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Please log in with your username or email to continue. Facebook Google wikiHow Account No account yet? Create an account Browse Articles Quizzes & Games All Quizzes Hot Community Quizzes Personality Quizzes Dating Simulator Learn Something New Support wikiHow Log in / Sign up Computers and Electronics Online Communications Last Updated: February 19, 2026 Fact Checked QR Codes on Your Android QR Codes on Your iPhone Scanning in an App This article was co-authored by Luigi Oppido and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Dillon . Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over 7 years. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,800,168 times. QR codes are black and white squares that store information, such as links, phone numbers, and images. Newer smartphones have built-in QR readers right in the Camera app. If you're using a laptop or computer, ensure you have a working webcam. Before scanning any QR codes, ensure you know their sources to avoid visiting malicious websites. This wikiHow will show you how to scan a QR code using your iPhone, Android, Windows computer, or Mac computer. Ways to Scan a QR Code On a smartphone, simply open the camera app and scan the QR code. QR code scanning is a basic feature in most modern phones. You can also scan QR codes using certain apps that have dedicated QR code features. If a QR code is saved in an image on your Android, open the QR code image, long-press the home button, then circle the QR code. On an iPhone, simply long-press the image of the QR code to open it. On a Windows or Mac computer, you'll need to use your webcam. 1 Open your Camera app. Most modern phones have simplified the QR code scanning process and are set up to automatically scan QR codes when you point your camera at them. 2 Point the camera at the QR code. Make sure the code is in focus. Your phone's camera will recognize the QR code and may draw a box around it; the QR code link will also appear on the screen. Advertisement 3 Tap the QR code link. This will open the link in your phone's browser. Alternatively, you can open the QR scanner function on your phone if you'd prefer to use that over the phone's camera: iPhone: Swipe down from the upper-right corner of the screen to open the Control Center, then tap the Code Scanner button. [1] X Research source If Code Scanner isn't in your Control Center, learn how to add it with this wikiHow article. Android: Swipe down from the top of the screen to open Quick Settings, then tap on Scan QR code (Google Pixel) [2] X Research source , QR Scanner (Samsung) [3] X Research source , or something similar. Alternatively, you can open the QR scanner function on your phone if you'd prefer to use that over the phone's camera: iPhone: Swipe down from the upper-right corner of the screen to open the Control Center, then tap the Code Scanner button. [1] X Research source If Code Scanner isn't in your Control Center, learn how to add it with this wikiHow article. Android: Swipe down from the top of the screen to open Quick Settings, then tap on Scan QR code (Google Pixel) [2] X Research source , QR Scanner (Samsung) [3] X Research source , or something similar. iPhone: Swipe down from the upper-right corner of the screen to open the Control Center, then tap the Code Scanner button. [1] X Research source If Code Scanner isn't in your Control Center, learn how to add it with this wikiHow article. If Code Scanner isn't in your Control Center, learn how to add it with this wikiHow article. Android: Swipe down from the top of the screen to open Quick Settings, then tap on Scan QR code (Google Pixel) [2] X Research source , QR Scanner (Samsung) [3] X Research source , or something similar. Scanning a QR Code in Your Android Gallery 1 Open the QR code image. If you have an image of a QR code saved to your device, you can "scan" it to open the link using Circle to Search. 2 Press and hold the home button until the Google search bar appears. If you're using gesture navigation, you'll want to long-press the navigation button instead. 3 Circle the QR code with your finger. Circle to Search will scan the QR code and display the link embedded in the code. You can then visit the code by tapping on it on your screen. [4] X Research source Scanning a QR Code in Your iPhone Gallery 1 Open the QR code image. If you have an image of a QR code saved to your device, you can "scan" it to open the link using Live Text. 2 Press and hold the QR code. Place your finger over the QR code in the image, then press and hold until a menu appears. You can preview the link and open it in Safari. [5] X Research source Scanning in an App 1 Open the app. Some apps (such as Venmo ) have built-in QR scanners for app-specific QR codes. 2 Tap the QR code button. The button to scan a QR code should be easily accessible on the app's main page, but this location may vary by app. 3 Scan the QR code. The app may ask for your permission to use the camera before you can scan a QR code, unless you've already given the app camera permissions. You can then use your phone's camera to scan the QR code. 1 Open the Camera app. This app comes preinstalled on your Windows device. You can find it by opening the Start menu and typing "Camera". [6] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source You must have a webcam to use the Camera app to scan QR codes. Most laptops have built-in webcams, while desktop computers need an external webcam .

You must have a webcam to use the Camera app to scan QR codes. Most laptops have built-in webcams, while desktop computers need an external webcam . 2 Click the down-arrow on the right side. You'll see a list of icons displayed vertically; clicking the down arrow will rotate the current camera mode. 3 Select the "Barcode" mode. This is at the very bottom of the icon list. The icon looks like a mini QR code. 4 Point your computer's webcam at a QR code. The QR code should be positioned in the middle of the screen. [7] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source 5 Wait for the QR code to scan. Once the QR code scans properly, you'll see a link below the camera feed. 6 Click the QR code link. This will redirect you to the QR code's contents. 1 Go to webqr.com in a web browser. Since there isn't a built-in way to scan a QR code on your Mac, you'll need to use an online QR code scanner. This website scans QR codes using your Mac's built-in webcam. On some browsers, such as Google Chrome , you'll have to click Allow when prompted to grant the website access to your camera. On some browsers, such as Google Chrome , you'll have to click Allow when prompted to grant the website access to your camera. 2 Hold your QR code up to the camera. Your QR code should be facing the Mac's camera. You'll see the code appear in the scan window in the middle of the page. If you don't have a built-in camera, you'll need to purchase and set up an external webcam. You can also upload a QR code from your computer by clicking the camera icon above the top-right corner of the scan window, clicking Choose File , clicking the QR code image, and clicking Open . If you don't have a built-in camera, you'll need to purchase and set up an external webcam. You can also upload a QR code from your computer by clicking the camera icon above the top-right corner of the scan window, clicking Choose File , clicking the QR code image, and clicking Open . 3 Center the QR code in the scan window. Ensure all four edges and corners of the QR code are inside the scan window. 4 Wait for the code to scan. Once your Mac's camera focuses on the code, you'll see the code's content appear in the box at the bottom of the page. You can then click the content to open it if you want. Question How do I scan a QR code without an app? Luigi Oppido Computer & Tech Specialist Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over 7 years. Luigi Oppido Computer & Tech Specialist Expert Answer Most current smartphone operating systems have QR code scanners built into the camera app, so you just would have to point the camera at the QR code and let the phone scan it. If your camera doesn't do this automatically, you may need to either update your phone or download an app. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 18 Helpful 34 Question How can I find a QR code scanner on the Google Play Store? Sneh Ratna Choudhary Community Answer Search for "QR code scanner" or "QR code reader" in the Google Play Store. If your device runs Android 8 or later, you can scan QR codes directly using your camera without needing an additional app. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 16 Helpful 13 Question My QR code directs me to an incorrect website instead of the intended destination. What steps should I take to resolve this? Community Answer First, try scanning the QR code with a different application. If the issue continues, look for an alphanumeric code accompanying the QR code and manually enter it on the appropriate website or platform for redemption or access. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 11 Helpful 20 You can use QR codes on WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger to verify your account or add people to your contact list, respectively. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0 QR codes can lead to malicious websites or suggestive content. Avoid scanning a QR code if you don't trust its source. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 3 You Might Also Like ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/102680 ↑ https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/16561572?hl=en ↑ https://www.samsung.com/ph/support/mobile-devices/how-to-scan-a-qr-code-on-galaxy-device/ ↑ https://www.android.com/articles/how-do-you-scan-qr-codes-on-android/ ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/use-live-text-iphcf0b71b0e/15.0/ios/15.0 ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/how-to-use-the-windows-camera-app-ea40b69f-be6a-840e-9c8c-1fd6eea97c22 ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/how-to-use-the-windows-camera-app-ea40b69f-be6a-840e-9c8c-1fd6eea97c22 About This Article 1. Open your iPhone’s camera or an Android QR code reader. 2. Align the code in the frame. 3. Follow the on-screen instructions to view content. Did this summary help you? Yes No Send fan mail to authors Reader Success Stories S. K L. Sep 25, 2024 "I am 76 years old and I am very thankful for your easy-to-understand help." Rated this article: Is this article up to date? Quizzes & Games You Might Also Like Trending Articles Trending Articles Take the Quiz. Face the Truth. 🔥 Are You More… 🤔 Featured Videos Hot Takes Only 🔥 Your Daily Dose of Fun 🎉 Computers and Electronics Online Communications Do Not Sell or Share My Info Not Selling Info Keep up with tech in just 5 minutes a week!