How to Scan a QR Code on iPhone

How do you scan a QR code on an iPhone?

Open the Camera app, hold your iPhone so the QR code sits inside the frame, and tap the link that appears at the bottom of the screen. No photo, no shutter button, no app download. If nothing appears, open Settings > Camera and make sure Scan QR Codes is switched on.

Method 1: Scan with the Camera app

The simplest way to scan a QR code on iPhone works on any recent model. Apple's own QR code guide says you can open Camera from the Home Screen, the Lock Screen or Control Center. On supported models there's also the Camera Control button.

1. Open Camera and stay in Photo mode.
2. Point the lens at the QR code. Fill a good part of the frame, but it doesn't need to be perfectly centered.
3. Wait a second. The link preview shows up at the bottom of the screen.
4. Read the address, then tap it to open the page.

Step 4 is the one people skip. The preview shows you where the code goes before you go there. More on that in the safety section.

Method 2: Scan from Control Center

If you scan codes often, add the dedicated Scan Code control. Then it's one swipe and one tap, and you skip opening Camera.

Add it once:

1. Swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center.
2. Touch and hold the background, then tap Add a Control.
3. Pick Scan Code from the gallery.

Use it: open Control Center, tap Scan Code, point at the code, tap the link. The exact menus differ a little between iOS versions. If you don't see "Add a Control", look for the green plus (+) in Settings > Control Center instead.

Method 3: Scan a QR code from a screenshot or photo

The Camera app reads codes through the lens, so it can't help when the code is already on your phone: a ticket in an email, a screenshot a friend sent, a code in your photo library. You have two options.

Try the Photos app first. Open the screenshot in Photos, then touch and hold the QR code, or tap the Live Text button in the corner of the photo. On recent iOS versions a link often appears that you can tap. Apple documents Live Text for text and links in photos but doesn't promise QR codes, so if nothing shows up, use the next option.

Use a browser scanner (works on every iOS version):

1. Open our free online QR code scanner in Safari.
2. Tap Upload an image or screenshot and pick it from your photos.
3. Read the link in your scan history, then tap it to open the page.

The image is decoded on your iPhone and isn't uploaded anywhere. If it says no code was found, crop the screenshot closer to the code, keeping the blank border around it.

Why your iPhone won't scan a QR code

When you can't scan a QR code on iPhone, the cause is almost always one of five things. Work through them in this order, since the first ones take ten seconds.

1. The setting is off. Settings > Camera > Scan QR Codes.
2. Lens or light. A smudged lens blurs fine detail. Wipe it with a soft cloth. In dim rooms, add light rather than moving closer.
3. Wrong distance. Small printed codes need you close, big posters need you back. If the preview flickers, move a few inches and hold still.
4. Damaged or low-contrast code. Wet, creased, glossy-glare or faded codes fail. Tilt the phone to kill the glare. If it's your own print, see our guide to QR codes that won't scan.
5. It scans, but the page won't load. That's a connection or dead-link problem, not a scanning one. Try Wi-Fi. If the page still fails, the code points to a URL that's gone. Offline scanning explains what works without a signal.

Still stuck? Restart the Camera app, then the phone.

How to check a QR code before you open it

A QR code is just a link in picture form, and you can't read it by eye. So the preview is your only checkpoint. Use it.

• Read the domain. Does it match who handed you the code? A parking meter that sends you to a random domain is a red flag.
• Look at the sticker. Codes on public posters, meters and table tents are sometimes covered by a fake code stuck on top. If the edges look peeled or layered, don't scan it.
• Be wary of urgency. A code in an unexpected email or text that says "act now" is a classic phishing setup.
• Don't enter passwords or card details on a page you reached from a code you don't trust. Go to the company's site directly instead.

Shortened links hide the real destination. That's normal for marketing codes, but it's another reason to be slower with codes from strangers. If you run codes for your own business, using a dynamic QR code on your own domain means customers see an address they recognize.

Do you need a QR scanner app?

No. The Camera app and Control Center cover every normal case. Third-party scanner apps mostly add ads and permission requests, so if you installed one years ago, it's safe to delete.

What you might want instead is a way to make codes that you can edit and track after printing. That's what URL QR codes on QRTRAC do, and you can try the free QR code generator without signing up.

Frequently asked questions