A QR code should open with one tap, but the right scanner changes depending on your phone and where the code appears. Use the built-in camera first, then move to the quick scanner, Google Lens, Chrome, or your photo gallery when the code is already saved.
1. Scan with the iPhone or iPad Camera
Use the built-in camera for a printed QR code, a code on another screen, or a code in front of you. Open Camera from the Home Screen, Lock Screen, Control Center, or Camera Control on supported iPhone models.
Keep the camera in Photo mode and position the device so the QR code appears inside the camera frame. Tap the link that appears at the bottom of the screen.
On iPad, open Camera and hold the device so the QR code appears in view. Then tap the link that opens the content.
2. Open Code Scanner on iPhone
Use Apple's dedicated scanner when you want a cleaner scanning screen or need the built-in light control. Open Control Center, then tap Scan Code.
If Scan Code is missing, add it to Control Center and open it from there. Position the iPhone so the QR code appears on the screen.
Tap the flashlight button inside the scanner when the code needs more light.
3. Turn on Pixel QR scanning
Pixel phones scan QR codes through the Camera app when scan suggestions are enabled. Open Camera, tap Settings, then tap More settings.
Tap Camera scan suggestions and turn on Camera scan suggestions. Point the camera at the QR code with the entire code on screen, then tap the bubble or link that appears.
Pixel also has a faster scanner in Quick Settings. Swipe down from the top of the screen, tap Scan QR code, and point the scanner at the code.
If the tile is not visible, swipe left for more buttons. Or tap the pencil icon to add Scan QR code.
4. Use Camera from Google, Chrome, or Lens
On devices using Camera from Google, open Camera, tap QR, and point the camera at the QR code. You can also stay in the default photo mode.
Point at the QR code, then tap the banner to open the browser page, app, or payments app. QR scanning in Camera from Google works in QR mode and default photo mode, not portrait or video mode.
In Chrome on Android, open Chrome and open a new tab. Tap Google Lens in the search bar, tap Search with your camera, position the QR code in the box, and tap the link that appears.
In Chrome on iPhone or iPad, open Chrome and open a new tab. Tap Google Lens in the search bar, position the QR code in the highlighted box, and tap the link that appears.
Press and hold the Chrome app icon, then choose the shortcut to scan a QR code. Google documents this shortcut for iPhone 6s and later, though current Chrome releases require iOS 18 or newer.
In the Google app, tap Google Lens in the search bar. Tap Search under Search with your camera, then point the camera at the QR code.
5. Scan on Samsung Galaxy
Samsung's current regular QR routes are Camera, Quick settings, and Gallery. Open Camera, select PHOTO, and point the camera at the QR code until a notification appears.
Tap the notification and follow the on-screen instructions. If the Camera app does not detect the code, tap Settings inside Camera and turn on Scan QR codes.
For the Quick settings scanner, swipe down from the top of the screen with two fingers. Tap Scan QR code, align the code inside the frame, review the QR code notification, and choose the action.
Tap Flashlight inside the scanner when the code needs more light.
6. Open a QR code from a screenshot
A saved QR code needs an image-based scanner instead of the live camera view. On Samsung Galaxy, save the QR code image to Gallery or take a screenshot.
Open the image and press and hold the QR code until a notification appears. Then choose the action.
In Google Photos, open Google Photos and select the photo or screenshot with the QR code. Tap More, tap Google Lens, and review the detected details or action.
In the Google app, tap Google Lens. Tap Search under Search with your camera, upload the existing image, and use the result shown by Lens.
On iPhone, use Photos search to find images such as receipts and QR codes. Read that saved image with an image-capable scanner.
In Chrome, tap Google Lens in the search bar, tap the shutter button, and tap Photo picker at the bottom left to upload the existing image. Google Lens in the Google app works the same way.
Camera and Code Scanner only read a code in front of the lens. Use them when the code is showing on another screen.
7. Fix a scanner that does not open the code
Put the whole QR code inside the scanner frame. Tap Flashlight or the scanner flashlight button when the code is in low light.
On iPhone, open Settings, tap Privacy & Security, and tap Camera. Turn on camera access for the app that needs to scan the code, such as Chrome, Google, a banking app, or an authenticator app.
On Samsung Galaxy, open Camera and tap Settings. Turn on Scan QR codes.
On Pixel, open Camera, tap Settings, tap More settings, and tap Camera scan suggestions. Turn on Camera scan suggestions.
On iPhone or iPad, touch and hold a separate QR scanner app you no longer want. Tap Remove App or Delete App, then tap Delete App or Delete.
8. Skip older QR scanner paths
Do not use older Samsung Internet menu steps or Bixby Vision app steps as your main fix. Current Samsung support sends regular QR scanning through Camera, Quick settings, and Gallery.
Do not follow older Android instructions that point to a standalone Chrome QR scanner. Google Assistant still opens Google Lens on most Android phones, so that route is not gone, but it is not the main QR path covered here. Current Google help routes QR scanning through Google Lens in Chrome, Google Lens in the Google app, Camera from Google, Pixel Quick Settings, and Google Photos.
9. Check camera restrictions on work devices
Managed iPhone, iPad, and Android devices can have camera access disabled by an administrator. When camera access is disabled, QR scanning through Camera, Lens, Chrome, or camera-dependent work apps will not work in the affected device or work profile.
Open the built-in scanner first. If every camera-based scanner is blocked on a managed device, contact the person or team that manages the phone or tablet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a separate QR scanner app?
No. The supported paths in this article use built-in Camera apps, Control Center or Quick Settings scanners, Chrome, Google Lens, Google Photos, and Samsung Gallery.
Can Chrome scan a QR code on iPhone?
Yes. Open Chrome, start a new tab, tap Google Lens in the search bar, place the QR code in the highlighted box, then tap the link that appears. On iPhone 6s or later, you can also press and hold the Chrome app icon and choose the QR scan shortcut.
Can Google Photos read a QR code from a saved image?
Yes. Open Google Photos, select the image or screenshot, tap More, tap Google Lens, then review the detected details or action.
Does Google Visual Search History disable QR scanning?
No. Depending on how far your account has moved through Google's Search services settings rollout, either Visual Search History or Search Services History with its Save Media setting controls whether eligible visual searches save images to your Google activity. It does not turn QR scanning on or off.