How to Scan QR Codes on Windows

You’re probably used to scanning QR codes with your smartphone to access email addresses, phone numbers, and website links. But how do you scan them on a Windows PC without your phone? Here are a few simple ways to do that.

1

How to Scan QR Codes Using the Windows Camera App

Want to scan a QR code using your PC’s webcam, just like you would with your phone? The built-in Camera app on your Windows 10 or 11 PC makes it easy. Here’s how to do it:

1. Press Win + S to open the search menu.
2. Type camera in the search box and select the first result that appears.
3. Click the arrow to reveal the Barcode button below the shutter button (in Photo mode).
4. Place your QR code in front of your computer’s camera and the app will scan it automatically.

It’s worth noting that the QR code option in the Camera app may not be visible if you aren’t running the most recent version of Windows. In this case, you must enable the experimental features in the Windows Camera app to access the QR code option. Here’s how:

1. Open the Camera app on your PC and click the gear icon in the top-left corner to open the app’s settings.
2. Click Related settings to expand it.
3. Enable the toggle next to Try out new experimental features.

Restart the Camera app after completing the above steps, and you should see the QR code scanner option.

2

How to Scan QR Codes From an Image on Windows

Although the Windows Camera app makes it simple to scan QR codes, it has some limitations.

The biggest hurdle is that it can’t scan QR codes from existing images on your computer. To do this, you can use an online QR code scanning service. Here’s how:

1. Open any web browser and head to the ScanQR website.
2. Under the Scan QR code from image section, click the Drag & Drop or Browse option.
3. Select the image containing the QR code from your computer and click Open.
4. Once you upload the image, the website should scan it automatically and show the result in the Scanned Data box. You can copy the result from there if you want.

If you’re using Windows 11, you can also use the Snipping Tool app to scan QR codes. All you have to do is either take a screenshot of the QR code or open an already saved QR code image in the Snipping Tool app.

1. Open the Snipping Tool app using the search menu.
2. Click the New button and take a screenshot of the QR code you want to scan. Alternatively, click the three-dot menu in the top right corner and select Open file to select the QR code image already saved on your PC.
3. Click the Text Actions icon at the top to scan the QR code.

The Snipping Tool app will scan the QR code and display the text or link. You can copy it to the Windows clipboard or open the link in your browser.

4

How to Scan QR Codes Using the Photo Scan App on Windows

Thanks to the growing popularity of QR codes, several QR code scanner apps are now available on the Microsoft Store. You can quickly scan or generate QR codes on your Windows computer using an app like Photo Scan.

To scan QR codes using the Photo Scan app:

1. Download and install the Photo Scan app on your PC, then open it.
2. Click the Browse Photo button to select the QR code image saved on your PC. Click the Use Camera button if you want to capture the QR code using your PC’s webcam.
3. The app will automatically scan the QR code and show the text or link under Result.

You now know some quick and simple ways to scan QR codes on your Windows computer. In most cases, the built-in Camera app or Snipping Tool should be enough. If not, you can also try the Photo Scan app or head to the ScanQR website to scan QR codes. Regardless of the method you choose, don’t forget to ensure the QR code is safe to scan.