How to Scan a QR Code From a Screenshot or Photo on iPhone
Someone sends you a QR code in a chat. A ticket arrives as an image. A menu, a Wi-Fi code, or a payment link is on a web page on the same phone you would normally point at it. The usual trick, holding the camera up to a code, does not work when the code is already on your own screen. The good news is that the iPhone reads QR codes inside screenshots and photos too; the option is just a little hidden. This guide covers the quickest way to open a QR code from a screenshot or a saved photo, the camera routes for codes on paper, what to do when nothing happens, and how to check a code before you trust it.
The short version
- From a screenshot or photo: open it in Photos and touch and hold the QR code, or tap the Live Text button that appears. Tap the link to open it.
- From paper or another screen: point the Camera at the code and tap the yellow banner. Or use Code Scanner in Control Center.
- Nothing happens? Turn on Settings, Camera, Scan QR Codes; make sure the code is sharp and not cropped.
- Check before you open. Read the address in the preview. A code on a parking meter or in an unexpected message can lead anywhere.
- For codes on documents you scan anyway, Scanner App has a Scan QR Code tool next to its document tools.
Method 1: Read a QR code in a screenshot or photo
Photos looks for text and codes in every image, the same technology as Live Text. That makes a screenshot of a QR code as good as the code itself.
- Take a screenshot of the code, or save the image from the chat or the web page.
- Open it in Photos.
- Touch and hold the QR code. A preview of the link appears. Tap it to open, or use the menu to copy or share the link.
- Alternatively, tap the Live Text button in the corner of the photo. Detected codes and text are highlighted; tap the code to act on it.
This works for images saved from Messages, Mail, and WhatsApp, and for photos you took of a code earlier, such as a poster you walked past.
Method 2: Scan a QR code with the Camera
For a code on paper, a sign, a package, or another person's screen:
- Open Camera in Photo mode and point it at the code. You do not need to take a picture.
- Hold steady until a yellow banner or a link appears near the code.
- Read the address, then tap it to open.
If the camera ignores the code, open Settings, then Camera, and make sure Scan QR Codes is turned on.
Method 3: Code Scanner in Control Center
The iPhone also has a dedicated code reader that opens straight from Control Center. It is useful in dim light, because it can switch on the flashlight, and for small codes, because it focuses closer.
- Swipe down from the top right corner to open Control Center.
- Tap the Code Scanner button. If it is not there, touch and hold an empty spot in Control Center, tap Add a Control, and add it.
- Point it at the code and tap the result.
Method 4: Scanner App, when the code is on a document
Letters, invoices, tickets, and forms increasingly carry a QR code for payment details, a tracking page, or a digital copy. If you are scanning the document anyway, it helps to handle the code in the same app.
- In Scanner App, tap the plus button to open the New Document menu.
- Under Tools, choose Scan QR Code and point the camera at the code.
- Scan the page itself with Scan with Camera so the document and its code live in the same folder.
Everything runs on the phone, with no account and no upload. More about the app is on the document scanner page, and filing a scanned letter so you can find it next month is in how to organize scanned documents on iPhone.
When the QR code will not scan
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Camera shows no banner | Turn on Settings, Camera, Scan QR Codes. Move a little closer or farther until it focuses. |
| Screenshot shows no link | Zoom so the whole code is visible with some white border around it. A cropped corner breaks it. |
| Code is tiny or blurry | Use Code Scanner from Control Center, which focuses closer, or take a sharper photo. |
| Glare on a glossy or laminated code | Tilt the phone slightly so the reflection moves off the code. |
| Dark room | Code Scanner can turn on the flashlight. |
Check the code before you trust it
A QR code is just a link you cannot read until the phone decodes it. Fake codes stuck over real ones on parking meters and restaurant tables, and codes in unexpected emails and texts, are a known way to send people to lookalike payment or login pages.
- Read the address in the preview before tapping. Does the domain match the business?
- Be suspicious of stickers placed over another code, and of codes that arrive with urgency, such as "your parcel is on hold".
- Never enter a password or card number on a page you reached from an unknown code. Open the company's app or type its address yourself instead.
Quick answers
How do I scan a QR code from a screenshot on iPhone?
Open the screenshot in Photos and touch and hold the QR code, or tap the Live Text button in the corner. Tap the link that appears to open it.
Can an iPhone scan a QR code from a photo?
Yes. Photos detects QR codes in saved photos and screenshots the same way it detects text. Touch and hold the code to open, copy, or share the link.
How do I scan a QR code on my own iPhone screen?
Take a screenshot of it, open the screenshot in Photos, and touch and hold the code.
Why is my iPhone camera not scanning QR codes?
Scan QR Codes may be turned off in Settings, Camera. Otherwise the code may be out of focus, too small, reflecting light, or partly cut off.
Do I need an app to scan QR codes on iPhone?
No. The Camera, Photos, and Code Scanner in Control Center all read QR codes. A scanner app is useful when the code is part of a document you want to keep.
Is it safe to scan any QR code?
Scanning only reads the link. The risk is opening it. Check the address in the preview, and never enter passwords or card details on a page reached from an unknown code.
Codes on screen, codes on paper
Touch and hold in Photos for codes on your own screen, point the Camera at the rest, and check the address before you tap. Download Scanner App, free to download, and scan documents, ID cards, and QR codes from one app, offline.