Step by step
Choose your phone
The controls look different, but the safe sequence is the same: open the saved image, reveal the URL, inspect the domain, then decide whether to visit.
Scan a saved QR code with Photos
Works on supported iPhones with Live Text enabled.
Open the screenshot in Photos
Find the image that contains the QR code and open it full screen. Zoom in if the code is small.
Touch and hold the QR code
Press directly on the code until a link preview or action menu appears. If nothing happens, tap the Live Text button in the lower-right corner, then try again.
Read the domain — don't open it yet
Check the main domain carefully. Look for misspellings, unexpected words, raw IP addresses, or a shortened link that hides the final destination.
Check the image before visiting
For an unfamiliar code, return to your browser and upload the screenshot to CheckThisQR. The image is decoded on your device; only the extracted URL is sent for the threat check.
Scan a saved QR code with Google Lens
Menu placement varies by phone maker and Android version.
Open the image in Google Photos
Select the screenshot or photo that contains the QR code. Make sure the full code is visible.
Tap Lens
Tap the Google Lens icon. On some versions, open More first and then choose Google Lens.
Review the detected link
Lens should outline the code and show its destination. Read the main domain before tapping any button that opens the page.
Run a safety check first
If the code or domain is unfamiliar, upload the original screenshot to CheckThisQR instead of opening the Lens result.
Reveal the link without visiting it
Your phone can decode a saved QR code, but a visible URL is not automatically a safe URL. Shorteners can hide the final destination, and newly created phishing sites may not look suspicious at first glance.
Save the image
Keep the QR screenshot in Photos.
Upload to CheckThisQR
The image is decoded locally.
Review the verdict
Decide without auto-opening the link.
A clear result means the destination is not currently flagged by Google Web Risk. It is a useful signal — not a guarantee. Stop if the domain looks wrong or the page asks unexpectedly for a password, payment, or verification code.
Troubleshooting
If your phone cannot detect the code
Crop distractions
Crop the image so the QR code fills most of the frame, while keeping all four corners visible.
Use the original
Avoid screenshots that have been compressed repeatedly in texts or social apps.
Increase contrast
Raise screen brightness or use the unedited photo if filters made the code faint.
Try another decoder
Upload the image to CheckThisQR; a browser-based decoder may recognize what Photos or Lens missed.
Quick questions
Scanning from a screenshot
Yes. Save or screenshot the QR code, then use Photos on iPhone or Google Photos/Lens on Android. You do not need a second device.
No. Viewing the image only displays it. The risk begins when you choose to open the decoded destination or act on content it contains.
Not every QR code is a website. Review the decoded content before accepting a Wi-Fi network, adding a contact, sending a message, or taking another action.