Someone sends you a QR code on WhatsApp. A website shows a code for an app download. A friend shares a payment code as an image. The code is already on your phone's screen, so you can't point your camera at it. The good news is that you don't need a second phone. Here are the easiest ways to scan a QR code from a screenshot or a photo in your gallery.
Step one: save the image
If the code is in a chat, an email or on a website, save it first. In WhatsApp, open the image and it is usually saved to your gallery automatically. On a website, take a screenshot. Make sure the whole code is visible, including the three large corner squares and a little white space around it.
On Android
- Google Lens: open the Google Photos app, open the screenshot and tap the Lens button. Lens finds the code and shows its content, such as a link you can tap.
- Your camera app: on many phones, the camera app has a Lens or “scan” mode with a gallery icon. Tap it and choose the image.
- A scanner app: in the Apna QR app, tap the gallery button on the scan screen and pick the photo or screenshot. The app reads the code on your phone. The image is never uploaded, and the app shows the right action, such as opening the link, joining Wi-Fi or saving a contact.
On iPhone
- Photos app: open the screenshot in Photos. On recent versions of iOS, a small QR or Live Text icon appears when a code is detected. Tap it, or touch and hold the code, to open the link.
- Google app: the Google app's Lens feature can also read codes from your photos.
Scanning a code that is on your computer screen
If the code is on your laptop, the easiest option is simply to point your phone's camera at the screen. Turn the screen brightness up and hold the phone straight so the code doesn't look stretched. If the screen reflects a lot of light, tilt it slightly.
Why a screenshot won't scan, and how to fix it
- The code is cut off. Take the screenshot again with the whole code and its white border visible.
- The image is too small or blurry. Images that have been forwarded many times on chat apps lose quality. Ask the sender for the original, or zoom in and take a fresh screenshot.
- There are several codes in one image. Crop the image so only one code remains.
- Dark mode or filters changed the colours. Some apps invert images in dark mode. Open the original in a normal photo viewer.
- The photo was taken at an angle. Crop it and, if needed, take the photo again from straight in front.
Be careful with codes you didn't expect
Reading a code is safe. Acting on it is where you need to think. Before you open a link or make a payment from a code someone sent you:
- Look at the full link. Does it go to the website you expect, spelled correctly?
- For payment codes, check the payee name and amount in your UPI app. And remember: you never need to scan a code to receive money. Read our guide on UPI QR code safety.
- Never type passwords, OTPs or card numbers on a page you opened from an unexpected code.
In short: save the image, then use Google Lens, your iPhone's Photos app or the gallery button in a scanner app. If it fails, crop it, use a sharper copy and keep a white border around the code.