Free QR Code Scanner: Read QR Code from Image, Camera or Batch

The tool

Your online QR code scanner

Choose an image, drop it into the preview or paste a screenshot: the content appears in an instant, with its type, version and the detail of the modules read.

QR Code Scanner

Online Everyday, Utilities & Web Tools

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Shortcuts: Ctrl + V paste an image

Ready.

QR code image

PNG, JPEG, WebP, GIF or BMP · 10 Mo max · or drop the image into the preview, or paste a screenshot with Ctrl + V.

Image preview

Drop an image here, paste a screenshot or choose a file from the top bar.

The code is read in full: keep the white margin around the three corner squares and avoid glare.

Sample images

Click an example: the image loads and is decoded right away, with nothing uploaded.

Decoded content

Reference	Value
Content type	—
Content	—
Length	—
QR version	—
Image dimensions	—
Decode time	—

No image decoded yet.

Several images at once

Select as many files as you need: each one is read in turn and the summary reports the result image by image.

Batch results

File	Status	Type	Content

No image processed yet.

—

Local activity

Each decode is saved to your device's local storage. Nothing is sent: if you clear the history, it is lost for good.

Decodes0

Last decode—

Top type—

Cumulative characters0

Decode history

#	Date	Type	Content	Length

No decodes saved yet.

Search the cheat sheet

Filter the rows of the table below: typing « mask » or « quality » is enough to isolate the concept you are after.

QR, formats, quality and security

Category	Term	Definition
QR	Version	From 1 to 40: version 1 encodes a 21 × 21 module grid and each version adds 4 modules per side.
QR	Module	The single black or white square: all the information fits in a grid of these contrasting squares.
QR	Quiet zone	The four-module white margin around the code, essential for its detection: never crop it.
QR	Finder patterns	The three large corner squares that let the reader find the code, its orientation and its distortion.
QR	Raw data	The content read as-is, with no interpretation: the tool shows the exact string stored in the code.
Error correction	Level L	About 7% of the code can be repaired: reserved for large, clean, protected codes.
Error correction	Level M	About 15% repaired: the most common setting, the one used by QR codes printed every day.
Error correction	Level Q	About 25% repaired: recommended for codes exposed to handling and dirt.
Error correction	Level H	About 30% repaired: the symbol stays readable even when partially hidden, worn or damaged.
Format	_masque	Eight patterns that balance light and dark areas so readers find the grid without error.
Format	PNG	Lossless raster format, ideal on screen and for sharing: module edges stay sharp.
Format	SVG	Vector format scalable to any size without pixelation: the choice for print and posters.
Format	JPEG	Lossy compression: artifacts round off the corners and lower the success rate.
Content	URL	A web address that the phone opens in the browser — the most common case.
Content	Wi-Fi	The WIFI: prefix that stores the network name, the password and the security type.
Content	vCard	BEGIN:VCARD: name, phone, email, address and company — the contact is saved in one gesture.
Content	MECARD	Compact contact format, shorter than vCard, used by older phones.
Content	SMS	The sms: prefix that prepares a message already addressed to the right number.
Quality	Contrast	Pure black on pure white: a coloured background, a gradient or glare will make the read fail.
Quality	Size	At least 2 cm per side to be read from 30 cm; on screen, each module must cover at least 4 pixels.
Quality	Resolution	300 dpi minimum when printing: below that, the modules blur on paper.
Security	Unknown link	A code can point to a booby-trapped page: read the displayed address before opening it.
Security	Local reading	Here the image stays on your device: the decoding runs in the browser, with no upload.

Decoding run in your browser · Ctrl + V to paste an image · no network requests · 100% local, nothing leaves your device.

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Free or Premium?

The QR code scanner is free and unlimited: no account, nothing to install, no network requests. Premium unlocks the whole Volade ecosystem.

FreeImage decoding from a file, paste, drag-and-drop and live camera

FreeDetection of twelve content types, QR version, dimensions and decode time

FreeBatch decoding, local history of fifty reads and a full cheat sheet

PremiumEncrypted cloud sync of your reads across your devices

PremiumAPI access and scripts shared across the ecosystem tools

Unlock Premium

Features

Read a QR from an image, the camera or a batch

Six scan modes, twelve detected content types and a local history — everything you need to decode without leaving the browser.

File, paste and camera

Choose a file, drop it into the preview or paste a screenshot with Ctrl + V : the image appears, the tool looks for the three corner patterns, straightens the grid and reads the modules, then draws the outline of the detected code. Camera mode chains live frames for as long as you keep the code in view.

Decode an image

Twelve content types recognized

Web address, email, phone number, SMS, Wi-Fi network, vCard or MECARD contact, calendar event, geographic location, plain text, structured data or other: the results table names the type before you have even read the string, and the character count confirms what it is.

See the types

Batch, history and cheat sheet

Select several images: each is decoded in turn with its status, its type and a content excerpt. Reads join the local history — fifty entries, four indicators, erasable in one click — and the filterable cheat sheet recalls versions, correction levels, formats and quality rules.

Open the history

How it works

Decode a QR code in three steps

No installation, no sign-up: the tool is always ready, on mobile as well as desktop.

Load the image

Open the file picker, drop the image into the preview or paste a screenshot. You can also click one of the three examples provided: loading triggers the decode right away, sending nothing.

Let the tool read it

The three corner squares are located, the grid is straightened, then the modules are decoded; any errors are repaired by error correction. The table shows the content, the type, the QR version, the dimensions and the decode time. In Camera mode, a click on « Start camera » launches the live view.

Copy and find it again

« Copy content » puts the decoded string on the clipboard, ready to paste. The History tab keeps your latest reads with their type and length, the Batch tab summarises a series of images, and the Cheat sheet guides you for the next code you need to produce.

Quick reference

QR decoding at a glance

What most people check before decoding — with full definitions in the « Cheat sheet » tab.

Reference	Value	Typical use
Decoding	100% in the browser	public networks, offline
Version	1 to 40 (21 × 21 to 177 × 177)	dense codes, printed PDFs
Error correction	L, M, Q, H — up to 30%	damaged or partially hidden codes
Image formats	PNG, JPEG, WebP, GIF, BMP	screenshots, photos, scans
File size	10 Mo max	high-resolution photos
Detected types	12 (URL, Wi-Fi, vCard…)	contacts, networks, links
Camera	front and rear	live scanning of a printed code
History	50 local reads	reviewing without a network
Paste	Ctrl + V	instant screenshots
Cheat sheet	23 references	choosing formats and quality

How do you decode a QR code from an image?

A QR code is a grid of black and white squares: three large corner patterns delimit the data area, and the remaining modules encode the information bit by bit, backed by an error correction level that allows a damaged part to be rebuilt. The tool first locates those three patterns, then derives the orientation and size of the grid, corrects the perspective if the image was taken at an angle, and finally reads the modules one by one.

Decoding happens entirely in JavaScript, in your browser: the image is resized if needed, the pixels are analysed and the result is displayed before anything can leave the page. The table delivers the exact string, the recognized content type, its length, the symbol version, the image dimensions and the measured time, while the green outline marks the four detected corners.

What content types can a QR code hold?

The most common is still the web address, which the phone opens directly. Next comes the Wi-Fi network — the prefix WIFI: stores the name, the password and the encryption —, the contact card (BEGIN:VCARD or the compact format MECARD), the email, the phone number, the SMS, the calendar event and the geographic location. If no format is recognized, the tool displays the plain text: a QR is only a compact way of storing characters, it is not encrypted.

Why does decoding fail on some images?

The causes are almost always visual. The motion blur erases the outlines of the modules; a glare or uneven lighting hides an entire area; a low contrast — a grey QR on cream paper — makes it impossible to tell black from white; the quiet zone cut off deprives the reader of its four-module margin; finally, an image that is too small or enlarged afterwards no longer leaves enough pixels per module. On the content side, a very dense code generated at a low version can also exceed the intended capacity.

What should I do with a code I don't recognise?

First read the displayed string: if it starts with http, WIFI:, BEGIN:, tel: or geo:, the type tells you the nature of the data before anything is opened. An unknown or shortened link deserves checking elsewhere; here, nothing is executed: the tool simply returns the text stored in the code.

What the scanner does not do

It does not generate codes: to create one, head to the QR code generator. It does not read 1D barcodes — that is the job of the barcode generator to produce them, 1D formats having nothing to do with a QR grid. It creates no account, syncs nothing across your devices and uploads no image: the history lives in the browser's local storage and disappears with it.

Recommended for

Merchants and event organisers checking a poster or a ticket, marketing teams verifying the printed link of a campaign, people joining a hotel or café Wi-Fi network, online shops scanning a parcel or a label, curious passers-by decoding a code spotted in the street — and anyone who wants read a QR code quickly and without a trace, along with the QR code generator, the OCR text extractor, the character counter, the Base64 encoder decoder and the color picker.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the QR code scanner

Everything you want to know before loading an image, turning on the camera or sharing decoded content.

How do you decode a QR code from an image?

Open the Image tab, choose a file — or drop it into the preview, or paste a screenshot with Ctrl + V — then let it work: the tool locates the three corner patterns, straightens the grid and reads the modules. The table then shows the exact content, the recognized content type, the character count, the QR version, the image dimensions and the decode time. Three sample images are provided to check that it works in one click.

Which images are supported and what size?

PNG, JPEG, WebP, GIF and BMP formats, up to 10 Mo per file. A phone photo works very well as long as the code takes up a good share of the frame. The image is never uploaded: it is read and analysed in your browser, then forgotten as soon as you replace it or clear the result.

Can I use my phone's camera?

Yes, in the Camera tab: a click on « Start camera » asks for the browser's permission, then scanning starts live. The « Switch camera » button toggles between front and rear when both exist. Access requires an HTTPS page; if it is denied or the device has no camera, Image mode, Batch mode and the history remain fully functional.

Why does decoding fail on some images?

Most often because of blur, glare, insufficient contrast, a cropped white margin or an image too small for each module to cover enough pixels. Retake the photo straight on, filling the frame, on a light background and without raking light. Error correction repairs up to 30% of the damaged modules, but nothing replaces a sharp image.

What does a QR code contain and is my data sent anywhere?

A QR code stores raw characters: a URL, Wi-Fi credentials, a contact card, a number, a message, coordinates or free text. That is not encryption. In this tool, the image and its content stay on your device: the decoding runs in JavaScript, with no network request. Only the result is kept in local storage — fifty entries at most — and you can clear it in one click.

What is the difference between scanning and generating a QR code?

Scanning is reading: you start from an image and recover the text. Generating is writing: you start from a link or a form and get the code image to print or share — it is the QR code generator. The two tools complement each other: one produces the code, the other checks it after printing or after receiving a poster.

Does the tool read 1D barcodes?

No: this scanner is specialised in QR codes, those square grids with three corner patterns. Striped barcodes — EAN, UPC, Code 128 — are a different one-dimensional format, produced with the barcode generator. Loading a barcode image will therefore return « no QR code detected ».

How do I copy or share decoded content?

The « Copy content » button puts the exact string on the clipboard, ready to paste into a message, an email or a form. After a camera session, the same button sits under « Last code detected ». The History tab lets you find a previous read with its date, type and length; the copy never leaves your device.

100% local QR code scanner: no image ever leaves your browser

Unlike services that upload your photo to a server to have it analysed, everything happens here: the decoding is written in JavaScript, it runs on your device and the result is displayed before anything can leave the page. That is what makes it possible to read the code on a parcel, a business card or a poster on a public network, or on a plane, knowing that nothing is logged. The history, the statistics and the cheat sheet live in the browser's local storage, and « Clear history » erases them for good.

The licence Volade Premium adds an optional, encrypted cloud sync independent of the tool — the rest stays free and unlimited, with no sign-up.

One premium licence, all your web tools

QR code scanner, QR code generator, Base64 encoder decoder, JWT decoder, regex tester, JSON formatter and dozens of free tools — and the whole Volade ecosystem with a single licence.

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