· 12 min read

How to Scan a QR Code inside Phone without Using Another Phone?

If you want an answer to “How do I scan a QR code inside my phone without using another phone?” you are in the right place!

QR codes have become ubiquitous in our daily lives. From product packaging to event tickets, these square codes are everywhere.

In this blog post, we'll cover methods that don't require another phone or installing an external app to scan a QR code. These techniques rely on the built-in features of your smartphone's operating system, such as the camera app.

By using these methods, you won't have to clutter your device with yet another app just to scan QR codes. So, keep reading to learn how to scan a QR code without an external app.

How to Scan a QR Code that’s on your Phone?

Easy! You can scan a QR code that's on your phone using your phone's camera app or a QR code scanning app.

If you want to do it by using a QR reader, you can use QR Code Reader tool of QRCodeDynamic following these quick & easy steps:

a screenshot of QR Code Reader tool of QRCodeDynamic
  • Upload your QR code’s file by clicking the “Choose file” button.
  • Then, you’ll see the details of your QR code in the “Data” field. You can copy the data you get by clicking the “Copy to clipboard.” button.

If you want to do it using your camera app,

  • Open up the camera app.
  • Click “camera,” “mode,” and “lens.”
  • Open up the image that has the QR code, and the QR code will get scanned.
a phone screen with the icons as "panorama", "photo sphere", and "lens", lens is highlighted and there are three other options below as "camera", "video", "modes"

Another way is simply opening up the photos, choosing the image, and clicking on the “lens” at the bottom. Your QR code will easily be scanned.

Alternatively,

  • Open your Google Lens camera app.
  • Choose “Search” from the categories that includes “Translate”, “Text”, “Homework”, etc.
  • Google Lens will automatically scan the QR code and provide you with the action options that you can choose from.

How to Scan a QR Code with your iPhone’s Camera App

QR codes have become an everyday part of our lives, appearing on everything from food packaging to event tickets. Luckily, with your iPhone's built-in camera, scanning QR codes has never been easier.

In fact, you don't even need to download any extra apps! Here are the simple steps to scan a QR code with your iPhone:

  • Open the Camera app on your iPhone.
  • Hold your phone steady and point it toward the QR code.
  • Wait for your iPhone to recognize the code (you'll see a notification popup on your screen).
  • Tap on the notification to open the link or content associated with the QR code.
an iphone screen showing a qr code being scanned followed by some options like "video", "photo", "portrait" etc.

That's it! Now you can scan any QR code you come across without any hassle.

Using your iPhone to scan QR codes is a great way to access information, deals, and more quickly and easily. The process is simple and straightforward, and best of all, you don't need to download any extra apps.

How to Scan a QR Code with your Android Phone

By using the built-in camera app and following a few simple steps, you can quickly and easily scan a QR code on your Android phone. Here's how:

  • Open your Camera app on your Android phone.
  • Hold your phone steady so that the QR code is in the middle of the screen.
  • Wait for your phone to recognize the QR code (you may hear a beep or feel a vibration).
  • If you see a notification, tap it to open the link associated with the QR code.
  • If you don't see a notification, go to your phone's Settings app and enable QR code scanning. Then, try scanning the QR code again.

Scanning QR codes on your Android phone is a simple process that can be done in a few easy steps.

Now you can quickly and easily scan any QR code you come across on your Android phone.

How to Scan a QR Code Using Google Lens

Google Lens is an image recognition technology developed by Google that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze visual content in photos or images.

It allows users to take a photo or upload an existing image and provides relevant information and insights about the image, such as identifying objects, landmarks, and products, translating text, recognizing text within an image, and more.

When it comes to scanning QR code, there are a few ways to use Google Lens. Let’s see the first one.

  • Open your Camera app and tap on "More" (or the three horizontal lines) at the top left corner of the screen.
  • Tap on "Google Lens" and point your camera at the QR code you want to scan.
  • Google Lens should automatically recognize the QR code and give you a notification with the link or content associated with it.
  • Tap on the notification to open the link or content.

Alternatively, you can also use Google Assistant to activate Google Lens. Just say "OK Google" to open the assistant, then tap on the Google Lens icon at the bottom right of the screen.

If this method doesn’t work for your phone, no worries.

a phone screen showing a qr code being scanned with the YouTube URL of Popupsmart followed by a magnifying glass icon and options like "translate", "text", "search" and so on
  • Open the Google app from your app menu.
  • Click on the camera icon, which is located on the right-hand side of the search bar. On iPhone, there will be a Google Lens icon instead.
  • Scroll down and select the image containing the QR code you want to scan, or just point your camera to the QR code.
  • Google Lens will automatically recognize the QR code and provide details about it in the search result area.
  • If your QR code has a webpage, you will see a 'Visit Page' or 'Visit Site' button at the top of the code details.
  • Click on the button to visit the webpage.

That's it!

Tip: If you already have a Google search bar on the main screen of your phone, you’ll see the camera icon on its right-hand side as well.

google search bar on an empty phone screen with a floral wallpaper; camera icon is highlighted

Now that you know how to scan a QR code, you might be interested in creating one!

For this, you’ll need a QR code generator, and we recommend QR Code Dynamic!

With QR Code Dynamic, you can generate simple & advanced QR codes in minutes. Plus, it is so easy to use, and your QR codes are super, customizable. You can also track your QR codes and the fact that it’s free is the cream on top!

Go ahead and try QR Code Dynamic for free now!

Create a Free Dynamic QR Code with QR Code Dynamic

Before You Leave…

So there you have it! Scanning QR codes has never been easier, thanks to the built-in camera features of our smartphones. With just a few simple steps, you can quickly and easily access information, deals, and more.

And the best part is, you don't even need to download any extra apps.

So go ahead and give it a try next time you come across a QR code.

They're everywhere these days, from product packaging to event tickets, and they're a convenient way to access information quickly and easily without having to type in a website or search for something manually. If you have encoding issues on your qr code when you scan, you may check the guide to fix qr encoding.

So happy scanning, and enjoy the convenience of QR codes!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a QR Code?

QR stands for "Quick Response" because it can be quickly scanned with a smartphone camera, and then your phone will take you to a website, show you some information, or do something else, depending on what the QR code was programmed to do.

Think of it like a digital barcode that stores information that can be read by your phone. You can find QR codes on products in stores, on posters, in magazines, and in many other places.

It's a convenient way to access information quickly and easily without having to type in a website or search for something manually.

2. How do I Scan a QR Code with WhatsApp?

WhatsApp allows you to scan other people’s WhatsApp QR codes to let you add each other easily. For this,

  • Open WhatsApp on your phone, and tap the "More options" button (three dots in the top right corner).
  • Select "Settings" from the options menu, and tap the QR icon located next to your name.
  • Select "Scan Code" from the options menu.
  • Hold your phone's camera over the QR code to scan it.
  • Tap "Add" to confirm and complete the action.

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