How to scan a QR code for free on any phone, without an app

You do not need to download anything. The camera app on your phone almost certainly scans QR codes already, and it is free.

How to scan a QR code on iPhone

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Point it at the code so the whole square is on screen. You do not need to press the shutter.
3. A yellow button with the link appears. Tap it to open.

iPhones have read QR codes in the camera since iOS 11, in 2017. There is also a Code Scanner you can add to Control Center (Settings, then Control Center), which is handy when the camera struggles in low light.

How to scan a QR code on Android

1. Open the Camera app and point it at the code.
2. A link appears on screen. Tap it.

If your camera does nothing, use Google Lens, which is free: open the Google app or Google Lens and tap the camera icon, or look for a Lens button inside your camera app. On many phones there is also a Scan QR code tile in the quick settings you get by swiping down from the top of the screen.

Do all phones have a QR scanner?

Nearly all smartphones from the last several years do. Every iPhone running iOS 11 or later scans with the camera, and most Android phones either scan in the camera app or through Google Lens. Older Android phones may need Lens installed from Google Play, which is free.

You do not need a separate scanner app. Many of them show ads or ask for permissions they do not need, so the camera you already have is the safer choice.

How to scan a QR code from a screenshot or a photo

Someone sent you a code in a message, or it is on the screen you are holding. You cannot point your camera at its own screen, so:

• iPhone: save the image, open it in Photos, then press and hold the code (or tap the Live Text button in the corner). The link appears and you can tap it.
• Android: open the image in Google Photos and tap Lens, or share the image to Google Lens. The link shows up under the image.
• On a computer: a code on your laptop screen can simply be scanned with your phone's camera.

When you scan a QR code, where does it go?

Wherever the person who made it chose. A QR code holds text, and that text is usually a web address. Your phone shows you the address before opening it, so read it before you tap. It might be:

• A website or menu, which opens in your browser.
• A payment app, like Cash App, Venmo or PayPal, which opens with a name and sometimes an amount filled in.
• A Wi-Fi network, which offers to join.
• A contact card, which offers to save a name and number.
• Plain text, shown on screen.

When you scan a QR code, what do you do after that?

Tap the preview to open it, then do what the page is for: read the menu, place your order, join the Wi-Fi, pay the bill. That is all.

What you should not do after scanning is sign in to an account, type a card number for something you did not plan to buy, or install an app the page pushes on you. Our guide to whether QR codes are safe has five quick checks.

Why won't my phone scan this QR code?

Work through these in order:

1. Fill more of the screen. Move closer so the code takes up about half the view.
2. Hold still and wait a second. The camera needs a moment to focus.
3. Add light, cut glare. Tilt the phone if there is a reflection across the code.
4. Clean the lens. A smudge is the most common cause of all.
5. Check the code. If it is torn, faded, very small or printed in pale colors, it may be the code that is at fault, not your phone.
6. Try Google Lens or the Code Scanner. They are sometimes better at hard codes than the camera.

If the code scans but the page does not load, the code works and the link inside it is the problem. That is common with codes from generators that switch off after a free trial. See why QR codes stop working.

Want to make one instead?

Making a code is just as free as scanning one. Utilica's generator makes codes for links, Wi-Fi, contact cards and payment apps, with no sign-up for a static code.

Free toolFree QR code generatorMake a QR code right here, free. No account, no trial, no watermark and no scan limit. The code holds your address itself, so nothing can switch it off later.utilica.app/free-qr-code→