QR Code Reader

Open this page, upload the image that contains the QR code and the decoded value appears instantly. You can decode a QR code from a photo, a screenshot or any saved picture - the online QR code reader runs in your browser so the image never leaves your device.

The tool processes your image entirely in the browser using JavaScript. It draws the image to an invisible canvas, reads the pixel data, locates the three finder patterns in the corners, reconstructs the module grid, and runs Reed-Solomon decoding to extract the payload. No image data is uploaded to any server, so the entire process is private and offline-capable once the page has loaded.

You can upload PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP and BMP images. PNG works best for screenshots because it preserves sharp edges without compression artifacts. For photos, a well-lit JPEG at 1080p or higher is usually enough. Avoid heavily compressed social-media downloads, as the lossy artifacts around the finder patterns can prevent decoding.

Common causes are blurry focus, a QR code that occupies only a small fraction of the image, the quiet zone (white border) being cropped off, or severe perspective distortion. Try using a clearer, larger image taken straight-on with good even lighting. If the code is on a glossy surface, avoid glare reflections that wash out the dark modules.

Yes. Save the QR image first (right-click and Save Image, or take a screenshot) and drop the file into this QR reader. The decoder supports any image URL once it is saved locally.

Yes. The entire decoding process runs locally in your browser tab using WebAssembly and Canvas APIs. Your image never leaves your device, nothing is uploaded to any server, and no logs of the payload are kept. You can confirm this by opening your browser devtools Network panel while scanning - you will see no outbound requests for the image data.

This tool is designed specifically for QR codes as defined by ISO/IEC 18004, including Micro QR variants. It does not decode 1D barcodes such as UPC-A, EAN-13 or Code 128, nor other 2D formats like Data Matrix, PDF417 or Aztec. For those you would need a multi-format barcode reader that bundles several decoding libraries.

A classic barcode is one-dimensional - it encodes data only along the horizontal axis as varying bar widths, and typically holds 10-20 characters. A QR code is two-dimensional and encodes data in both axes as a grid of square modules, which is why it can hold thousands of characters. QR codes also include error correction, so they remain readable even when partially damaged, while 1D barcodes usually fail if any bar is obscured.

No, the opposite. Error-correction levels L, M, Q and H recover from 7, 15, 25 and 30 percent damage respectively. A higher level makes the code more tolerant of dirt, scratches or a logo placed in the center. The tradeoff is that higher correction levels add redundant modules, so the resulting code is visually denser for the same data payload. For outdoor or printed use, level Q or H is a common choice.

Yes, as long as you capture a clear screenshot or photograph of it. Taking a photo of a monitor can introduce moire patterns that interfere with decoding, so a direct screenshot of the source display is usually more reliable. If you are scanning a phone screen with another phone's camera, dim the source screen slightly to avoid overexposure of the dark modules.

A phone camera scanner reads a code in real time from the live camera feed - it needs the code to be physically in front of the camera. A "QR scanner online" or "QR code reader online" like this page reads a code from an image file you already have - a screenshot, an emailed attachment, a downloaded picture or even a frame from a video. Pick the camera scanner when you are physically near the code; pick the online reader when the code is a digital file. There is no quality difference between the two, only the input source.

Yes. Take a screenshot of the QR area (or export a page of the PDF as a PNG/JPEG using the <a href="/tools/image-to-pdf/">image and PDF tools</a>) and drag the file onto this page. As long as the image preserves the three corner finder patterns and a few modules of quiet zone around the code, the decoder will read it. The most common failure modes are heavy JPEG compression on small thumbnails (downloaded from social media or chat apps) and aggressive cropping that removes the white quiet zone - if decoding fails, ask the sender for a higher-resolution copy or use the original PDF page as the source.