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QRGen

Scan a QR Code

Upload, paste, drag, or point your camera. Works on screenshots too.

Drop an image, paste (⌘V), or click to browse
PNG, JPEG, WebP, or GIF · max 10 MB
or paste from clipboard with ⌘V / Ctrl+V

How QR scanning works

A QR code is a two-dimensional barcode that encodes up to a few kilobytes of text — typically a URL, a WiFi password, contact details, or a short message. When you point a camera at one, or feed a screenshot into a decoder, software finds the three large finder patterns in the corners, reads the data modules between them, and applies error correction to recover the original text. QRGen runs that decoding entirely in your browser using an open-source QR decoder, so the image never touches our servers.

What kinds of QR codes can I decode?

The scanner recognises every standard QR payload and surfaces type-aware actions for each:

Is it safe? Does my image get uploaded?

For uploads, clipboard paste, drag-and-drop, and camera scans, decoding runs entirely in your browser on your device. The image is never sent to our servers. The one exception is the optional Telegram bot (@QRGenScanBot), where you forward an image and the server decodes it and replies — in that flow, the image is received by Telegram and our server, decoded, and then discarded.

Scanner vs. generator — what’s the difference?

The QR generatorcreates new QR codes from your content (a URL, WiFi password, contact card, and so on) and lets you style and download them. The scanner does the opposite: given an existing QR image, it reads back the content encoded inside. If you’ve scanned a QR and want to make your own copy with custom branding, the result card has a Regenerate with my style button that drops the decoded content straight into the generator.

Frequently asked questions

How do I scan a QR code without a camera?

Upload, paste, or drag the QR image onto the scanner above. QRGen decodes it in your browser — no camera required.

Can I scan a QR code from a screenshot?

Yes. Screenshots are the most common input: save it to your device, then upload or paste. On Android, once you install QRGen as a PWA, any image can be shared to QRGen directly from your gallery, WhatsApp, or any other app.

Does it work on iPhone?

Yes. Open /scanin Safari and upload, paste, or use the camera. iOS doesn’t support the Web Share Target API yet, so the “share to QRGen” install flow is Android-only — but manual uploads work identically.

Can I decode a QR code from a PDF?

Not directly in v1. Screenshot the QR out of the PDF (any PDF viewer supports this) and upload the image.

Is this really free?

Yes. Scanning is 100% free with no sign-up, no watermark, and no hidden limits. The whole QRGen platform is free for personal use; Pro and Business plans unlock dynamic QR codes, analytics, and API access for the generator side.