This page reads QR codes from image files: photos, screenshots, scanned documents. The decoder runs entirely on your device using JavaScript — the image is never sent to any server.
If you do not have an image of the QR, point your phone camera at the code instead. Every modern iPhone and Android camera reads QR codes natively without an app.
When this is useful
Common cases: a screenshot of a QR sent over chat, a QR embedded in a PDF you cannot point a camera at, a printed QR you photographed from an angle that you want to decode without re-scanning, a marketing email with a QR you want to inspect before clicking. In each, opening the image here is faster than trying to point a phone at a screen.
What we can and cannot read
We decode QR codes — the square 2D barcodes invented by Denso Wave. We do not decode 1D barcodes (EAN, UPC, Code 128, etc.), Data Matrix, PDF417, or Aztec codes from this page. Reading those requires a different decoder; it is on our roadmap.
Code quality matters. A blurry photo, a low-contrast print, or a QR covered with reflections often fails to decode. Take a fresh photo with the QR filling more of the frame and try again.
Privacy
The file picker reads the bytes locally; the <img> tag renders the preview locally; JsQR runs inside the page and returns the decoded text to JavaScript on your machine. Nothing we host sees the image or the decoded content. No request is made to any server during decoding.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the image uploaded anywhere?
- No. The image is read by JavaScript running on your device. Nothing is uploaded, stored, or logged. Close the tab and the image is gone.
- Why didn't it find a QR code in my image?
- The most common causes are: the QR is too small in the frame, the image is blurry or low contrast, or only part of the QR is visible. Crop closer to the code, retake the photo with better focus, or use a higher-resolution image.
- Can it read damaged or partial QR codes?
- QR codes have built-in error correction (typically 7%–30% recovery), so small smudges and cropped corners often still scan. A QR with most of one corner missing usually does not.
- Does it work with screenshots?
- Yes. Screenshots of QR codes from web pages, PDFs, or photos all decode the same way.
- What about barcodes (EAN, UPC, Code 128)?
- This scanner reads QR codes only. We don't yet have a 1D barcode scanner — but it's on the roadmap.