Need to read a QR code from a screenshot? Do it in your browser
Quick answer
Upload the screenshot directly - there is nothing to point a camera at here, and there does not need to be. The code is read straight out of the image file, decoded automatically, in your browser.
- 1Upload the screenshot.
- 2The code decodes automatically.
- 3Copy the value.
Free, no sign-up, and your file is read on your own device rather than uploaded.
Pointing a phone camera at a QR code works when the code is a physical thing in front of you. It works far less reliably when the code is inside a screenshot on the same device you would be using to scan it - awkward angles, screen glare and the code simply being too small on screen all get in the way.
There is a more direct route: upload the screenshot itself. The code is read straight out of the image data, not photographed off a screen a second time.
Step by step
Let it decode automatically
No button to press - it happens as soon as the image loads.
Barcode & QR ScannerCopy or open the value
Copy the decoded text, or open it directly if it is a link.
Barcode & QR Scanner
Tips
- This reads the actual pixels of the screenshot, so it does not matter how small the code looked on screen when it was captured, as long as the code itself is still reasonably clear in the image.
- If the screenshot includes a lot of surrounding interface around a small code, cropping it closer to just the code first can help.
Common problems
My phone camera cannot scan the QR code shown in a screenshot on the same phone.
Upload the screenshot file directly here instead of trying to photograph a screen with a code already on it - that avoids the whole problem.
The screenshot decodes to nothing.
Check the code is not cropped or partially cut off in the screenshot, and that it is clear enough to read at the resolution it was captured.
Frequently asked questions
- Why can't I just scan my own screen with my camera?
- You can try, but screen glare, awkward angles and the code being small on screen all make it unreliable. Uploading the screenshot file directly reads the actual image data instead, with none of those problems.
- Is my screenshot uploaded anywhere?
- No. It is read and decoded entirely in your browser.
- Does this work for barcodes in a screenshot too, not just QR codes?
- Yes - the same tool decodes common 1D barcode formats as well as QR codes.
Related related tools
- Barcode & QR ScannerUpload a photo or screenshot of a barcode or QR code and get the decoded value.
- QR Code GeneratorCreate a QR code for a link, Wi-Fi network or contact card and download it as PNG or SVG.
Related articles
- Barcode & QR
How to scan a QR code from a photo or screenshot
Upload the image to the barcode scanner and the QR code is found and decoded automatically - no button to press. Copy the value, or open it directly if it is a link.
- Barcode & QR
QR code won't scan? Here's how to read it anyway
A camera app giving up on a QR code is usually about image quality - blur, glare, a damaged or low-contrast print - not that the code is unreadable. Upload a photo of it here instead; a dedicated decoder is often more persistent than a camera app's live scanner.
Ready to do it?
Free, no sign-up, and nothing is uploaded to a server.