To read a QR code shown on the same phone, save a screenshot and choose it in the QR reader. No second camera or camera permission is needed. Inspect the decoded text before copying it.
Three steps
- Save the QR’s corners and surrounding clear border in the screenshot.
- Open the tool in your browser and select the saved image, or drag and drop it on a PC. A photo app’s share menu does not necessarily list this website directly.
- Inspect the decoded text and copy it if needed. The tool does not open URLs automatically.
The reader returns one code per image. If several are present, crop around the intended one while preserving its quiet zone. Formats depend on what the browser can load as an image; HEIC, PDF and every other format are not universally supported.
Fix the image by cause
| Problem | Try first | Avoid assuming |
|---|---|---|
| A small code in a large screenshot | Crop around it, preserving its border | A fixed percentage of image area determines readability |
| Blurred modules | Use the original or a higher-resolution capture | Enlargement alone restores missing information |
| Cropped corners or white margin | Recapture with the four-module quiet zone | Only the dark symbol matters |
| Glare or strong perspective | Reduce reflections and capture more square-on | Error correction handles any damage |
| Multiple codes | Crop to the intended one with its margin | The detected code is necessarily the one you wanted |
The file limit is 10 MiB (10 × 1024 × 1024 bytes). Before decoding, images are reduced to a maximum long side of 1200 px. Cropping can help preserve a fine code inside a large image. The creation guide illustrates the quiet zone.
Decoding is not a safety certificate
A QR stores a string. Successfully decoding a URL does not verify the publisher or destination. The FTC’s QR scam guidance describes risks from substituted codes and messages.
Check before opening: compare the hostname and publisher. HTTPS alone does not prove the operator is trustworthy. Short links and redirects may hide the final destination. For payments or sign-in, check through a known official site or app.
This tool does not certify URL safety, make payments or authenticate accounts. Treat temporary sign-in QR images and encoded Wi-Fi passwords as information that should not be shared indiscriminately.
Check a code without opening a website
In the generator enter TOOLSHUB and save the PNG. Read that image and verify the exact result TOOLSHUB. This practice example requires no external destination. Printed output still needs an actual print test.
Questions
Are images uploaded to a server?
Decoding runs in the browser; the implementation does not send the image or result to a server. Opening a decoded URL communicates with its destination. Shared computers and extensions require separate care.
Can the reader restore a blurred or damaged code?
Only if enough information remains. Error correction does not guarantee recovery from arbitrary damage. Try the original file or a new capture.
Can I use it for payment QR codes?
It may decode the string, but it is not a payment app. Confirm recipient and amount, and pay within the legitimate payment service.
Scope of this revision
On October 14, 2026, we checked file selection, single-code decoding, the 10 MiB limit, resizing to 1200 px and the absence of automatic URL opening in the implementation. This does not certify all payment formats, image formats or devices.
