# Read a QR code from an image

> Decode a QR code from a screenshot or photo in your browser. See exactly what a code contains before you open it. Free, private, no upload.

Source: https://qr-code-build.com/qr-code-scanner/  
Last reviewed: 2026-08-24  
Publisher: QR Code Builder

## Summary
This reader decodes a QR code from an image file entirely in your browser. Drop in a screenshot, photo or downloaded code and it shows the exact contents — the URL, the Wi-Fi password, the contact details — without following the link. The image is never uploaded.

**Drop a QR code image here**Or click to choose a file. You can also paste a screenshot with Ctrl+V.

## The reason to decode before you tap
A QR code is unreadable by humans by design. That is the whole security problem: you cannot see where a code goes until you have already gone there. Fraudulent codes stuck over legitimate ones on parking meters, charging points, restaurant tables and utility bills exploit exactly that gap.

Decoding first closes it. Paste the code, read the destination, then decide. Cases where it is worth the extra ten seconds:

- Any code that asks for a payment or a login.

- Codes on public infrastructure — parking, chargers, ticket machines — where a sticker can be applied by anyone.

- Codes arriving by post or email claiming to be from a bank, a tax authority or a delivery company.

- Codes on a package you were not expecting.

- Any code where the destination domain is the thing you are being asked to trust.

## Proofing codes before a print run
The other use is quality control. Export your code, scan the file back here, and confirm the payload is byte-for-byte what you intended. This catches:

1. Typos in a URL that you have read past five times.

2. Wi-Fi passwords broken by an unescaped semicolon.

3. vCard fields that silently truncated.

4. Wallet or account numbers altered by clipboard malware between copy and paste.

5. Codes that were resized or compressed into unreadability by a layout application.

For a print run of any size, this is a two-minute check that prevents an expensive reprint.

## Frequently asked questions
### Is the image uploaded anywhere?
No. Decoding runs in your browser using a local library. The file never leaves your device — you can confirm this in the network tab of developer tools.

### Can it scan with my camera?
This page reads image files. For live camera scanning, your phone's built-in camera app already does it — but it will open the link rather than showing it to you first.

### Why can it not read my photo?
Usually blur, glare, extreme angle, or a missing quiet zone. Crop tightly around the code including its clear border and try again. Screenshots decode far more reliably than photographs.

### Does it work on damaged codes?
Often yes. Error correction recovers up to 30% of a damaged code depending on the level it was built with.

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Licence: this page may be quoted with attribution to QR Code Builder (https://qr-code-build.com/qr-code-scanner/).