What this scanner can read
- URLs — the most common QR use case. The link is presented as a clickable button rather than auto-opened, so you can inspect the URL first (important for public QR codes that may have been swapped by a scammer).
- Wi-Fi credentials — printed on router labels and cafe menus. The scanner extracts SSID, security type, and password, ready to type into your device's Wi-Fi settings.
- vCard / MECARD contact cards — from business cards or conference badges. Fields are parsed and shown individually so you can add them to Contacts without OCR.
- Plain text — arbitrary payloads, from event tickets to loyalty codes.
How to scan a QR code with your phone (no app)
Modern iPhones and Android phones have QR scanning built into their default camera app, but they only recognise codes when the camera app is open, and they don't work on desktop or in browsers where you happen to see a QR code on-screen. This tool fills those gaps: it works in any browser on any device, and it accepts an image upload so you can scan a QR code from a screenshot or a saved photo.
To scan with a phone camera, open scanpdfonline.com/qr-code-scanner in Safari (iPhone) or Chrome (Android), tap Use camera, and allow the browser to access the camera. Point the rear camera at the QR code so it fills most of the frame. Detection is instant — you don't need to press a shutter.
Safety check when scanning public QR codes
QR codes on posters, parking meters, restaurant tables and product packaging are a growing attack vector — attackers stick their own QR sticker on top of the legitimate one to redirect payments or phish credentials. This scanner intentionally does not auto-open URLs. When a URL is decoded, the domain is shown as text first, so you can verify it matches what you expect before tapping.
Rules of thumb: if a QR at a coffee shop redirects to a domain you don't recognise, don't follow it. If a payment QR shows a random-looking URL instead of your bank's domain, cancel and ask the merchant to use a fresh code. If a public QR wants you to install an app, close the page.
Privacy
Camera capture and QR decoding both run inside your browser using the open-source jsQR library. The decoded content stays on your device unless you explicitly click a resulting URL. Nothing about the QR code you scanned — content, timing, or device — is transmitted to us or any third party.