How to Scan a QR Code on Android

A menu, a Wi-Fi sign, or a poster shows a QR code and you want whatever it links to. The Camera app reads it, and Android also has a dedicated scanner in Quick Settings.

Open the Camera app

Open Camera and stay in the normal photo mode. On a Pixel, Google Lens is built in and watches for codes automatically. On Samsung, scanning is on by default; if nothing happens, open the camera's settings with the gear icon and turn on Scan QR codes.

Point the camera at the code

Hold the phone steady so the whole code is in the frame, a few inches to a foot away. There is no need to press the shutter button.

Tap the link that appears

A small chip pops up over the code with the URL, Wi-Fi network, or text it contains. Tap it to open the link in the browser, join the network, or copy the text. Nothing happens until you tap, so a stray code in the background is not opened by accident.

Use the Quick Settings tile if the camera does not pick it up

Swipe down from the top of the screen twice to open Quick Settings and tap Scan QR code (Android 13 and later). If the tile is not there, tap the pencil or edit icon and drag it into the panel. Samsung has the same tile in its Quick panel. The scanner opens a full-screen viewfinder and reads the code the moment it is in frame.

Search from the Google bar as a third option

Tap the Google Lens camera icon in the search bar on the home screen. Point at the code and tap the result. This works on any Android phone with the Google app, regardless of what the Camera app can do.

Scanning a code in a photo or screenshot. If someone sent you a code in a chat, save or screenshot it first. Then open the image in Photos, tap Lens at the bottom, and tap the link that appears. Samsung Gallery offers the same through the Lens or Bixby Vision icon on an open image.