How to Scan a QR Code on Android

The short answer

Open your camera app and point it at the code. On many recent Android phones, a link or a small notice appears on the screen within a second or two. Tap it to open the link. If nothing appears, try Google Lens, which is built into the Google app and the camera of many phones.

Android is made by many companies, and each one shapes its own camera app and menus. The names and places below are common, but your phone may label them a little differently.

How to scan a QR code with the Android camera

1. Open the Camera app and use the rear camera.
2. Point it at the QR code so the whole code is on the screen, with a little space around it. Hold the phone steady about 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 in) away for a small code.
3. Wait a moment. On many phones, the link or a QR icon appears near the code or at the bottom of the screen.
4. Tap it. A link opens in your browser. A Wi-Fi code offers to join the network, and a contact code offers to save the contact.
5. If nothing appears after a few seconds, move a little closer or further away, or try one of the other methods below.

If the camera does not react

Some camera apps only read QR codes when a setting is switched on. Open the camera settings, usually through a gear icon, and look for an option such as Scan QR codes or Google Lens suggestions. On some phones it sits under a Lens or Modes button instead of the main photo mode.

Older phones may have no QR reading in the camera at all. In that case Google Lens is the easiest option, and it works on almost any phone that runs the Google app.

Scan a QR code with Google Lens

Many phones also have a separate Google Lens app or a Lens button inside the camera. They work the same way.

1. Open the Google app, or the Google search bar on your home screen.
2. Tap the Lens icon, which looks like a small camera, in the search bar.
3. Point the camera at the QR code. Lens reads it and shows the link or text.
4. Tap the link to open it, or tap the text to copy it.

The Quick Settings scanner tile

On many phones with recent Android versions, there is a Scan QR code tile in Quick Settings, the panel you open by swiping down from the top of the screen. Tap it and a scanner opens straight away, without going through the camera.

If you do not see it, open the full Quick Settings panel, tap the pencil or Edit button, and look for the QR code tile in the list of tiles you can add. Drag it to the top so it is always one swipe away. Not every phone maker includes this tile.

Circle to Search for codes on your own screen

Circle to Search is available on some recent Android phones. It lets you search for anything on your screen without leaving the app you are in. That makes it handy for QR codes that appear on the phone itself, in a message, a web page or an email.

With the code on the screen, start Circle to Search. On many phones you touch and hold the home button or the navigation bar at the bottom. Then draw a circle around the code. The phone reads it and shows the link or text. How you start it depends on the phone and its settings.

Scan a QR code from a screenshot or photo

You cannot point the camera at its own screen, so a code you received in a chat or saved as a picture needs another route. Open the image in Google Photos and tap the Lens button. Lens shows what the code contains, and you can open or copy it.

If your phone has no Lens button, use our free QR code scanner in the browser. Choose the image from your gallery and it shows the link or text. The image is read on your phone and is not uploaded. There is more detail in how to scan a QR code from an image.

Which method to use on Android

Joining Wi-Fi with a QR code

A Wi-Fi code does not open a web page. When the phone reads it, it offers to join the network, and you tap Connect. On many Android phones there is also a QR icon on the Wi-Fi settings screen, next to Add network, that opens a scanner made for this.

If you run a café, an office or a rental and want guests to join this way, see how to share your Wi-Fi password with a QR code.

When the code will not scan

• Clean the camera lens. A smudge from a pocket is the most common cause of a blurry picture.
• Change the distance. Move closer to a small code and further from a large one, until the whole code fills about half the screen.
• Add light, or turn on the flashlight in a dim place. Tilt the phone a little if the code reflects light.
• Keep the code flat and straight. A code photographed at a steep angle or on a crumpled page is harder to read.
• Try another method. If the camera ignores the code, Google Lens may still read it, and the other way round.
• Update the Google app and the camera app from the Play Store. Older versions may read fewer codes.
• If none of this works on any phone, the code itself may be the problem. See QR code not scanning for the common causes.

Check the link before you open it

A QR code hides where it leads until you scan it. Most Android scanners show the address before opening it, so take a second to read it. Look at the website name just before the first single slash. Be careful with codes on stickers in public places or in unexpected messages that ask you to log in or pay. When in doubt, type the website address yourself.

Making a code that scans easily on any phone

If you are making a QR code for other people, design it so it scans on the first try on Android and iPhone alike: a dark pattern on a light background, empty space around the code, and a size that suits the distance people stand at. Codes made here are checked before download, and the generator warns you about low contrast. A dynamic code also keeps the pattern simple, which helps older phone cameras. Start with a Website URL code or add your brand with a QR code with logo.

Questions