QR codes have been around for over 30 years but only entered general usage with the advent of smartphones over the last two decades. A QR code often leads to a website. However, it can have other uses, like to initiate payment, represent an event registration or ticket, track products through a pipeline, or even enable your device to join a Wi-Fi network.
There are a number of ways to scan a QR code. Common practice is to use a smartphone camera to discover the code and provide a method to act on it. There are also dedicated apps for scanning these images or methods to recognize them in static pictures on your screen.
Client Notes
In recent weeks, I’ve helped Diane identify her next iPhone and settled her fears about switching from Verizon to Visible; discovered that Mary’s printer was offline simply because her USB hub needed to be reset; and helped Rachel & Dan transition from an old HP desktop to a MacBook Pro.
I also had a wonderful shadow session with Aliza that featured delivery of over a dozen learnings and tips, spanning Mac, iPhone, and car, in 90 minutes. Plus, I concluded a case study with Yael involving her learning to use DaVinci Resolve, a nondestructive video editor that’s better than iMovie and QuickTime Player, to produce a valuable deliverable from a body of professional recordings.
Scan a QR Code Using Camera
Most folks familiar with scanning a QR code know that you can open your device’s camera app, hold the camera up to the code, and tap a button to act on it. On iPhone or iPad:
- Hold the device far enough away from the QR code to get the whole thing in frame
- Zoom in if necessary to help the camera recognize the image
- If there’s more than one code in the frame, tap on the one you want to scan
- Tap the yellow banner at the bottom of the frame or
in the bottom right, if available, to do the indicated action
If you have trouble getting an actionable scan, snap a photo anyway, perhaps with the flash on, and check out another approach below.
Scan a QR Code Using Code Scanner
As I mentioned in an update to Shear & Be Shorn?, an alternative to Camera is a hidden app called Code Scanner. Use Search on iPhone or iPad to find it. You can also add it as a button in Control Center or put it on your Lock Screen for even quicker access, as shown above.
In my view, Code Scanner has two pros and two cons compared to Camera. When you hold Code Scanner up to a QR code, if it is able to read the code, it acts instantly and automatically. This is a double-edged sword because if there are multiple codes in view, you can’t choose the one you want. So, that’s a pro or a con depending on your perspective.
Meanwhile, you can’t zoom with Code Scanner, so if you can’t get enough focus, the app may fail to read a distant code. However, unlike Camera, Code Scanner can shine a light on a code, which may help it come into view in darkness. (Camera cannot switch on its flash independently.)
Act On a QR Code in a Photo
As I shared in iOS 17 Hot Tips #3, the advent of Live Text introduced in iOS 15 makes it possible to act on a QR code when it’s in a static image on your device.
Simply open the picture in an app that supports Apple’s standard photo view. This might be Camera, Photos, or Messages on iPhone or iPad, or Photos on Mac, but maybe not WhatsApp, for example. Then, click 
in the bottom right.
The screen will show a variety of selectable or clickable items. To act on a QR code, just tap on it and then on the associated action. Note: Live Text recognition is done locally on device, so one device may do it better than another.
A QR Code is an incredibly useful tool to abbreviate a wide variety of actions. Have you used one to invite someone to join your Wi-Fi network? What about to add your card to their contacts? Share your creative usage in the comments…
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