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QR Code Scanner
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About QR Code Scanner

A free QR code scanner that runs in your browser. Point your camera at a code or give it an image, and it shows you what the code says before anything happens.

That is the whole product. There is no account, app, or browser extension to install, and no ads or analytics. It reads a QR code, works out what kind of content it holds, and offers the actions that make sense for that content.

Why it exists

Scanning a QR code should take a second. Many online scanners make it harder than that: they upload your image to a server, surround the result with ads, or bury it behind a sign-up or an extra page.

The built-in tools leave gaps too. A phone camera cannot read a code that is already on the phone's screen, such as a screenshot or a code in an email. Most laptops and desktops have no QR scanner at all. QR Code Scanner covers those cases in any modern browser, on any device.

How it works

  1. The code is decoded on your device. When your browser has a built-in barcode reader (the BarcodeDetector API), the scanner uses it. Otherwise it uses jsQR, an open-source decoder, running in a Web Worker so the page stays responsive. Camera frames and images are processed in memory and never uploaded.
  2. The content is recognized. A QR code holds text. The scanner checks that text for known formats, such as a web link, Wi-Fi details, an email, a phone number, a text message, a contact card, a location, or a calendar event, and shows it in a readable card. Anything else is shown as plain text.
  3. You decide what to open. Links show the full address and the host so you can check them first, with a warning when a link does not use HTTPS. Nothing opens automatically, and other link types, such as javascript:, data:, or app links, are shown as text and never opened.

Our principles

Nothing is uploaded

Camera frames and images are decoded in your browser. The content of a code is never sent to us or to anyone else.

Nothing is tracked

No accounts, ads, analytics, or cookies. Your theme and, if you keep it on, a short scan history are saved only in your browser.

Nothing opens by itself

Every result waits for you. You see the full link and its host before you choose to open it, and unusual link types are never opened.

Nothing is gated

No sign-up, no waiting screen, and no paid tier. Camera scanning, image scanning, and every result action are free for everyone.

The limits, plainly

  • QR codes only. Product barcodes and other kinds of 2D codes are not read.
  • One code per scan. If an image or the camera view contains several codes, the scanner reads one. To read a different one, crop the image or move the camera so only that code is in view.
  • The camera needs HTTPS and your permission. Browsers only allow camera access on secure pages, and only after you agree. If you would rather not allow it, Image mode works without the camera.
  • Some codes are too damaged or too small. Heavy blur, glare, torn print, or a code only a few pixels wide may not decode. The troubleshooting guide has fixes to try.
  • Browsers cannot join Wi-Fi networks. The scanner shows the network name and password and lets you copy it, but you connect from your device's settings. The Wi-Fi guide explains how.
  • We cannot tell you whether a link is safe. The scanner shows exactly where a link goes, but it does not check the destination. The QR code safety guide covers the warning signs.

Open-source credits

QR Code Scanner is built with the help of these open-source projects:

  • jsQR, the QR code decoder used when the browser has no built-in one, released under the Apache License 2.0.
  • Lucide, the icon set, released under the ISC License.
  • Geist, the typeface, released under the SIL Open Font License.

Questions

The FAQ answers common questions, and our guides cover how to scan QR codes, Wi-Fi codes, and staying safe. If yours is not covered, get in touch, or go back to the scanner.