Why would you scan a QR code from a link?
It sounds like an odd problem until it happens to you. A friend sends a QR code on WhatsApp. Your bank puts one in a PDF. A restaurant menu code turns up in an email. The code is on your screen, and you can't scan a QR code with the same phone that's showing it.
That's the whole reason this page exists. If you have the link to the image, or the image itself, you can read the code right here without a second device.
How to scan a QR code from a link
- Copy the link to the QR code image. It usually ends in .png, .jpg, or .webp.
- Paste it into the box at the top of this page.
- Press Scan.
- Look at what comes back before you open anything.
If the code holds a website, you'll see the full address. If it holds Wi-Fi details or a contact, you'll see those instead.
Getting the link to the image
This is where most people get stuck, because there are two different links. One is the address of the web page. The other is the address of the picture on that page. The scanner needs the picture.
On a computer, right-click the QR code and choose "Copy image address." The wording changes a little between browsers, but the option is always in that menu.
On a phone, press and hold the code until a menu appears, then look for "Copy image address" or "Copy image link." Some apps don't offer it. In that case, take a screenshot and upload that instead.
When a link won't scan
Sometimes you paste the link and get "no QR code found." It's annoying, but it's usually one of a few things.
You may have pasted the page address instead of the image address. Try again with the image link.
Some websites don't let other sites load their pictures. Nothing is wrong with your link. Save the image to your device and upload it here.
The link may have expired. Many QR codes in emails and ticket systems are only live for a short time, or they need you to be logged in.
The image itself might be the problem. If it's tiny, blurry, or cut off at the edges, the scanner can't read it. QR codes need a plain white border around them, so make sure that wasn't cropped away.
What's actually inside a QR code?
More than most people think. Most are just website links, but a QR code can hold plain text, an email address, a phone number, a text message, Wi-Fi login details, a contact card, a map location, or a calendar event. It's only a small block of text turned into a pattern that a camera can read.
That's also why the scan result matters. You'll see the raw content before your phone decides what to do with it.
Check it before you open it
You can't tell where a QR code leads by looking at it. Scammers know that, and fake codes get stuck on parking meters, sent in emails, and pasted over real ones.
So read the address you get back. Check the spelling of the website name, because one swapped letter is a common trick. Be wary if it sends you to a login page or asks for card details you weren't expecting. If a code came from someone you don't know, the safest choice is to close it.
Other ways to scan without a camera
If you don't have a link, you can upload a screenshot or a saved image of the code. If the code is on a printout or another screen, the camera option works too.