How to scan a QR code online
- Click Scan with camera and allow camera access, then hold the code inside the frame. Phones use the rear camera, and you can switch under Camera if you have more than one.
- No camera? Click Choose an image, drop a picture onto the box, or paste a screenshot with Ctrl+V.
- Read what the code holds and press Copy. For a link, check the address before you press Open link.
Check before you open a link
QR codes hide where they lead, which makes them handy for scams. A fake sticker over the real code on a parking meter, a poster or a restaurant table can send you to a lookalike payment page or a login page that steals your password. This is sometimes called quishing.
The scanner shows the full address before you open it. Read the domain carefully, the part between https:// and the next /, and be wary if it’s misspelled, unfamiliar or uses a link shortener. Never enter card details or passwords on a page you reached from a code in a public place. Go to the official site or app instead.
What’s inside a Wi-Fi QR code
A Wi-Fi code is plain text in a fixed format, for example:
WIFI:T:WPA;S:HomeNetwork;P:correct-horse;;
- T is the security type, usually WPA, WEP or nopass for an open network.
- S is the network name (SSID).
- P is the password.
- H:true, when present, means the network is hidden.
The scanner splits these out so you can copy the password and type it on a device that can’t scan codes itself, like a laptop or a games console. To make a code like this for your own network, use the QR code generator.