How to scan a QR code on a Windows PC
On a Windows PC you'll usually meet a QR code as an image on screen rather than a physical code to point a camera at. Here are the practical ways to read one.
If the code is on your screen or in a file
- Take a screenshot of the code (press the Print Screen key, or use the Snipping Tool).
- Open the image and read the code with a QR-reading tool, or use the Windows Camera app if your PC has a webcam.
- Follow the link it decodes.
Using your phone instead
Often the quickest route is your phone: point it at the code on the PC screen, or if the code is on your phone already, read it from a screenshot with Scan QR Code Master. (Scan QR Code Master runs on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.)
FAQ
- Can Windows scan a QR code without an app?
- If your PC has a webcam, the built-in Camera app can read a code you hold up to it. For a code that's already on your screen, screenshot it and decode the image, or just use your phone.
Scan and create QR codes in a tap
Scan QR Code Master is a free, ad-free QR and barcode scanner and generator for iPhone, iPad, and Mac — with history and one-tap sharing.
Download on the App Store