How to read a QR code from an image
- Select Choose files or drop a picture of a QR code on the box. You can add several images at once.
- The decoded text appears in the result. Select Copy to use it, or Download to save a text file.
- If a link is shown, check the address before you open it.
Photos, screenshots and saved images in PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF and AVIF work.
How it works
The image is drawn onto a canvas in your browser and the pixels are passed to jsQR, a small open source decoder. It looks for the three large squares in the corners, works out the grid, reads the pattern and applies the error correction to give you the original text. It tries the image at several sizes, because large photos often decode better when they are scaled down. It also handles light-on-dark codes.
Because the decoding runs locally, nothing about the image or its contents is sent to a server. That matters, since a QR code can hold a Wi-Fi password, a payment link or contact details.
Tips for a successful scan
- Include the quiet zone, the blank border around the code. Cropping too tightly can make a code unreadable.
- Take the photo straight on, not at an angle, and avoid glare and shadows.
- A blurry or tiny code may fail. Try a larger screenshot or get closer.
- Crop out other content with a screenshot tool if the picture is busy.
- Never trust a code on a sticker placed over another one. Scammers use fake codes. Read the decoded text first.
- If the file is very large, shrink it with the image compressor before you read it.
Related tasks
Make your own code with the QR code generator, which supports links, Wi-Fi and contacts. To embed an image in text form, the image to Base64 tool turns a picture into a data string. For product labels, make a barcode.
You can read a code, copy the text and close the page. No account is needed, and no history is saved.