QR Code Scanner & Safety Check
Scan a QR code from an image or your camera and see exactly what it contains before anything opens. The code is decoded in your browser — neither the picture nor the decoded content is sent to us. For links, the page also runs the checks you cannot do by eye: the real destination behind the @ sign, look-alike domains, link shorteners, and files that run after download.
Drop a QR code image here
PNG, JPG, WEBP or GIF — up to 10 MB. Nothing is uploaded.
The image is decoded in your browser. Neither the picture nor the decoded content is sent to us.
Why read a QR code before you follow it
A printed QR code shows you nothing. A sticker on a parking meter, a flyer in a letterbox, a code taped over the original on a restaurant table — all of them look identical to a legitimate code, because the pattern is not something a person can read.
That is the whole problem. With a link on a screen you can hover and check the address; with a code on paper you cannot. Decoding it first turns an unknown into a plain string you can actually judge.
This is also why the checks matter more than the scan. Seeing the address is a start, but a long address in a small font is exactly where look-alike domains work. The page separates the parts for you and points at the ones that are commonly abused.
What the safety check looks at
For a web link, it reports the scheme, the real host, the port and the file extension. It flags an address that carries a username before the @ sign — the part your eye reads first is not where the link goes. It flags punycode domains, which can display as letters from another alphabet that look Latin. It flags link shorteners, because the destination stays hidden until you open it, and deep subdomain chains, where a familiar brand name sits on the left while the registered domain is on the right.
For other payloads it tells you what would happen: a Wi-Fi code carries the password in plain text, a two-factor code carries a login secret, a contact card offers to write to your address book.
What it does not do is call anything safe. Whether a domain is malicious cannot be determined from its spelling, and claiming otherwise would give you false confidence. The tool reports what it can verify and stops there.
Does the image leave my device?
No. Decoding runs in your browser with a JavaScript library loaded into the page. There is no upload step, no server call and nothing stored — closing the tab ends it.
That is also true of the camera. Frames are read into a canvas, checked for a code, and discarded. Nothing is recorded and nothing is transmitted.
Frequently asked questions
Are QR codes safe?
The code itself is just an encoding — it cannot carry a virus. The risk is in where it sends you: a page that imitates a login screen, a file that runs after download, or a Wi-Fi network you did not intend to join. Reading the code before you follow it removes the guesswork, which is what this page is for.
How can I tell if a QR code is fake?
On paper, look for a sticker placed over an existing code — the most common physical attack is that simple. Then decode it and read the destination: a login page on a domain that is not the company's own, a shortened link where you expected a direct one, or a mismatch between the printed context and the address are the practical signals.
Can I scan a Wi-Fi QR code to see the password?
Yes. A Wi-Fi code stores the network name and password as plain text, so decoding it shows both. This is worth knowing in both directions: it is how you recover a password you no longer have, and it is why sharing a Wi-Fi code is the same as sharing the password.
Do I need an app to scan a QR code?
Not for this page — it works in the browser on desktop and mobile. On a phone, the built-in camera app also reads codes directly, but it usually opens the destination immediately. Uploading the image here shows you the content first.
Why does the scanner not find the code in my photo?
Usually blur, glare or distance. A code needs a clear quiet zone around it and enough pixels to resolve the pattern, so crop close to the code and avoid photographing it at a sharp angle or through plastic.