Read QR codes from your camera, image files or a pasted screenshot. See what is inside and check a link before you open it. Nothing is uploaded.
Read a QR code without a phone
A QR code on a worksheet, a slide, a screenshot or a poster often needs checking before anyone follows it. This reader works on a computer, tablet or phone. Point the camera at a code, upload a picture of one, or paste a screenshot, and you see what is inside: a website address, Wi-Fi details, a contact card, a calendar event or plain text. Nothing opens by itself, so you decide what happens next.
Features
- Three ways in. Use the camera, upload image files, or paste a copied image with Ctrl+V (Cmd+V on a Mac).
- Many images at once. Add up to 20 images in one go. Pictures that contain several codes give every code its own result.
- It knows what it found. Links, text, contacts, Wi-Fi, email, phone numbers, text messages, calendar events, map locations and crypto payments are shown as labelled fields instead of one long string.
- Link check. Before you open a web address, the reader points out common warning signs.
- Copy and save. Copy the raw data or the formatted result, save a contact as a .vcf file or an event as an .ics file, and export a batch as CSV or JSON.
- Recent scans. The last 30 results are kept in your browser so you can look back at them.
- Private. Images are read in your browser and are not uploaded.
What you see for each kind of code
| The code holds | The reader shows | You can |
|---|---|---|
| A web address | The address, its domain, whether the connection is secure, and the link check | Open it (after a warning if something looks off) or copy it |
| A contact (vCard or MECARD) | Name, phone, email, organisation, title, address, website and note | Copy any field, start a call or an email, or download a .vcf file |
| Wi-Fi | Network name, security type and password | Copy the details. On Android a button opens the Wi-Fi settings |
| An email | Address, subject and message | Start the email |
| A phone number | The number | Call it or save it as a contact |
| A text message | Number and message | Open your messages app |
| A calendar event | Title, start, end, place and details | Download an .ics file |
| A location | Latitude and longitude | Open the map |
| A crypto payment | The coin, address, and amount, label or message if set | Copy the fields |
| Anything else | The text exactly as it was stored | Copy it |
Related use cases
QR Codes for Revision, Communication and Student Safety
Use QR codes to support exam revision, school communication, classroom activities, and student safety. This use case shows how teachers can create, check, and manage QR codes before sharing ...
Read use caseThe "Raw QR data" box under every result shows the original text, which is useful when a code is not in a standard format.
Checking a link before you open it
When the code is a web address, the reader looks at the address itself and warns you if it:
- does not use a secure HTTPS connection;
- points to a raw number address instead of a named website;
- uses a domain written with international characters that can imitate a familiar one;
- is a shortened link from a well-known shortening service, which hides the real destination;
- has an "@" before the domain, a trick used to disguise where a link goes.
This is a quick look at the address, not a look at the website. The reader does not contact the site and does not use a list of dangerous pages, so a link with no warning is not guaranteed to be safe. If a code came from somewhere you do not trust, treat the link with care even when nothing is flagged. A good habit with printed codes: read the address first and check that it matches what the poster or worksheet says it should be.
Reading several codes at once
Choose up to 20 images and the results appear as one list, each marked with the file it came from. A picture that holds several codes, such as a sheet of stickers or a page of station cards, gives a separate result for every code. From the list you can copy all results, export them as CSV or JSON, or download every contact card in one ZIP file.
If a code will not read
- Keep the whole code in the picture with a clear blank border around it. A code cut off at the edge cannot be read.
- Avoid glare on printed codes and photograph them straight on rather than from an angle.
- Crop the picture close to the code when it sits in a large screenshot with a lot of other content.
- Use a bigger or sharper picture when the code is tiny or blurred. Very small, very blurry or very faint codes can still fail.
- Browsers differ. Where a browser has its own built-in QR reader the tool uses it, and it copes best with difficult images. If one browser cannot read a code, try another.
Privacy on a shared computer
Pictures and camera images are processed on your device and never sent to ClassTools24. The decoded results of your last 30 scans are stored in your browser so you can reopen them, and they stay there until you press "Clear" under Recent scans. On a school or library computer, clear them when you are done, especially after scanning a Wi-Fi password or a contact card. The camera only starts when you choose it and asks for your permission first.
Where this helps
- Before printing. Scan the code you made with the QR Code Generator to make sure it opens the page you meant. The reader understands the formats the generator produces.
- Codes in screenshots. A QR shared in a chat, a slide or a PDF can be pasted straight in, with no need to point a phone at the screen.
- A stack of cards. Photograph or save the station cards or labels for a lesson and read them all in one batch to confirm each link.
For a longer walk through QR basics, see the guide to QR code readers.
FAQs
Is the QR code reader free?
Yes. There is nothing to install and no account to create.
Which image types can I use?
PNG, JPG, JPEG, WEBP, GIF, BMP and SVG files, up to 20 at a time.
Can I read a QR code from a screenshot?
Yes. Copy the screenshot and press Ctrl+V (Cmd+V on a Mac) on the page, or use the "Paste from Clipboard" button, or drop the file onto the box.
Does it open links automatically?
No. A web address is only shown. You choose whether to open it, and you get a warning first if the link check finds something unusual.
Does it work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. Allow camera access to scan live, or use an image from your gallery.
Why will my QR code not scan?
Usually part of the code is missing, the picture is too small or blurred, or there is glare on a printed code. The tips above cover each case.
Are my images or results sent anywhere?
No. Everything is read in your browser. The results of your last 30 scans are kept on your own device until you clear them.
Can it read barcodes?
No. It reads QR codes only.
