How to Scan a QR Code on iPhone

The short answer

Open the Camera app, point the rear camera at the code, and tap the link that appears at the bottom of the screen. That is all. The Camera app has read QR codes since iOS 11, so any iPhone with a reasonably current version of iOS can do it.

Menus and names change a little between iOS versions. The steps below describe recent versions. If something looks different on your phone, the idea is the same.

How to scan a QR code with the iPhone camera

You do not need to take a photo. The camera reads the code from the live view.

1. Open the Camera app. You can also open it from the Lock Screen.
2. Use the rear camera in photo mode and point it at the code. Keep the whole code on the screen with a little space around it.
3. Hold steady for a moment. A yellow box may outline the code, and a small button with the website name appears near the bottom of the screen.
4. Tap the button. A link opens in Safari or your default browser. A Wi-Fi code offers to join the network, and a contact code shows the contact so you can save it.

Turn on Scan QR Codes in Settings

If the camera shows the code but no button appears, QR scanning may be switched off. Open Settings, tap Camera and turn on Scan QR Codes. On some iOS versions the switch is labeled Show Detected Text or sits next to other camera options, but it is in the Camera section of Settings.

Restrictions can also block the camera. If the Camera app is missing or will not open, check Screen Time in Settings, under Content and Privacy Restrictions, or ask whoever manages the phone if it belongs to work or school.

Use Code Scanner in Control Center

iPhones also have a separate Code Scanner. It opens straight into a scanner, so it is useful when the Camera app keeps switching to photo or video, or when you only want to read a code.

To add it, open Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner of the screen (or up from the bottom on iPhones with a Home button). On recent iOS versions, tap the plus button or touch and hold an empty area to edit, then add Code Scanner. On older versions, go to Settings, then Control Center, and add Code Scanner from the list. After that it is one swipe and one tap away.

On many versions, Code Scanner opens links in a small browser view first and has a button for the flashlight, which helps in dim places such as restaurants.

Scan a QR code from a photo or screenshot on iPhone

You cannot point the camera at its own screen, so a code you received in a message or saved as an image needs another way. On recent iPhones, the Photos app can read codes in pictures with Live Text.

1. Open the screenshot or photo in the Photos app.
2. Look for the Live Text button in the corner of the photo, or touch and hold the code itself.
3. Tap the link that appears, or choose to copy it.

Codes in Safari, Mail and Messages

If a QR code is on a web page or in an email, you can often touch and hold the code image. On recent iOS versions, the menu that appears may include an option to open the link from the code. If it does not, take a screenshot and open it in Photos as described above.

If none of the built-in options work, open our free QR code scanner in Safari and choose the image from your photo library. It reads the code on your iPhone and does not upload the image. The full walkthrough is in how to scan a QR code from an image.

Which method to use on iPhone

What different codes do on iPhone

• A link opens in Safari or your default browser.
• A Wi-Fi code offers to join the network.
• A contact code shows the contact card with an option to save it.
• A phone number, email or text message code opens the matching app with the details filled in.
• A calendar code offers to add the event to your calendar.
• Plain text is shown on the screen, and you can copy it.

Joining Wi-Fi with a QR code on iPhone

When the Camera app reads a Wi-Fi code, the button at the bottom names the network instead of a website. Tap it and then tap Join. The iPhone saves the network, so you only do this once. If you want to set this up for your own guests, see how to share your Wi-Fi password with a QR code.

When the iPhone will not scan a QR code

• Check the Scan QR Codes setting in Settings, under Camera.
• Clean the camera lens. Smudges blur the small squares of the code.
• Change the distance. Move closer to a small code and step back from a large one, so the code fills about half the screen.
• Add light. In Code Scanner, turn on the flashlight. In the Camera app, move to better light or tilt the phone to avoid glare.
• Close and reopen the Camera app, or restart the phone if the camera seems stuck.
• Update iOS. Older versions read fewer codes and may lack Live Text.
• Try Code Scanner or Live Text. One method sometimes reads a code that another misses.
• If no phone can read it, the code itself may be faulty. See QR code not scanning for the usual causes.

Check the address before you tap

The button the Camera app shows includes the website name. Read it before you tap. A QR code on a sticker or in an unexpected email can lead to a fake login or payment page. Be careful with any page that asks for a password, a code from a text message or card details. If in doubt, open the website by typing its address yourself.

Making codes that iPhones read on the first try

If you make QR codes for others, a few choices make them easy to scan on iPhone and Android alike: a dark pattern on a light background, the empty margin left in place, and a size suited to the distance. Codes made here are checked before download, and a dynamic code keeps the pattern simple. Start with a Website URL code, and see QR code size for printing before you print.

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