it too:
- 1
Take the screenshot with the whole QR code visible.
- 2
Crop it so the code fills most of the image. This helps the scanner find it.
- 3
Open it in Photos (iPhone), Google Photos (Android) or Google Lens, and tap the link.
This is the easiest way to open a QR code that someone sent you in a chat or email, or one shown in an app on your own phone.
How to scan a QR code on a Mac or MacBook
With Google Lens in Chrome
- 1
Open the image in Chrome, or find it on a web page.
- 2
Right-click the image and choose Search with Google Lens.
- 3
Open the link Lens shows for the code.
Google says Google must be your default search engine in Chrome for this to work (Chrome Help).
With Photos or Preview
On recent versions of macOS, Live Text can find links in images. Open the image in Photos or Preview, Control-click the code or link, and choose Open Link (Apple's Photos guide). If no link option appears, use Chrome instead.
How to scan a QR code on a Windows PC or laptop
- 1
Open the image in Chrome. You can drag the file into a Chrome window.
- 2
Right-click the image and choose Search with Google Lens.
- 3
Open the link Lens finds for the code.
For a QR code shown on a web page, right-click the page and choose Search this tab with Google Lens, then select the code.
Use a free online QR code scanner
Websites that read a QR code from an uploaded image also work on any device with a browser: upload the picture and the site shows the link. Only use them for codes that do not contain private information, because the image is uploaded to someone else's server. For codes from work, banking or sign-in screens, use the built-in tools above instead.
How to scan a QR code on your computer screen with your phone
If the code is on your laptop or monitor and you want to open it on your phone, point your phone camera at the screen, just like a printed code. On iPhone, open the Camera app or Scan Code in Control Center (Apple Support). On Android, open the Camera app or Google Lens.
Turn the screen brightness up and tilt the phone slightly if there is glare.
QR code in a picture won't scan? Try these fixes
- Use the original image. A photo of a photo, or a picture that was compressed in a chat app, can lose detail. Ask for the original file.
- Crop and zoom in. The code should fill most of the image, with a little white space around it.
- Include the whole code. All three large corner squares must be in the picture.
- Avoid blur and glare. If you are taking the picture yourself, hold still and avoid reflections.
- Try another tool. If Photos does not find it, try Google Lens, or the other way round.
- The code may be too small or damaged. See how small a QR code can be.
Check the link before you open it
Whichever tool you use, it shows you the link before anything opens. Check that the web address looks right. Our guide to whether QR code business cards are safe explains what a QR code can and cannot do.
Got a business card QR code in a photo? Save the contact
If someone sends you a picture of their business card or badge, scan the QR code with the steps above. A digital business card opens in your browser with a Save contact button, and a vCard QR code opens the contact details directly.
For the rest of the card, the text itself, see how to scan a business card with your phone. To give people a code that saves your details in one tap, see how a QR business card works.
iPhone, Mac and MacBook are trademarks of Apple Inc. Android, Google Lens and Chrome are trademarks of Google LLC. ConnectMachine is not affiliated with either.
