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barcode100% Browser-BasedUpdated Jul 2026

QR Code Scanner

A premium QR code scanner that works entirely in your browser. Scan QR codes using your webcam or mobile camera with live continuous scanning, upload an image file, drag and drop an image onto the page, or paste an image from your clipboard. Our scanner automatically detects URLs, email addresses, phone numbers, SMS messages, WiFi credentials, vCard contacts, calendar events, GPS locations, WhatsApp links, cryptocurrency addresses, and plain text. Results are displayed with contextual action buttons — open websites, call phone numbers, copy credentials, or download as text. All processing happens locally using jsQR — your images never leave your device.

Choose Scan Method

No Uploads

Everything stays in your browser

100% Client-Side

Powered by jsQR library

Zero Tracking

No analytics, no cookies, no data collection

Works Offline

No internet needed after first load

How QR Scanning Works

QR (Quick Response) code scanning uses image processing algorithms to detect and decode the pattern of dark and light modules in a QR code image.

01

Image Acquisition

The scanner captures an image from your camera, an uploaded file, a dragged image, or a clipboard paste. The image is rendered to an HTML canvas element for pixel-level access.

02

Grayscale Conversion

The color image is converted to grayscale using luminance weighting. This reduces noise and makes the QR code's black-and-white pattern more distinct for the decoding algorithm.

03

QR Detection

The jsQR library scans the image data looking for the three distinctive finder patterns (eyes) in the corners of a QR code. These patterns identify the QR code's position, size, and orientation.

04

Module Grid Extraction

Once the finder patterns are located, the algorithm determines the QR code's grid size (version) and samples each cell to determine whether it's dark or light, creating a binary matrix of the code's data.

05

Error Correction & Decoding

The binary data is processed through Reed-Solomon error correction to recover any damaged or obscured bits. The corrected data is then decompressed and decoded according to the QR code's encoding mode (numeric, alphanumeric, byte, or kanji).

06

Result Display

The decoded text is displayed with automatic content type detection. Contextual action buttons allow you to open URLs, send emails, call phone numbers, copy credentials, or download results — all without leaving your browser.

QR Scanner Use Cases

Practical ways to use QR scanning in your daily workflow

Contactless Payments

Scan QR codes at restaurants, stores, and events to make payments or access digital menus without physical contact.

WiFi Sharing

Quickly share WiFi credentials by having guests scan a QR code instead of typing long passwords manually.

Event Check-In

Scan QR codes on tickets or badges for fast, paperless event entry and attendee verification.

Verify QR Security

Scan unknown QR codes to preview their content before visiting links — avoid phishing and malicious redirects.

Extract Contact Info

Scan vCard QR codes on business cards to instantly save contact details to your phone without manual entry.

Quick File Sharing

Upload or paste QR code images from screenshots, social media, or emails to instantly decode their content.

Supported Input Formats

All formats accepted by the QR scanner

CameraPNGJPG/JPEGWEBPGIF

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about scanning QR codes with ForgePlug

Is my image or camera feed sent to a server?
No. All QR code scanning happens entirely in your browser using the <code>jsQR</code> library. Your camera feed, uploaded images, and clipboard data never leave your device. This is a core privacy feature of ForgePlug — everything is local.
What types of QR codes can the scanner read?
The scanner can read all standard QR code types including URLs, email addresses, phone numbers, SMS messages, WiFi credentials, vCard contacts, calendar events (VEVENT), GPS locations (geo:), WhatsApp links (wa.me), cryptocurrency addresses (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dogecoin, Monero), and plain text. The content type is automatically detected and displayed with contextual action buttons.
Can I scan QR codes using my camera?
Yes. Click the Camera button to open your webcam or mobile camera. The scanner will continuously scan the video feed and automatically detect QR codes. You can pause and resume scanning at any time. On mobile devices with multiple cameras, you can switch between front and rear cameras. Flashlight support is available on supported devices.
What image formats are supported for upload?
You can upload or drag-and-drop PNG, JPG, JPEG, WEBP, and GIF images. The scanner extracts the first frame of animated GIFs. For best results, use clear, well-lit images where the QR code is at least 200×200 pixels and not distorted or rotated.
Can I paste an image from my clipboard?
Yes. You can copy any QR code image to your clipboard (from any application) and paste it directly into the scanner using Ctrl+V / Cmd+V. The scanner will immediately decode the QR code from the pasted image. This requires the browser's Clipboard API, which is supported in modern browsers.
Why didn't my QR code scan?
Common reasons include: the QR code is too small or blurry, the image is overexposed or has strong shadows, the QR code is partially cut off or distorted, the image was taken at an extreme angle, or the QR code has very high error correction usage. Try re-taking the image with better lighting and holding the camera steady. For camera scanning, ensure good lighting and hold the device steady.
Is my scan history saved?
Scan history is maintained only for the current browser session in memory. Once you close the tab or navigate away, the history is cleared. You can manually clear the history at any time using the Clear button. No history is stored on any server.
What browsers are supported?
The QR Code Scanner works in all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera. Camera scanning requires a browser that supports the MediaDevices API (getUserMedia). Paste from clipboard requires the Clipboard API (ClipboardItem). Most modern browsers support all features, with the exception of some older mobile browsers.
Can I scan multiple QR codes at once?
The scanner processes one frame at a time and returns the first QR code detected. If an image contains multiple QR codes, the scanner will return the most prominent one. For camera scanning, you can move the camera to scan different QR codes in sequence.
Can I use this offline?
Yes. Once the page has loaded, the QR scanner works completely offline. No internet connection is needed for scanning, as all processing happens locally in your browser using the jsQR library.
4.8 · Trusted by Developers

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about scanning QR codes

Is my image or camera feed sent to a server?
No. All QR code scanning happens entirely in your browser using the <code>jsQR</code> library. Your camera feed, uploaded images, and clipboard data never leave your device. This is a core privacy feature of ForgePlug — everything is local.
What types of QR codes can the scanner read?
The scanner can read all standard QR code types including URLs, email addresses, phone numbers, SMS messages, WiFi credentials, vCard contacts, calendar events (VEVENT), GPS locations (geo:), WhatsApp links (wa.me), cryptocurrency addresses (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dogecoin, Monero), and plain text. The content type is automatically detected and displayed with contextual action buttons.
Can I scan QR codes using my camera?
Yes. Click the Camera button to open your webcam or mobile camera. The scanner will continuously scan the video feed and automatically detect QR codes. You can pause and resume scanning at any time. On mobile devices with multiple cameras, you can switch between front and rear cameras. Flashlight support is available on supported devices.
What image formats are supported for upload?
You can upload or drag-and-drop PNG, JPG, JPEG, WEBP, and GIF images. The scanner extracts the first frame of animated GIFs. For best results, use clear, well-lit images where the QR code is at least 200×200 pixels and not distorted or rotated.
Can I paste an image from my clipboard?
Yes. You can copy any QR code image to your clipboard (from any application) and paste it directly into the scanner using Ctrl+V / Cmd+V. The scanner will immediately decode the QR code from the pasted image. This requires the browser's Clipboard API, which is supported in modern browsers.
Why didn't my QR code scan?
Common reasons include: the QR code is too small or blurry, the image is overexposed or has strong shadows, the QR code is partially cut off or distorted, the image was taken at an extreme angle, or the QR code has very high error correction usage. Try re-taking the image with better lighting and holding the camera steady. For camera scanning, ensure good lighting and hold the device steady.
Is my scan history saved?
Scan history is maintained only for the current browser session in memory. Once you close the tab or navigate away, the history is cleared. You can manually clear the history at any time using the Clear button. No history is stored on any server.
What browsers are supported?
The QR Code Scanner works in all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera. Camera scanning requires a browser that supports the MediaDevices API (getUserMedia). Paste from clipboard requires the Clipboard API (ClipboardItem). Most modern browsers support all features, with the exception of some older mobile browsers.
Can I scan multiple QR codes at once?
The scanner processes one frame at a time and returns the first QR code detected. If an image contains multiple QR codes, the scanner will return the most prominent one. For camera scanning, you can move the camera to scan different QR codes in sequence.
Can I use this offline?
Yes. Once the page has loaded, the QR scanner works completely offline. No internet connection is needed for scanning, as all processing happens locally in your browser using the jsQR library.

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Runs in your browser100% privateNo data uploaded