How to Scan a QR Code on a Laptop or PC (Free)

This is the most common case on a laptop: a QR code in an email, a PDF, a web page or a chat on LINE for PC. You can't point the laptop's own webcam at its screen, but you don't need to — the scanner reads screenshots.

• Windows — press Windows + Shift + S, drag a box around the code, then press Ctrl + V on the scanner page. The snip goes to the clipboard automatically.
• Mac — press Ctrl + Shift + ⌘ + 4 and drag around the code (the Ctrl key sends it to the clipboard instead of the desktop), then press ⌘ + V on the scanner page.
• Any browser — right-click an image of a QR code, choose “Copy image”, and paste it into the scanner.
• Saved files — a photo of a poster or a screenshot from your phone can be dropped straight onto the Image tab.

Tip: The scanner reads one code per image. If a screenshot contains several codes, snip around just the one you need.

Laptop webcams are made for faces, not close-ups, so don't hold the code too close — start around 20–30 cm away and move it slowly closer until it's read. If the code is on a phone, turn the phone's brightness up, and tilt it slightly if the screen reflects light.

If you have an external webcam as well, choose it from the camera list that appears once the camera is running. If the browser blocked the camera, allow it from the camera or lock icon in the address bar and press Try again. You can test your webcam separately with Cam & Mic Check.

Besides plain links and text, the scanner recognises the common QR code types and shows them in a readable way:

• Links — checked for warning signs such as unencrypted http, shortened links, look-alike domains and disguised addresses.
• Wi-Fi — the network name and password, ready to copy. Laptops can't join a network from a QR code, so copy the password and type it in.
• Contacts — names, numbers and emails, with a button to save them as a .vcf contact card.
• PromptPay and Thai QR payments — the receiver, the amount if one is set, and a checksum test that flags damaged or edited codes.
• Email, phone, SMS and map locations — opened in the right app with one click.
• Barcodes — product barcodes are read too in browsers with built-in barcode detection; elsewhere the scanner reads QR codes.

QR codes are a popular trick for sending people to fake login and payment pages, because you can't see the link by looking at the code. The scanner never opens anything by itself: you see the full address, the domain it really goes to and any warnings first.

For payment codes, check the receiver's name and the amount before you pay, and don't pay if the scanner says the checksum doesn't match. Need your own code? Make one with QR Generator or, for payments, PromptPay QR.