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    Read a QR code online

    Upload an image, paste a screenshot or open the camera: the content appears.

    or drop it here, or paste a screenshot with Ctrl + V

    Your files stay on your device: your browser processes them and nothing is sent to a server.

    The QR code content will show here, with its type and, for a link, the domain to check. No link ever opens on its own.

    Read a QR code online, without a phone

    To read a QR code online, upload an image that contains it, paste a screenshot with Ctrl + V (Cmd + V on a Mac) or open your device's camera: the decoded content appears on the right in under a second, with its type (link, wifi network, contact card, text). For a link, the tool highlights the domain, for example service-public.fr, and flags an address without encryption, a shortened link or a domain with misleading characters. It is useful for a code received by email or inside a PDF, which no camera can scan on the very screen that shows it. Nothing is uploaded: your browser analyses the image. The limit: it only reads QR codes, not Data Matrix, Aztec codes or ordinary barcodes.

    How the reader works

    You can give the tool a code in three ways: upload a file (photo, screenshot, saved image), paste a screenshot, or use the camera of your computer or phone. The image is scaled to several sizes and given a white margin, which helps with screenshots cropped too tightly; light-on-dark codes are tried too. With the camera, the browser asks for permission, then each frame is analysed on your device until a code is found, and the camera switches itself off.

    The content is then identified: web link, wifi network (name, security, password hidden by default), contact card, WhatsApp link with its number and message, email address, phone number, two-factor authentication key or plain text. You can copy it in one click. The format itself is defined by the ISO/IEC 18004 standard, last revised in 2024.

    Quishing in France: check before you open

    Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr, the French government's cybercrime victim support service, calls phishing by QR code "quishing". It lists fake parking fines left on windscreens, fake La Poste delivery notices in letterboxes, and fake QR codes stuck on parking meters or electric vehicle charging points. It describes the threat as still marginal but real, because a link hidden in a QR code cannot be read with the naked eye: it can lead to a fraudulent site or download malware. Its advice: check that the link looks genuine before following it, and do not open it at the slightest doubt.

    The French economy ministry adds two habits: check that the code has not been stuck over another one, and after scanning, make sure the address matches the site you expect. If you are new to France, remember that official sites end in .gouv.fr, and that a real parking fine is paid by typing amendes.gouv.fr yourself rather than through a code on a flyer. That is why this tool never opens a link by itself. If you gave card details after a scan, the ministry's page points to 17Cyber for help and explains how to file a complaint.

    Making your own QR code

    All 75tools QR codes are static: they contain the address or text itself, with no redirect through a server. The QR code generator handles links and text, and the wifi QR code page shares your network without spelling out the password. You can read any of these codes here to check what it contains before printing it.

    Frequently asked questions

    I only have a screenshot of the QR code, is that enough to read it?

    Yes. Take the screenshot, come back to this page and press Ctrl + V (Cmd + V on a Mac): the pasted image is analysed straight away. You can also save the screenshot and upload it with the button. This is handy for a code received by email or shown on the very screen you are reading it on, which no camera can scan.

    Why doesn't the reader open the link straight away like my phone does?

    Because the main risk with a QR code is being sent to a fake website. Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr, the French government's cybercrime victim support service, advises checking that a link looks genuine before following it, and not opening it at the slightest doubt. The tool therefore shows the full address and its domain first, flags warning signs, and only opens it when you click.

    How can I tell whether the address in a French QR code is genuine?

    Look at the domain, the part just before the first "/": it must belong to the expected body, for example impots.gouv.fr and not impots-gouv.info. Be wary of a shortened link that hides its destination, of an http address without encryption, and of any page that then asks for card details. The French economy ministry also advises checking that a sticker has not been placed over the original code.

    Is my camera feed sent anywhere when I scan?

    No. The browser first asks for permission to use the camera; then every frame is analysed inside the page by a QR code library running on your device. Nothing is recorded or sent. As soon as a code is read, or when you click Stop camera, the camera is turned off and its indicator light goes out. You can also upload a photo instead of granting camera access.

    The QR code is not recognised, what can I try?

    Crop the image around the code while keeping a small white margin, avoid glare and blur, and upload the original photo rather than a thumbnail. The tool already tries several sizes and inverted colours. It only reads QR codes: a square code with a different pattern (Data Matrix, Aztec) or an ordinary barcode will not be recognised by this reader.

    Sources

    More tools: qr codes