QR codes are everywhere now, on menus, posters, payment counters and packaging. Most modern phones can scan one straight from the camera app, but not all do, and that leaves people downloading a scanner app full of ads just to read a single code.
Use your browser instead
Your browser can already access the camera, which is all a QR scanner really needs. Open the scanner, allow camera access, and point it at the code. It decodes in a moment and shows the text or link, with a button to open it. Nothing is installed and nothing is uploaded, because the decoding happens on your device.
The trickier case: a code on your own screen
This is the situation phone cameras cannot help with. If a QR code is displayed on the same device you are holding, you cannot point the camera at it. The answer is to take a screenshot and upload the image instead. The scanner reads the code from the picture exactly as it would from the camera.
- Screenshot the code, then switch the scanner to image mode.
- Upload the screenshot and read the result.
- This also works for codes saved in photos, PDFs or received in a chat.
Always look at the decoded link before opening it. Malicious QR codes are a real scam technique, and seeing the address first is your best protection.