To scan a QR code from a screenshot, open the image in an app that can read codes inside pictures. On Android, open it in Google Photos and use Google Lens. On iPhone, open it in Photos and touch and hold the code, or use Google Lens in the Google app. A scanner app with a photo import button works on both. You can’t point your phone’s own camera at its own screen, so the image has to be read directly.
This comes up constantly: a friend texts you a code, a website shows a code meant for a phone, or a ticket or boarding pass arrives as an image. Here’s every way to handle it.
Scan a QR code from a screenshot on iPhone #
Option 1: Photos app #
- Open the screenshot in Photos.
- On recent iOS versions, Photos can recognize a QR code in an image. Touch and hold the code, or tap the Live Text button (a small icon of text in a frame) if it appears in the corner.
- Tap the link or action that shows up.
Apple’s Live Text works on iPhone XS, iPhone XR or later with iOS 15 or later, and Live Text has to be switched on in Settings > General > Language & Region. If Photos doesn’t pick up the code, use one of the options below.
Option 2: Google app #
- Install and open the Google app.
- Tap the Lens icon in the search bar.
- Choose the image from your photo library instead of using the camera.
- Lens highlights the code and shows the link.
Google lists the Google app as one of the places Lens is available.
Option 3: A scanner app with photo import #
Scanner apps with a photo or gallery button read the code straight from the image. See the section on scanner apps below.
Scan a QR code from a screenshot on Android #
Option 1: Google Photos and Lens #
- Open the screenshot in Google Photos.
- Open Google Lens from the photo’s options. Google’s own steps are to select the photo, tap More, then Google Lens.
- Tap the link Lens finds in the code.
Option 2: Google app #
Open Lens from the Google app’s search bar and pick the image from your gallery.
Option 3: Search your screen #
Many recent Android phones can search what’s currently on screen without saving a screenshot first, through Google Lens or a “circle to search” style gesture on phones that support it. If your phone has it, you can read a code in a web page or chat directly.
Option 4: A scanner app with photo import #
The same as on iPhone: pick the image and the app decodes it.
Scan a QR code shown on your computer screen #
This one is easier than it sounds. Point your phone’s camera at the computer screen like any other code. If it won’t read:
- Turn up the screen brightness, or zoom the page so the code is bigger.
- Tilt the phone slightly to reduce glare and the wavy moiré pattern screens can produce.
- Take a screenshot on the computer and send it to your phone, then use one of the methods above.
If you need to read the code on the computer itself, Google Lens in Chrome can read it. We cover laptops in how to scan a QR code on a laptop.
Using a scanner app to read QR codes from photos #
QR Handler has a Photo button on its Scan tab. Tap it, pick the screenshot from your gallery, and it reads the code in the image. Like a live scan, the result screen shows the full contents before anything opens, and links get the same checks: the real site name, whether it uses https, and warnings for shortened links, raw IP addresses and look-alike characters.
It also has a Paste button for a different case. If someone sends you a link as text rather than a code, copy it and tap Paste. QR Handler decodes the copied text the same way, so you see where a link goes and get the same checks before opening it.
Everything you scan, from the camera or from photos, is saved to a searchable history on your phone, which helps with codes you’ll need again, like a Wi-Fi code from a rental listing. You can turn auto-save off in Settings.
Why won’t my screenshot QR code scan? #
- The screenshot is cropped too tightly. QR codes need a blank border (Denso Wave, which invented the format, specifies a quiet zone four modules wide). If the screenshot cuts into the edge, retake it with more space.
- The image is too small or blurry. A code copied out of a chat app may have been compressed. Ask for the original, or zoom in and screenshot again.
- There are several codes in one image. Crop to the one you want.
- It isn’t a QR code. Some tickets use Aztec, PDF417 or Data Matrix codes. Not every app reads those. A scanner that supports several barcode types helps.
- The colors are inverted or faint. Light codes on dark backgrounds and low-contrast designs trip up some readers.
For other causes, see QR code not scanning: how to fix it.
Be careful with codes people send you #
A QR code in a screenshot is just as able to hide a bad link as a sticker on a meter. The FBI advises that when you get a code from someone you know, you confirm with them through a verified number or address that they sent it, because accounts get hijacked. Read the destination before you open it, and don’t pay or sign in through a code that arrived unexpectedly. Our guide to checking a QR code before opening it explains how to read a web address and spot the common tricks.
Frequently asked questions #
Can you scan a QR code on the same phone it’s displayed on? #
Not with the camera, since it can’t see its own screen. Take a screenshot and read it with Photos, Google Lens or a scanner app that imports images.
How do I scan a QR code from a picture in my gallery? #
On Android, open it in Google Photos and use Lens. On iPhone, open it in Photos and touch and hold the code, or use Lens in the Google app. Scanner apps with a photo button work on both.
Why does my iPhone not recognize the QR code in a photo? #
Live Text may be switched off, your iPhone may be older than the XS or XR, or the code may be too small or cropped. Try Google Lens in the Google app or a scanner app with photo import.
Can I scan a QR code in a screenshot on my computer? #
Yes. Google Lens in Chrome can read a code on a web page or in an image, or you can point your phone’s camera at the screen.