QR Code Scanner

Drop, choose or paste a picture — read the QR code in it without reaching for your phone.

Drop a picture with a QR code here or click to choose a file · or paste a screenshot (Ctrl/⌘ + V)

The scanning engine (about 1 MB) downloads from a CDN the first time you drop a picture. The picture itself is read on this page and never uploaded.

🔒 Runs entirely in your browser — nothing you type is uploaded or stored on a server.

A QR code on your screen is awkward to scan: it is in an email, a PDF, a screenshot someone sent you, or on a web page on the same computer you would need to point the phone at. Drop the picture here, choose it, or take a screenshot and paste it with Ctrl/⌘ + V, and the code is read on the spot. Every code in the picture is found and outlined, not just the first.

Also on Txtset: make your own QR code · read a product barcode from a picture.

The result is explained, not just printed. A Wi-Fi code shows the network name and password. A contact card shows the name, phone and email. A 2FA setup code shows which account it is for, and a warning that the picture is as sensitive as the password it protects. A link shows the site it really goes to before you open it — which matters, because a QR code is the easiest way there is to hand somebody a look-alike address.

Nothing leaves your device. The scanning engine (the open-source zxing-cpp reader, compiled to WebAssembly) downloads once from a CDN, locked to an exact version and checked against a fingerprint before it runs; after that the picture is read by this page alone. The page never asks for your camera.

It reads QR codes, Micro QR and rMQR, and the other square codes you may run into — Data Matrix, Aztec and PDF417. For the striped kind on products and books, use the Barcode Scanner.

How to use

  1. Drop a picture onto the box, click to choose one, or paste a screenshot (Ctrl/⌘ + V).
  2. Wait a moment the first time while the scanning engine downloads.
  3. Read what the code contains. Links, Wi-Fi, contacts and 2FA codes are broken out for you.
  4. Copy the result, or open a link once you have checked the address.

Examples

WIFI:S:Cafe;T:WPA;P:espresso42;;
Wi-Fi network Cafe, security WPA, password espresso42.
A screenshot of a restaurant menu with a QR code
The menu link, with the site name shown on its own so you can check it.
otpauth://totp/GitHub:ada?secret=…
A 2FA secret for GitHub: ada, with a warning to keep the picture private.
A picture with three codes in it
All three, numbered on the picture and in the results.

Frequently asked questions

Can I scan a QR code on my computer screen without a phone?
Yes — that is what this page is for. Take a screenshot (Windows: Win + Shift + S; Mac: Cmd + Shift + 4), then paste it here with Ctrl/⌘ + V.
Does it use my camera?
No. It reads pictures you give it and never asks for camera access. On a phone, your camera app already scans QR codes; this page is for the codes that are already in a picture.
Is my picture uploaded?
No. The only download is the scanning engine itself (about 1 MB, from the jsDelivr CDN, the first time). Your picture is read in your browser and sent nowhere.
Is it safe to open the link?
Only if the site is the one you expect. The page shows the site name on its own and warns about unencrypted links and addresses that use look-alike characters, but it cannot know who made the code. It never opens anything by itself, and only ever makes a clickable link from a web address.
Why was no QR code found?
Usually because the code is too small or blurry in the picture: each little square needs to be at least two or three pixels wide. Crop closer to the code (Crop Image), or use a sharper copy. Codes that are inverted, rotated or mirrored are read fine.
Which kinds of code does it read?
QR, Micro QR, rMQR, Data Matrix, Aztec and PDF417. Striped product barcodes (EAN, UPC, ISBN, Code 128 and others) are on the Barcode Scanner.
What is the scanning engine?
zxing-wasm 3.1.4 (MIT licence), a WebAssembly build of the zxing-cpp barcode reader (Apache-2.0). Versions, fingerprints and licences.

Related tools

QR Code GeneratorTurn any link or text into a scannable QR code — choose colours and error correction, then download a sharp PNG or vector SVG.Barcode ScannerDrop a photo or screenshot of a barcode — get the number, and what it means.Image to Text (OCR)Extract the text from an image, screenshot or photo — drag, drop or paste a picture and copy the recognised words.URL Encode / DecodeEncode special characters with percent-encoding or decode URLs back to readable text — with strict RFC 3986 and query parameter breakdown.Crop ImageDrag out the part you want to keep — and rotate or flip it while you are there.