We all have seen those small black-and-white grid squares popping up everywhere, from online payments to restaurant menus, pamphlets, and flyers, even on product packages. Those are QR codes, and they have become an integral part of our daily lives, all thanks to their flexibility and easy and quick accessibility.
QR Codes, abbreviated for Quick Response, are a significant invention of this highly digitalized era, mainly used for sharing and accessing information. But while they are super convenient to use and cost-effective, not everyone knows how to scan the QR Codes easily and quickly.
However, there’s nothing to worry about, as we’ve got your back! Here, in this guide, we comprehensively walk through the easy methods to scan QR Codes. So, make sure that you stick to this discussion till the end.
How to Scan QR Codes Quickly? 3 Easy Methods Explained!
From enabling secure and cashless payments to helping marketers bring direct traffic to websites, these QR Codes are a simple yet highly effective solution for connecting the digital world with real-life experiences.
Here, we have discussed the top 3 easy and quick methods of scanning QR Codes. Let’s have a look at them one by one!
1. Through the Phone’s Camera
Most of the smartphones’ cameras are equipped with a built-in QR Scanning feature, whether Android or iOS. Even if you are using a laptop or tablet, you can still scan the code with your camera within a few seconds.
You only have to open the camera on your phone and scan the code to access the encoded information.
However, smartphones with Android version 7 or older might not have built-in QR scanning features. Similarly, iOS versions 10 and earlier also don’t have a default QR scanning feature in the Camera app. They have to use third-party scanning tools or separate QR reader applications.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on using the camera of your smartphone for scanning QR Codes.
1. Find the Camera app on your smartphone’s menu and open it.
2. Point the camera towards the QR Code.
3. Wait for a second until a URL pops up on the picture.
4. Click on the URL.
5. Access the information on the QR Code.
2. Google Lens and Live Text
Google Lens is a powerful tool that enables Android users to scan QR Codes directly from the camera without any trouble. Founded in 2017, it is mainly installed on Android devices by default, and it provides a simple, quick, and effective method of reading QR Codes and accessing the data in decoded form.
Here’s how you can use Google Lens camera for reading QR Codes.
1. Find Google Chrome in your device menu and open the app.
2. You can see the camera icon button in the search menu, as shown in the image below. Click on it to open the Google Lens feature.
3. Now, Google Lens is open. Point the camera towards the QR code and adjust it in the scanning area.
4. After scanning the QR code, you will instantly get a pop-up with the URL of the data encoded in the code.
5. Click on the URL to access the information.
Google Lens also provides QR Code reading features in photos. To scan a QR Code from photos or images, you have to open the image from your gallery in Google Lens in step 3.
You can also use Google Photos to directly scan the code instead of opening Chrome. The rest of the steps will remain the same.
Much like Google Lens for Android devices, iOS devices also have a similar application named “Live Text.” It is an AI-powered application that can help you scan QR Codes quickly. You can also search for anything via Live Text, including text, celebrities, event information, and much more.
Hence, to use Live Text for scanning QR Codes, follow the steps below:
- Open the camera application.
- Point the camera at the QR code.
- Wait for a yellow frame to appear around the QR code. Adjust the code in that frame.
- Tap on a book-shaped icon of Live Text, present at the bottom right corner.
- A Link will appear on the code. Click on it to access the information.
Like Google Lens, you can also use Live Text to scan QR Codes from photos. Here’s how you can do it:
- Open the Photos app on your iOS device.
- Select the photo that has a QR code.
- Click on the Live Text icon present in the right corner of the photo.
- Adjust the QR codes in the focus of the app.
A link to your information will pop up as soon as the tool is read. Click on the link to access the information.
3. Use Online QR Code Reader
Lastly, an online QR Code reader is our last method. Whether you need to scan a QR Code to redeem a voucher or want to view more details about a product, these QR Codes can be your cost-effective and ultimate option.
Here’s a complete step-by-step guide on how to use online QR code scanners to read the codes.
1. Open the QR Reader tool in your browser.
2. Click on the “Scan QR Code” button to scan the code live. However, if you have the code in an image format, you have to click on the “To Load” option. There, you can upload the image from the gallery, drag and drop it, or directly copy and paste it in the tool.
3. After the input of the image, the tool will decode the QR and provide the data in a URL form in the Scanned items box, as shown in the image.
4. Click on the URL to access the information further.
There are many tools available online for scanning QR Codes easily and quickly. You only have to open the tool in your browser, and within a few seconds, you can access the data in decoded form.
Final Thoughts
QR Codes are undeniably one of the most significant innovations to today’s highly digitalized era. From facilitating the storage of a large amount of encoded data to enabling easy and quick accessibility, it is a convenient and cost-effective tool for revolutionizing interactions and experiences.
Here, we have discussed 3 easy and quick methods to scan QR Codes in Android and iOS devices. So, whether you want to view your favorite brand’s complete product catalog online or register for a concert online, you can use QR Codes to access them within a few seconds.