QR codes are everywhere in our daily lives. From restaurant menus to promotional advertisements and even on digital business cards, they’ve become a go-to method for quickly sharing information. But what do you do when you encounter a QR code that’s already on your phone screen, perhaps in a social media post or on a website screenshot? You can’t simply hold your camera up to your phone screen like you normally would.
The common method of pulling up your camera app to scan a QR code doesn’t work when the QR code is part of an image on your device. So, how can you scan it then? Fortunately, it’s quite straightforward. You absolutely can scan a QR code directly from a photo stored on your smartphone. Let’s dive into the simple steps to scan a QR code from a picture on both iOS and Android devices.
Scanning QR Codes from Photos on iOS Devices
Apple iPhones and iPads offer a seamless way to scan QR codes directly from your photo library, thanks to the integrated Live Text feature. This built-in functionality eliminates the need for any additional apps. Here’s how to do it on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch:
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Open Photos App: First, navigate to your Photos app and open the picture or screenshot that contains the QR code you wish to scan.
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Activate Live Text Feature: Look for the “Live Text” icon, which appears as three lines enclosed in a square bracket. This icon is typically located in the bottom right corner of the image when viewing it in the Photos app. Tap this button to activate the Live Text feature.
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Tap the QR Code and Open the Link: Once Live Text is active, your device will automatically detect and highlight any text and QR codes within the image. Simply tap on the QR code itself. A pop-up menu will appear, usually presenting you with the option to “Open Link”. Tap “Open Link” to be directed to the website or content associated with the QR code.
Scanning QR Codes from Photos on Android Devices
The method for scanning QR codes from photos on Android devices can differ slightly depending on your specific device and the version of Android it’s running. However, many Android phones come equipped with either Google Lens or Google Assistant, both of which can easily scan QR codes from images.
How to Scan with Google Lens
Google Lens is a powerful image recognition technology integrated into many Android devices. It’s an effective tool for scanning QR codes from your photo gallery:
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Open Image in Gallery App: Begin by opening your device’s Gallery app and selecting the photo containing the QR code.
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Share to Google Lens: Tap the “Share” icon, which is usually located at the bottom or top of the screen. From the share options that appear, select “Google Lens” or “Search with Google Lens”.
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Google Lens Processes and Detects QR Code: Google Lens will then analyze the image. Once it recognizes the QR code, it will typically display a pop-up or overlay with the link or information embedded in the QR code. Simply tap on the link to access the QR code’s content.
How to Scan with Google Assistant
Alternatively, you might be able to use Google Assistant to scan QR codes from photos, depending on your Android device:
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Open Camera in Google Assistant Mode: Open your camera app and look for a mode or setting labeled “Google Assistant”. This option might be found by swiping up from the bottom of your screen within the camera app, or it could be a selectable mode within the camera settings.
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Select Photo from Gallery: Within the Google Assistant mode in your camera, there should be an option to choose a photo directly from your gallery. Select this option and then choose the image that contains the QR code.
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Open the Link: Google Assistant will process the image and identify the QR code. A link related to the QR code will usually appear either above or below the QR code within the image preview. Tap this link to proceed to the scanned content.
What if You Don’t Have Google Lens or Google Assistant?
If your Android device doesn’t natively support QR code scanning from gallery images through Google Lens or Google Assistant, there’s still an easy solution. You can download a third-party QR code scanner application from the Google Play Store. Many of these apps offer the functionality to scan QR codes not just through your camera, but also from existing photos in your gallery. Simply install an app and look for the “scan from image” or “open image” option within the app’s menu.
Conclusion
Scanning QR codes from photos is indeed possible and quite simple on both iOS and Android devices. Whether you are an iPhone user leveraging the convenient Live Text feature or an Android user utilizing Google Lens or Google Assistant, accessing the information behind a QR code in a photo is easily within reach. So, the next time you encounter a QR code in a picture on your phone, you’re well-equipped to unlock its content without any hassle.
