How to scan a QR code on your computer
Laptops and desktops can't point a camera at their own screen, so a QR code in an email, PDF or web page can be awkward to read. The easiest way: take a screenshot (Windows: Win + Shift + S, Mac: ⌘ + Shift + 4), then paste it straight into this page with Ctrl+V or ⌘+V.
Private by design
Your images are decoded entirely inside your browser. They're never uploaded, stored or seen by anyone. That matters when a QR code contains Wi‑Fi passwords, payment details or personal information.
Look before you open
Scam QR codes (“quishing”) are increasingly used in fake parking tickets, invoices, delivery notices and phishing emails. Because this scanner shows you the real destination and checks it for common warning signs before you visit it, it's a safer way to deal with a QR code you weren't expecting.
If your QR code won't scan
- Crop the image so the QR code fills more of it.
- Use a sharper or higher-resolution image. Blurry photos often fail.
- Make sure the whole code is visible, including all three corner squares.
- Some decorative codes with very low contrast can't be read by any scanner.
How it works
When you add an image, your browser loads it into memory and the open-source jsQR library looks for the three corner squares of a QR code. Once it finds them, it works out the grid, reads each square as dark or light, applies error correction and turns the result back into text. If the text is a link, a Wi‑Fi login, a contact or a payment request, the scanner labels it and runs the safety checks, all on your device.