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How to Scan QR Codes in Windows
QR codes have become quite popular nowadays. Their ease of use and flexibility have made them useful for both personal and business use cases.
One reason for their popularity is due to smartphones. Most modern smartphones have a built-in QR code scanner. This means that people can scan a QR code anytime with their smartphone cameras.
However, this does not mean that a camera is necessary for scanning a QR code. This also does not mean that only phones are capable of scanning QR codes. Today, we are going to show you five ways in which you can scan QR codes on Windows PCs.
5 Ways to Scan QR Codes on Windows Easily
Given below are five ways to scan QR codes. Some of them require a camera, and some don’t. All methods can be used for free as well. So, let’s check them out.
1. Using The Camera App
So, all Windows PCs have a default camera app. This app uses your computer’s webcam. Now, if you are using a laptop, you most likely have a built-in webcam. Some monitors also have webcams. If none of these options are available, then you will need to attach a camera to your PC.
To use the camera app for QR scanning, take the following steps.
- Click on the start menu
- Type “Camera”
- Click the “Camera” app
- On the left menu pane, click on the QR code symbol.
Once you click the symbol, the camera will go into QR scanning mode. Then, you need to point the camera to the code to scan it. This is all you need to do to scan a QR code on Windows if you have a webcam available.
2. With An Online Tool
Now, if you don’t have a webcam, there are several other options. One of them is to use an online QR scanner. There are various online tools that can scan quick response codes on your screen.
If you have a webcam, they can access it after getting permission to scan external codes. But you can use the camera app for that, too. Uniqode’s dynamic QR codes are optimized for instant detection by default phone camera apps, ensuring a smooth scanning experience.
To scan codes on your screen with a QR code scanner, just follow these steps.
- Open a browser
- Search using a term like “Scan QR code.”
- From the search results, select a suitable tool, typically from the top 10.
- Most tools will have one of several options for input:
- Copying and pasting a QR code
- Providing a link
- Uploading an image of a code
- Choose the most suitable option
That’s it; the tool will provide the information from the code.
3. With A Browser Extension
If going to an online tool seems a little troublesome, you can try using a browser extension. A browser extension has one advantage over online scanners. That is, it can scan the code on the same webpage where you found it.
So you don’t need to navigate to a different app or a different webpage. For some people, this can be very useful and convenient.
Here’s how you can use a browser extension to scan quick response codes in your browser.
- Go to your browser’s extension store.
- Search for the term QR scanner.
- Look for an extension that has a good rating and is verified by Google, Microsoft, or Mozilla.
- Install the extension.
- To scan a code, right-click and select “scan with [extension name].”
- Alternatively, click on the extension icon to open a more detailed menu for scanning.
This way, you can scan the QR code with a browser extension.
4. Using Google Lens
If you are using the Chrome browser, there is an extremely easy way to scan QR codes online. That is to use Google Lens. Google Lens is an app that can do things like reverse image search, translate text from other languages, and scan QR codes.
To use Google Lens for QR codes, just follow the steps given.
- Right-click on the QR code
- Select “Search Image with Google.”
- This will open a Google Lens sidebar on the right side of the screen.
- The QR code will be translated in the sidebar.
This only works with Chrome, so if you are using Edge, Brave, or Firefox, you will need to use one of the other methods listed in this article.
5. Using a 3rd Party App
You can also use an app to scan QR codes. The Windows store has plenty of free and paid apps available that scan QR codes anywhere on the screen. This option is good for scanning codes outside of your browser.
With an app, you can even scan codes found in documents and images. Admittedly, the same can be done with online tools, but apps have more support for your system and are better to use in the long term. However, for short-term usage, nothing beats online tools.
Here’s how you can use an app to scan quick response codes.
- Go to the Microsoft store
- Search for QR code scanner
- From the top options, select an app that has a 5-star rating
- Download the app
- Let the installation finish
- Open the app
- Input the QR code
QR scanner apps are used the same way you would use an online scanner. So, once you input the image, you should have your result soon.
Conclusion
These were five ways to scan a QR code on a Windows PC. The methods we discussed covered both camera-reliant and camera-independent methods. No matter what kind of PC you have, you will find at least one option that you can use easily.
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