How to Scan a QR Code from a Screenshot or Photo on iPhone or Android

QR codes are used for everything from opening a restaurant menu to making payments: just point your camera at the QR code, and your phone will automatically open the relevant page. But what happens when you get a QR code in a message? Or what if it was a screenshot instead?

While the iPhone directly integrates QR code scanning into the camera app, it doesn’t have an option to scan QR codes from a screenshot. But this is where trusted third-party apps and websites come in.

How to Scan QR Codes from Screenshot on iPhone

The most reliable and reliable way to scan QR codes from screenshots on iPhone is to use a file google app (which includes the Google Lens feature). There are two ways to do this: You can use Google Lens Scanner or Share Sheet.

First, open the Google app and tap camera An icon from the search bar, which will open the Google Lens interface. Click on Pictures in the lower left corner, and choose Photo from the list. Immediately, the Google app will scan the QR code and you will see the result there.

Sometimes using the share sheet will be faster. When you already see the QR code image or screenshot, tap Share button; From the share sheet, choose “Search with Google LensChoose. From the popup, tap on the View Results button. This will open the QR code result in the Google app. You can now visit the website, or copy the URL if you like.

How to Scan QR Codes from Screenshot on Android

This is much easier on Android, especially if you are using an extension google lens To scan QR codes (which must be pre-installed on your smartphone), or if you use a file Google Photos The app as your default gallery app.

Open the Google Lens app and find the QR code image from the screenshots or Photos section. Choose the photo and wait for Google Lens to scan the code for you. Once done, you can click website button to open the link.

You can also do this directly from the Google Photos app. Open the photo with the QR code in the Google Photos app and click on the button “lensbutton. This will clear the image in the Lens app. You’ll see the same options to open the link at the bottom.

How to scan QR codes from a screenshot or photo using a website on any device

Don’t want to use the Google app on your iPhone or the Lens app on Android? You can still scan any QR code image with a free website—and it works on any device, including Windows and Mac.

To get started, open a file Website QR on your device and tap the camera icon. (If the website asks you to access the camera, you can deny it.) Next, click the Choose File button and choose the image from the photo library or file picker. The website will now scan the QR code, and you will see the result at the bottom of the screen. Simply click on the link to open the content in the connected app or browser.