How to scan a QR code from a photo or screenshot
Sometimes the QR code is already on your screen — in a screenshot, a saved image, or a message someone sent you. You can't point your camera at your own screen, but iPhone can still read the code from the picture.
In the Photos app
- Save the image to your Photos (take a screenshot, or touch and hold the image in Messages or Safari and save it).
- Open the image in the Photos app.
- If iPhone recognizes the code, an icon appears on the image. Tap it to open the link or act on the code.
Find saved images with QR codes
Photos gathers pictures that contain QR codes: tap Collections, scroll down, tap Utilities, then open QR Codes. This works for many standard QR codes; a code that's blurry or partly hidden may not be recognized.
FAQ
- Can I scan a QR code that's on the same phone's screen?
- Not with the camera — you can't point it at its own screen. Take a screenshot instead, open it in the Photos app, and tap the code icon when it appears.
- How do I scan a QR code someone texted me?
- Save the image to your Photos, then open it in the Photos app. If iPhone recognizes the code, tap the icon that appears to open it.
Scan and create QR codes in a tap
Scan QR Code Master is an ad-free QR and barcode scanner and generator, free to download for iPhone, iPad, and Mac — with history and one-tap sharing.
Download on the App StoreRelated guides
- How to scan a QR code on iPhone
- How to scan a QR code on a Mac
- How to scan a barcode with your phone
- How to scan a QR code on Android
- How to find your QR code scan history
- How to turn QR code scanning on or off on iPhone
- How to scan a QR code on a Samsung Galaxy phone
- How to scan a QR code on an iPad
- How to scan a QR code on a Windows PC