How to Read a QR Code From a Picture or Screenshot
QR codes are now a favourite trick for scammers: a sticker over the real payment code at a parking meter, a "KYC update" code in a WhatsApp forward, a fake restaurant menu link that asks for card details. The problem is you can't read a QR code with your eyes. QR code reader reads codes from the camera or an image and shows you where a link really goes, with warnings, before you open anything.
Steps
- Press Start camera and allow access, or choose a picture, or paste a screenshot.
- Hold the code inside the frame. It decodes on its own, usually within a second.
- Read the result. For links, check the domain and any warnings before pressing Open.
- Copy the text, save a contact card, or revisit Recent scans.
The safety checks
The reader never opens a link by itself. For links it shows:
- the real site name, clearly separated from the rest of the URL;
- lookalike international domains decoded, so a domain using Cyrillic letters that resemble Latin ones doesn't fool you;
- warnings for link shorteners (you can't see the final destination), bare IP addresses, unencrypted http links, and words like login or KYC in the domain, a common scam signal.
It can't prove a site is safe. The rule is simple: open the link only if the domain is the one you expected. A code on an SBI poster should go to an sbi.co.in address, not something like sbi-kyc-update.example.
Reading from screenshots
Someone sends a QR code on WhatsApp, and you're viewing it on the same phone. You can't point your camera at your own screen. Take a screenshot, open the reader, and use Paste image (or Ctrl+V / ⌘V), or choose the file. It's read right in the tab.
Wi-Fi and contacts
Wi-Fi codes show the network name and password, handy when your device won't auto-join or you need to type the password into a laptop. Contact cards can be saved straight to your contacts.
Product barcodes
In Chrome and Edge (Android and desktop), the page uses the browser's built-in barcode detector, which also reads EAN-13, UPC, Code 128 and other formats. Other browsers read QR codes only.
Scan history
The last 20 scans are kept in this browser so you can find that Wi-Fi password or link again. Wi-Fi passwords are never stored in history. Untick Keep scan history or press Clear history whenever you like.
Situations where this helps
- Payment codes in public places: check the payee before paying, and compare it with what the shop told you.
- Codes in unexpected messages or letters, especially those claiming to be from banks, courier companies or tax offices.
- Restaurant menus: see that the link goes to the restaurant's or a known menu service's domain.
- Event tickets and boarding passes: quickly see what's encoded.
- Posters and flyers: look for a sticker pasted over the original code, a common trick for swapping in a different link.
Privacy
The page says camera frames and pictures are decoded in the tab and never uploaded. Recent scans live only in this browser. Google ads appear on the page, as on the rest of the site.
FAQ
Do I need to press a button to scan? No, it checks several frames per second and shows the result automatically.
Is it safe to open the link? The page flags common tricks, but only open it if the domain is what you expect.
Can it read product barcodes? In Chrome and Edge, yes. Other browsers read QR only.
How do I scan a screenshot? Paste it, or choose the file.
Check before you tap: scan with QR code reader.
— Alok Kumar Singh