How to Scan a QR Code Online (From Camera or Image, Free)

Someone sends you a QR code as a screenshot. Or you have a code on a printed notice, a payment poster or a form, and your camera app does not read it. If the code is on the same phone, you cannot even point the camera at it.

The fix is a QR scanner that works from an image too, so you can scan a code from a photo or a screenshot you already have.

When do you need an online QR scanner?

• A QR code arrived as a screenshot or a picture in a chat
• The code is in a PDF or a saved photo on your phone
• Your camera app does not read the code properly
• You want to see what a code contains before you open it

How to scan a QR code step by step

1. Open the QR Scanner tool. Use the button at the top of this page to open Pdfyra Workspace.
2. Choose how to scan. Tap Scan with camera to scan a code in front of you, or tap Select image with QR to use a screenshot or photo. You can also drop the file in, or pick it from Google Drive or Dropbox.
3. Let it read the code. Pdfyra reads the QR code and shows what is inside.
4. Check the result. Look at the link or text before you use it.

Tips for a successful scan

Keep the whole code in the frame. If a corner is cut off, the scan may fail.

Use good light and hold steady. A shadow or a shaky phone makes the code hard to read.

Use a clear image. A sharp screenshot works better than a blurry photo of a screen.

Code inside a PDF? Turn the page into a picture first. See how to convert PDF to image.

Code on a paper document? First capture it with how to scan documents to PDF.

Need text from a page instead? Read how to extract text from a scanned PDF.

Ready to try it?

Open the tool, scan with your camera or choose an image, and see what the code contains.