Short answer: the camera app can't do this â it only reads a QR code live in the viewfinder, not one sitting in a saved photo or screenshot. On iPhone, use Live Text. On Android, use Google Lens. From a computer, or without installing anything, use an online QR code reader.
For scanning a code live with your camera instead, see how to scan a QR code.
Methods by Platform
| Platform | Method | Steps |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone | Photos + Live Text | Open the image in Photos, tap the Live Text icon (or long-press the code), tap the detected QR code |
| Android | Google Photos + Google Lens | Open the image in Google Photos, tap the Lens button, tap the QR code it highlights |
| Android | Google Lens app | Open Google Lens, choose the image from your gallery, tap the detected code |
| Any device, no app | Online QR reader | Go to gettoolbox.app's QR code scanner, upload the image, and it decodes it in the browser |
iPhone: Photos + Live Text
- Open the screenshot or photo in the Photos app
- Look for the Live Text icon (four corner brackets) in the bottom-right of the image, or long-press directly on the QR code
- Tap the QR code once Live Text highlights it
- Tap the link or action it surfaces
Live Text needs iOS 15 or later. On older iOS versions, use the online option below instead.
Android: Google Photos + Google Lens
- Open the image in Google Photos
- Tap the Lens icon along the bottom of the screen
- Tap the QR code once Lens highlights it
- Open the link or copy the result
If Google Photos isn't your gallery app, the standalone Google Lens app does the same thing â choose "search a screenshot" and pick the image.
From a Computer, or Without Installing Anything
Upload the image at gettoolbox.app's online QR code scanner and it decodes the code in your browser â no account and no app install needed. This is also the most reliable option on a desktop computer, where there is no camera pointed at a printed code to begin with.
What About Barcode & QR Scanner?
Our Barcode & QR Scanner app is built for scanning live with the camera, with history, lists and a wallet on top. Decoding a QR code directly from a gallery image is not in the current release â for that, use one of the platform methods above.
Sources
- Apple Support: Live Text on iPhone (apple.com/support)
- Google: Search with Google Lens on Android (support.google.com)
