How to scan a QR code on iPhone

Scan with the Camera app

1. Open the Camera app in Photo mode, using the back camera.
2. Point it at the code so the whole square fits in the frame.
3. Hold steady for a moment. A button with the link or action appears near the bottom of the frame.
4. Tap that button. You don't need to take a photo.

This works on every iPhone running iOS 11 or later. The button shows the web address, or what the code will do, like joining a network. Read it before you tap, especially on codes in public places. The QR code safety guide explains what to look for.

Use the Code Scanner in Control Center

iPhones also have a dedicated scanner. Open Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner, or up from the bottom on iPhones with a Home button, and tap Code Scanner.

If it isn't there, add it. On iOS 18 and later, touch and hold an empty spot in Control Center, tap Add a Control and pick Code Scanner. On earlier versions, go to Settings, then Control Center, and add it from the list. The scanner has its own flashlight button, which helps a lot in a dim restaurant.

If nothing happens

First check the setting. Go to Settings, then Camera, and make sure Scan QR Codes is switched on. If it is and the camera still ignores the code, work through these:

• Distance: back up a little. Too close and the camera can't focus. Most printed codes scan from about 15 to 30 cm away.
• Light: in a dark room, use the Code Scanner with its flashlight on.
• Glare: on glossy menus, laminated cards and screens, tilt the phone until the reflection moves off the code.
• The lens: wipe it. A fingerprint smear blurs fine modules more than you'd expect.
• The code: if it's tiny, faded, crumpled or printed on a busy background, the problem may be the code rather than your phone.

Scan a QR code from a photo or screenshot

Someone texts you a screenshot of a code, and you can't point your camera at your own screen. On iOS 15 and later, open the image in Photos and touch and hold the code. A menu appears with the link. On recent versions you can also tap the Live Text button in the corner of the photo, or the small badge that appears over a detected code. The exact button depends on your iOS version, but the touch-and-hold route works across most of them.

Other apps that scan

If the Camera app is restricted, as it can be on some work phones, the Google app scans codes through the Lens icon in its search bar. Chrome does too: touch and hold the Chrome icon on your home screen and choose Scan QR Code. You don't need a separate scanner app from the App Store.

WiFi codes work the same way: the Camera shows a Join network button and connects you without typing the password. To test it, make a WiFi QR code for your own network, or any code from the generator, and scan it now.