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Screenshot2Text

Screenshot2Text

Scan a QR Code from an Image or Screenshot

Pick, drop, or paste a screenshot or photo with a QR code in it. The code is read in this browser tab and the image is never uploaded.

Decoded in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

Drop a screenshot or image with a QR code

PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF, or BMP · tap to pick from your photos or files

Or paste a screenshot with Ctrl+V or ⌘V

A QR code is text drawn as a pattern. Usually it is a link, sometimes a Wi-Fi login, a phone number, or a short note. This page reads that text from a picture you already have: a screenshot, a photo in your gallery, or a code in an email or PDF that you captured on your computer.

It helps most when the code is on the same screen you would scan it with. A phone camera cannot point at its own display, so take a screenshot and open it here instead. If the code holds a link, you see the full address and the domain first. Nothing opens until you tap Open link.

Need the words from an image rather than a code? The image to text tool on the homepage reads text from screenshots and photos, and copy text from image covers grabbing a few lines fast.

Worked example: scan a QR code from a screenshot on the same phone

Say a friend texts you a QR code for a shared photo album. It is on your phone, and your phone is the only camera you have. Here is how to read it.

iPhone

  1. Open the message so the code is on screen, then press the side button and volume up together. On an iPhone with a Home button, press the side button and Home.
  2. Open Safari and go to screenshot2text.com/qr-code-from-image.
  3. Tap the box, choose Photo Library, and pick the screenshot.
  4. Check the domain under Goes to, then tap Copy link or Open link.

Android

  1. With the code on screen, press power and volume down together.
  2. Open Chrome and go to screenshot2text.com/qr-code-from-image.
  3. Tap the box and pick the screenshot from Photos or your recent images.
  4. Check the domain under Goes to, then tap Copy link or Open link.

If the album link came through a shortener, you will see a bit.ly address, bit.ly as the domain, and a note that the real destination is hidden. That is your cue to ask your friend before you tap it. Your phone's photo app or Google Lens may also read codes in a saved picture. This page works in any browser and shows the whole link before anything opens.

On a computer

On Windows, press Win+Shift+S, drag around the code, and press Ctrl+V on this page. On a Mac, press Cmd+Ctrl+Shift+4, drag around the code, and press Cmd+V. The capture goes from the clipboard into the reader without saving a file. You can also drag an image in from your desktop.

What the warnings mean

When a code holds a link, the reader points out a few things worth a second look. They are facts about the address, not a verdict on the site.

Short link
Services like bit.ly, tinyurl.com, and qrco.de forward you to another address. The code only holds the short hop, so you cannot see the real site until it loads. Plenty of menus and posters use them for normal reasons.
Not https
The link starts with http://, so anything you type on that page travels unencrypted. Be careful with logins and card details.
Raw IP address
The link uses numbers like 203.0.113.7 instead of a name. Public sites rarely send people to a bare address.
xn-- in the domain
The domain uses non-Latin letters, stored in a form called punycode. That is normal for many languages. It is also how lookalike domains swap in a letter that looks like the real one.
Text before an @ sign
In https://login.example.com@example.net the browser goes to example.net. Everything before the @ is ignored.

No warning does not mean a link is safe. The reader only shows what the code says. It cannot tell who runs the site. Before you open a link, check that the domain is the one you expect, especially when the code was on a sticker, a parking meter, or an email you did not expect.

FAQ

Can I scan a QR code from a photo in my gallery?
Yes. Tap the box above and pick the photo or screenshot from your gallery, Photos, or Files. On a computer you can also drag the file in or paste it with Ctrl+V or Cmd+V. PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF, and BMP all work. A sharp, straight-on shot of the code reads best.
Does it upload my image?
No. The image is drawn to a canvas in this tab and decoded on your device, with your browser's built-in barcode reader when it has one and the open-source jsQR library when it does not. No request sends the image or the decoded text anywhere, and neither is passed to the ads on the page. Close the tab and the image is gone.
Why won't it read my QR code?
The usual causes are blur, a code that is too small in the frame, a crop that cuts into the blank border around the code (the quiet zone), and styled codes with colors, gradients, or a big logo in the middle. Glare and low contrast hurt too. Crop so the code fills most of the image but keep some white space around it, and use the biggest, sharpest copy you have. A screenshot almost always reads better than a photo of a screen.
What if there are several QR codes in one image?
The reader keeps looking after the first code and lists each one it finds, up to six, each with its own Copy button. If it misses one, crop the image down to that code and try again.
Can it read a Wi-Fi QR code?
Yes. It shows the network name, the security type, and whether the network is hidden. The password stays hidden until you tap Show, and you can copy it from there. The page does not join the network for you, so paste the password into your Wi-Fi settings.
Does it work on Windows and Mac?
Yes, in any current browser. On Windows, press Win+Shift+S, select the code, then press Ctrl+V on this page. On a Mac, press Cmd+Ctrl+Shift+4, select the code, then press Cmd+V here. The screenshot goes from the clipboard straight into the reader, so there is no file to save.