How to Scan a QR Code on an iPhone or iPad

To scan a QR code on an iPhone or iPad, open the Camera app, point it at the code, and tap the link that appears on the screen. You don’t need to download an app or take a picture.

These steps cover iPhone with iOS 27 and iPad with current iPadOS. The Camera app has scanned QR codes on its own since iOS 11, so the main method also works on older iPhones, though some menus look different.

Which Method Should You Use?

Where the code is	Best method
Printed on paper, a sign, a package or another screen	Camera app or Scan Code in Control Center
In a dark room or on a dim screen	Scan Code in Control Center (it has a flashlight)
In a photo, screenshot, text or email on your iPhone	Photos and Live Text
On a web page you’re viewing in Safari	Touch and hold the code image
On a ticket, boarding pass or loyalty card	Camera first, or Wallet if the pass supports it

A QR code (short for “quick response” code) is a square pattern of black and white dots that stores a web address, Wi-Fi details, contact info, or other short data. Your iPhone reads the pattern and shows you what it found before anything opens.

How to Scan a QR Code With the Camera App

Apple’s support article Scan a QR code with your iPhone or iPad lists this as the main method.

1. Open Camera. You can open it from the Home Screen, from Control Center, or by swiping left on the Lock Screen without unlocking your iPhone.
2. Make sure the mode under the viewfinder is set to Photo. A yellow frame appears around the QR code when the camera recognizes it.
3. Hold your iPhone so the whole code fits inside the viewfinder, about 6 to 12 inches away. Move closer for a small code and farther back for a large poster.
4. Read the link or label that appears on the screen. It shows the website name or the type of content, such as a Wi-Fi network.

5. Tap that link. The website opens in Safari, or the matching app opens, such as the App Store, Contacts, or Settings for a Wi-Fi network.

You can start a scan without unlocking, too, by opening the camera from the iPhone Lock Screen.

If the link doesn’t appear after a couple of seconds, tap the code on the screen to focus, or keep the phone still and level with the code. The “Nothing Happens” section below covers the setting that most often blocks scanning.

What different QR codes do

• Website link: opens the page in Safari after you tap the link.
• Wi-Fi network: asks if you want to join that network, so you don’t need to type the password.
• Contact card: offers to add the person to Contacts.
• Calendar event: offers to add the event to Calendar.
• App download: opens the app’s page in the App Store, where you still choose whether to install it.

How to Scan From Control Center

The Scan Code control opens a dedicated full-screen scanner. It’s handy when the room is dark, because it has its own flashlight button.

1. Open Control Center. On an iPhone with Face ID, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen. On an iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom edge. On an iPad, swipe down from the top-right corner.
2. Tap the Scan Code button. It looks like a small QR code. A full-screen scanner opens.
3. Point your iPhone at the code so it appears in the frame on the screen.
4. Tap the flashlight button at the bottom of the scanner if the code is hard to see.
5. Tap the link that appears to open the content.

If the Scan Code button is missing

The control isn’t always in Control Center by default. Apple’s steps to add it on iOS 18 and later:

1. Open Control Center.
2. Touch and hold an empty part of the background, then tap Add a Control at the bottom.
3. Tap Scan Code in the gallery. You can type “scan” in the search field at the top to find it faster.
4. Tap anywhere on the screen to return to Control Center. The Scan Code button now stays there.

On iOS 17 and earlier, the setting is in Settings > Control Center. Tap the green + next to Code Scanner.

If Control Center won’t open on the Lock Screen, learn about Control Center access on the Lock Screen.

Use the Camera Control

On iPhone models with the Camera Control button on the side, you can press it to open Camera and scan a code the usual way. Apple also lets you change what the Camera Control opens, including the Code Scanner. Look for Camera Control in Settings > Camera to pick the app it launches.

How to Scan a QR Code in a Photo or Screenshot

The Camera can’t scan a code that’s already on your own iPhone screen, such as one in a text, email or social media post. Use the Photos app instead.

1. Save the image to Photos. In Messages, touch and hold the image and tap Save. For a code on a web page or in an email, take a screenshot.
2. Open the image in Photos.
3. Tap the Live Text button in the lower-right corner of the photo. The QR code and any text in the photo are highlighted.
4. Tap the highlighted QR code. A menu appears with the link.
5. Tap Open (or the link itself) to open it. You can also copy or share the link from the same menu.

You can also touch and hold the code in the photo to bring up the same options.

Live Text needs an iPhone XS, iPhone XR or later. On iPad, it needs a model such as iPad (8th generation) or later, iPad Air (3rd generation) or later, iPad mini (5th generation) or later, or iPad Pro 11-inch. Apple lists the full requirements in Copy and translate text from photos on your iPhone or iPad. If Live Text isn’t showing, turn it on in Settings > General > Language & Region.

Other Ways to Scan a QR Code

• On a web page in Safari: touch and hold the QR code image. When your iPhone recognizes the code, the menu that appears includes an option to open its link.
• In Wallet: some boarding passes, event tickets and loyalty cards use codes made for Wallet. Scan them with the Camera first. In Wallet, you can also tap + and look for a Scan Code option. It only adds Wallet passes; a regular website code won’t work there.
• In Google Chrome: touch and hold the Chrome app icon on the Home Screen, then tap Scan QR Code. If Chrome can’t open the camera, give Chrome camera access on iPhone.
• Inside other apps: apps like WhatsApp, Phone Link or a store app may show their own scanner. Use that scanner when the app asks for it, because those codes are meant for that app.

How to Scan a QR Code on an iPad

The steps are the same as on iPhone. Open Camera, point the iPad’s back camera at the code, and tap the link that appears. You can also add Scan Code to Control Center using the steps above, and use Live Text for codes in your photos if your iPad supports it.

The iPad is larger and harder to hold steady, so rest your elbows on a table or move the code toward the iPad instead.

Nothing Happens When You Point the Camera?

Work through these checks in order:

1. Turn on QR scanning. Go to Settings > Camera and make sure Scan QR Codes is on. If it’s off, the Camera ignores codes, but the Scan Code control in Control Center still works.
2. Check Screen Time limits. If the Camera app is missing, go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps & Features and make sure Camera is on. A parent or employer may control this.
3. Clean the lens. Wipe the back camera with a soft, dry cloth. Fingerprints blur the dots.
4. Fix the light. Move somewhere brighter, or use the flashlight in the Scan Code scanner. Tilt the phone slightly if a glossy code reflects glare.
5. Change the distance. Move closer or farther away and hold still for a few seconds.
6. Check the code. Torn, faded, wrinkled or partly covered codes may not scan at all. Ask for a fresh copy if you can.
7. Close and reopen Camera. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause to see open apps, swipe Camera away, then open it again.
8. Update your iPhone. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to install the latest iOS version.

How to Stay Safe With QR Codes

QR codes are easy to print and stick over real ones, so scammers place fake codes on parking meters, menus and flyers. Before you tap the link:

• Read the web address in the preview. Make sure the name matches the business you expect, with no extra letters or odd spellings.
• Be careful with codes on stickers placed over another sign, or codes that arrive in unexpected texts and emails.
• Don’t enter passwords, bank logins or card numbers on a page you reached from a random code. Go to the company’s website or app yourself instead.
• Close the page if it asks you to install a profile or an app you didn’t plan to get.

Keeping your iPhone updated also helps, because iOS updates include security fixes.

Frequently Asked Questions