HandyQRCodeiPhone
- Open the Camera app and point it at the code. Hold it steady for a second.
- A yellow link or notification appears. Check the address, then tap it.
Nothing happens? Go to Settings → Camera and make sure Scan QR Codes is on. You can also add the Code Scanner button to Control Center (Settings → Control Center).
Android
- Open the Camera app and point it at the code. On many phones a link appears right away.
- If not, use Google Lens: tap the Lens icon in the camera or in the Google search bar.
- Many phones also have a Scan QR code tile in the quick settings panel (swipe down from the top of the screen).
On Samsung phones, check Camera settings → Scan QR codes.
Scanning a code that is on your own screen
Take a screenshot, then open it in Google Lens or Google Photos (Android), or open it in Photos on iPhone and long-press the code. Recent phones recognise codes in images this way.
When a QR code won’t scan
- Move back a little so the whole code, including its white border, is in view, then come closer slowly.
- Light and glare: avoid reflections on glossy paper or screens, and don’t block the light with your phone.
- Clean the camera lens.
- Light code on a dark background: many phones can’t read it. That is a design problem, not yours.
- Too small or too dense: the code may simply be printed too small for its content. See the size guide.
Making codes that are easy to scan
If you are creating codes, keep the content short, use a dark code on a light background, keep the white margin, and test with both an iPhone and an Android phone. You can make yours with the free QR code generator.
Worried about fake codes? Read are QR codes safe? QR code scams and how to avoid them.
On a computer? Read a code from a screenshot with the QR code reader.