image or camera → text
QR code reader
This QR code reader shows the text of a code in an image or the camera view, up to 2953 bytes at level L. Drop a picture, paste one or start the camera.
- v40-L = 7089 × 0–9
- v40-M = 2331 B
- v40 = 177 × 177
The image or the camera picture is read inside your browser and is never uploaded. Links are shown as plain text and never opened for you.
Scanned by 
NortonTM Safe Web
At a glance
- Price
- No charge
- Account
- None needed
- Upload
- Not applicable — images and camera frames are read in your browser, nothing is sent anywhere
- Standard
- ISO/IEC 18004, versions 1 to 40, correction levels L, M, Q and H
- Input
- An image file, a pasted image or the camera; large images are reduced to 1600 px
- Recognised types
- Link, Wi-Fi, email, phone, SMS, contact card (vCard) and plain text
QR code capacity and error correction
The largest amounts a QR code can store, at version 40 (177 × 177 modules). Shorter content uses a smaller version. The generator uses these same figures to warn you when text does not fit.
| Correction level | Digits only | Capital letters and digits | Any text (bytes) |
|---|---|---|---|
| L (low) | 7089 | 4296 | 2953 |
| M (medium) | 5596 | 3391 | 2331 |
| Q (quartile) | 3993 | 2420 | 1663 |
| H (high) | 3057 | 1852 | 1273 |
| Correction level | Share of codewords restored | Data codewords at version 40 |
|---|---|---|
| L (low) | 7% | 2956 |
| M (medium) | 15% | 2334 |
| Q (quartile) | 25% | 1666 |
| H (high) | 30% | 1276 |
How to read a QR code
Give it a picture
Drop an image onto the box, choose a file, or paste an image from the clipboard. A screenshot works as well as a photograph. Large images are reduced to 1600 pixels on the longest side before reading.
Or scan with the camera
Press the camera button and allow access. On a phone the rear camera is used. Hold the code flat, fill about half the view with it and keep the light even; the camera stops as soon as a code is read.
Read the result
The text appears with its type: link, Wi-Fi network, contact card, email, phone number, SMS or plain text. Copy any field. For Wi-Fi, the password stays hidden until you press Show.
How a QR code is read
A reader first turns the picture into black and white, then looks for the three square finder patterns in the corners of a QR code. From them it works out the position, size and tilt of the code, straightens the perspective and samples one value for each module. The bits are read in a zigzag path, and Reed-Solomon correction repairs damaged codewords: level L can restore about 7% of them, M 15%, Q 25% and H 30%. The result is split into digits, letters or bytes according to the mode of each segment.
Reading fails when the picture is too blurry, too small, curved, glared or cut off, or when the border around the code is missing. Only standard QR codes are read: Micro QR, Data Matrix and ordinary barcodes are not, and text that relies on extended character-set switching (ECI) may not decode. The page only shows what is stored in the code. It cannot tell whether a link is safe, and it opens nothing by itself.
QR code reader questions
How do I read a QR code from an image or screenshot?
Drop the image on the box, choose it with the file button or paste it with Ctrl+V (Cmd+V on a Mac). The text appears as soon as a code is found. Any image format your browser can open works, including PNG, JPEG and WebP. If the screenshot contains several codes, crop it so that only one is left.
Why does the reader say it found no code?
The usual causes are a blurry or very small picture, a code cut off at the edge, glare, a missing white border around the pattern, or low contrast. Crop closer to the code, take a sharper photo or screenshot it at a larger size. A code that is part of a larger image is found too, but the code needs at least a few pixels per module to be read.
Is it safe to open a link from a QR code?
The reader shows the link as text and gives you a plain link to click yourself. It does not check where the link leads, so read the address first. A code on a sticker or poster can lead somewhere other than what is printed beside it. Open it only if the address looks right.
Does the camera picture leave my device?
No. The browser asks for permission, the frames are decoded in the tab and nothing is recorded or sent. The camera stops as soon as a code is read, when you press Stop or when you leave the page. Browsers only offer the camera on secure (HTTPS) pages.
What kinds of code does it recognise?
It reads standard QR codes of any version, 1 to 40, and shows the type of the content: web link, Wi-Fi network (WIFI:T:WPA;S:name;P:password;;), email (mailto:), phone number (tel:), SMS (SMSTO:) and contact card (vCard). Anything else is shown as plain text. The reader does not read Micro QR, Data Matrix or barcodes.
Is the Wi-Fi password sent anywhere?
No. A Wi-Fi code carries the password in readable form, and this page only shows it on your screen, hidden until you press Show. It is not stored or sent. Keep in mind that anyone who can scan the printed code can read the same password.