Get a usable image
For an email, prefer the original attachment to its reduced preview. In a messaging app, ask for the original image if forwarding has made it blurry. If the QR code appears on a web page or in a PDF, display it fully before taking a screenshot.
Crop around a single code while keeping the light border. Do not cut off the three large square markers. Avoid filters, blur and annotations over the pattern. Enlarging a tiny screenshot cannot restore missing detail: return to the original if the modules are indistinct.
Read the file on the same device
- Open the Qurl reader in your phone’s browser.
- Choose the image from your photos or files, depending on the options offered by your device.
- Select a PNG, JPEG or WebP file no larger than 10 MB. The reader does not directly accept PDF, SVG or HEIC files.
- Read the content displayed below the preview. A Wi-Fi QR code requires an extra action to reveal its content.
If your photo uses an unsupported format, a good-quality screenshot can provide a compatible image. Check its format and size before trying again.
Check what was decoded
The result may be a web address, text, contact details or a Wi-Fi configuration. Qurl displays the data; it does not automatically open the link, add a contact or connect your phone to the network.
For a link, compare the domain with the expected sender’s domain. An image bearing a familiar logo does not guarantee its destination. If the content is unexpected, confirm it with the organisation through a channel you already know before proceeding.
If no QR code is detected
Try a sharper screenshot, then crop around the code and its margin. For a photograph taken at an angle, retake it straight on. If the image contains several QR codes, process them separately: the reader is not an inventory of every code in the picture.
A failure message does not prove that a link has expired: no destination has been opened yet. See the reading diagnosis or learn how to read an image on a computer.