QR Code Reader

Read a QR code with your camera or from a picture.

FREE - NO SIGN-UP - MADE ON YOUR DEVICE

Decoded in your tab, never uploaded

  • Cameraor image file
  • 0uploads
  • QRcodes only
  • Linkshown, not opened
Specification

QR Code Reader at a glance

Input
Camera feed or an image file
Output
Decoded text, shown on screen
What it reads
QR codes, not striped barcodes
Batch
One code at a time
Metadata
Metadata is left alone
Price
Free
Account required
No
Where it runs
On your device
How to

How to use QR Code Reader

  1. 1

    Choose camera or file

    Use the camera or open a file.

  2. 2

    Get the code in frame

    Fill the frame, or pick a sharp file.

  3. 3

    Read it before you act

    Check the address before opening.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Does the image leave my device?

No. The camera frames and the file you choose are decoded in this tab. Neither is sent to a server, so the contents of the code stay with you.

Will it open the link for me?

No. The address is printed as text so you can look at the domain first. Opening it is a separate decision you make yourself.

Can it read the barcode on a packet?

No. This reads QR codes, the square pixelated kind. Striped one-dimensional barcodes on packaging are a different format and are not decoded here.

Nothing is decoding. What now?

Check the square is undamaged and fully in frame. Live scanning wants steady light and focus; from a file, a higher-resolution picture gives the decoder more to work with.

Background

Checking a code you did not make

Point the camera at the square, or open an image you already have. The text inside the code is shown in full. If it is a link, you read it before you decide to open it.

  • A printed code can be covered over with a sticker. Reading the address first is the cheapest way to catch that.
  • Read a domain from the right-hand end backwards; that is the part that decides where you actually land.
  • A code can hold plain text, a contact or a network, not only a web address.
  • Decoding a code is not the same as trusting it. What it says is all you get from reading it.

Full specification

Specification of the QR Code Reader tool
InputA live camera feed, or an image file your browser and the decoder accept.
OutputThe decoded text on screen, including the full address when the code holds a link.
What it readsQR codes, the square matrix kind. Not the striped one-dimensional barcodes on packaging.
BatchOne code at a time.
MetadataImage metadata is not read or stored.
PriceFree
Account requiredNo
Where it runsIn your browser tab. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Next step

Keep going with the same files

All QR tools: QR tools on SPOTTOOLS