Most people know how to point a phone camera at a QR code. The harder case is a code that is already on your phone: a screenshot someone sent you, a photo in your gallery, or a code on a web page. You cannot point a camera at your own screen, so here is how to scan it instead.
Scan a QR code from a photo or screenshot
- Install a QR scanner that can read images. I use QR Code Scanner: Barcode Maker, which is free on Google Play.
- Open the app and tap the gallery button next to the camera view.
- Pick the screenshot or photo that has the code.
- The app reads it and shows what is inside: a link, a WiFi network, a phone number, a contact card or plain text.
That is all. No second phone and no printing.
Scan a code in the dark or from far away
If the code is on a poster across the room or in a dim restaurant, two things help. Turn on the flashlight with the torch button, and use the zoom slider to bring a small code closer. The app also zooms in on its own when a code is small.
Join a WiFi network without typing the password
Many cafes, hotels and offices print a WiFi QR code. Scan it and the app shows the network name and password, and you can connect from the result screen. If you want to share your own home WiFi with guests, you can make a WiFi QR code in the same app and let them scan it.
Check a link before opening it
When a code contains a web address, the app shows the full link first. You decide whether to open it. This matters because fake QR codes on parking meters and flyers are a known scam, so look at the address before you tap.
Scan store barcodes too
The same scanner reads product barcodes such as EAN, UPC, Code 128 and Data Matrix. Scan a product in a shop and search for it online to compare prices or read reviews.
Make your own QR codes
You can create QR codes for a link, text, WiFi, a contact card, an email or a location. Pick your colors, choose rounded or smooth dots, and put a logo or photo in the middle. Save the code and share it or print it for a menu, a business card or an event.
Your scan history
Everything you scan and create is saved in a history list on your phone, so you can find that link or WiFi password again later without scanning it twice.
If you have a QR code stuck in a screenshot, give it a try: QR Code Scanner: Barcode Maker on Google Play.
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