QR Code Scanner

How do I scan a QR code safely?

Read a QR code with your camera or a screenshot and check the link before you open it.

Look for

The camera starts only when you choose. The image stays on your device.

Image or text

Choose an image or drop it here

You can also paste an image. Files stay on your device.

Text of a code

Paste what a code says to check it. Scanned codes appear here too.

Result

Nothing scanned yet

You'll see

What the code holds
Where a link really leads
Warning signs in plain words
Wi-Fi, contact and payment details

How to use

Press Start camera and allow camera access, then hold the code inside the frame. You can also choose or paste an image, such as a screenshot.
Read what the code holds. For a link, look at the site name and the warning signs before you press Open link.
Copy what you need: the address, a Wi-Fi password, payment details or a product number. Codes you read stay listed until you leave the page.

How it works

A QR code or barcode is only text written in black and white squares or bars. The scanner reads that text on your device, from the camera image or the picture you choose, and nothing is sent anywhere. Then it tells you what kind of text it is: a web address, Wi-Fi login, contact card, bank transfer, product number or plain text.

Links get the most attention, because a code on a parking meter or a poster can be a sticker placed by a scammer. The scanner never opens a link by itself. It shows the real site name, decodes international names (xn--80ak6aa92e.com shows as аррӏе.com: it looks like apple.com, but every letter is Cyrillic), and flags short links, hidden names before the address (https://mybank.com@other.net goes to other.net) and addresses that run code instead of opening a page.

Barcodes on products carry a GS1 check digit: multiply the digits alternately by 3 and 1 from the right, and the last digit brings the sum up to the next multiple of ten. For 400638133393, the sum is 89, so the check digit is 1 and the full EAN-13 is 4006381333931. A wrong check digit means a misread or a made-up number. Payment codes follow the EPC QR standard and the Finnish bank barcode guide.

No warning signs doesn't prove a link or payment is safe: it only means nothing looks unusual in the text itself. A short link isn't followed, so its destination stays unknown. Check payment details in your banking app before you pay.

Frequently asked questions

How can I tell if a QR code is a scam?

Look at the site name the scanner shows, not the poster around the code. Be careful with short links, misspelled or look-alike names, and codes stuck on top of others. Never enter bank details on a page you reached by a code.

Can it read Wi-Fi and payment QR codes?

Yes. Wi-Fi codes show the network and password, contact codes show the card's fields and EPC payment codes show the recipient, IBAN and amount.

More in Media and files

All 12 utilities in Media and files