How to scan a QR code from a photo on your iPhone

Have a QR code in a screenshot or saved photo? Read it on the same iPhone, then review the result before opening a website.

You do not need a second phone just because a QR code is already on your screen. QR Scanner can read a code from a saved photo or screenshot on the same iPhone.

Scan a saved image in QR Scanner

Save the image containing the QR code to your photo library. If you take a screenshot, keep the full code visible.
Open QR Scanner and use the photo-selection control on the scanner screen.
Choose the photo or screenshot containing the code.
Review the decoded result. It may be a website, plain text, Wi-Fi details, or another supported type of content.
If it is a website, review the destination before choosing to open it.

The current App Store listing confirms support for scanning from photos as well as the live camera. Labels and placement may vary with the app version and your device.

If the image does not scan

Check that the photo contains the entire code, including a little space around its edges. A cropped corner, heavy blur, glare, or a code reduced to a tiny thumbnail can make recognition harder.

Try the original downloaded image instead of a compressed copy forwarded through a messaging app. If you are taking a screenshot of a webpage, dismiss anything covering the code first. Enlarging a blurry screenshot does not restore missing detail; request a clearer original if necessary.

If recognition still fails, ask the sender for the intended website or information in plain text. Do not keep trying unfamiliar links simply to see what happens.

For a code on another screen, use the camera

If the code is printed or displayed on a computer or tablet, you can point your iPhone’s camera at it. Apple also provides a Code Scanner control in Control Center. Its QR scanning guide explains these built-in options.

QR Scanner is useful when you want its decoded results, saved history, and link-review workflow in one app. You do not have to install an app merely to open an ordinary printed QR code.

Check what the code actually contains

A QR code in a photo is not more trustworthy than one on paper. A sender can forward a code without knowing its destination. For unfamiliar websites, use the QR link checklist before signing in or paying. Online reputation checks in QR Scanner require Pro and cannot guarantee that a website is safe.