If you've never done it before, reading a QR code from an image, rather than pointing a camera at one, can seem confusing. It's actually easy on every device. This beginner's guide walks you through it simply, with no technical jargon.
First, What You're Doing
You have a picture with a QR code in it, maybe a screenshot, a saved photo, or a code on a web page, and you want to open whatever it links to. Instead of a camera, you'll let your device or a website find the code in the picture for you.
If You're on a Phone
Open the image. On an iPhone, the Photos app or Live Text usually detects the code and shows a link to tap. On Android, open the image and use Google Lens. In both cases, tap the link that appears to go to the destination.
If You're on a Computer
Go to an online QR reader in your browser, choose the option to upload an image, and select your picture. The reader finds the code and shows the link, which you can click to open or copy.
If Nothing Happens
The image might be too small or blurry. Try opening a bigger, clearer version, or crop it down to just the code. A clean, sharp code, like one from a good QR generator, is the easiest to read.
FAQ
Common questions are answered in the FAQ section below.