QR Code Link Checker
Upload a photo or screenshot of a QR code, or use your camera, to see what it contains and where its link really goes, before your phone opens anything.
Images are read on your device and never uploaded.
Why check a QR code first?
QR codes are just a printed way to share a link or a bit of text. That convenience is also the problem: you can't read a QR code by looking at it, so you have no idea where it leads until your phone opens it. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has warned that scammers place their own codes over real ones on parking meters and send them in texts and emails with urgent stories about failed deliveries or suspicious logins.
Checking the code first gives you the full picture: what the code contains, every redirect its link passes through, and the website it finally lands on.
How to use it
- On a computer: save or screenshot the QR code (for example from an email), then drop it in the box or press Ctrl+V to paste.
- On a phone: tap Use camera and point it at the code, or tap Choose image to pick a photo you've taken.
- Read the result. If the code holds a web link, we follow it from our server and show where it ends. If it holds something else, such as Wi-Fi details or a payment address, we explain what scanning it would do.
Warning signs on QR codes
- A sticker on top of another code. Run your finger over parking meters, posters and payment signs. A code that's stuck on, peeling or crooked deserves a second look.
- A payment page on a site that isn't the city's or company's. Official parking apps and payment pages use their own well-known domains.
- Urgency. "Pay within 24 hours", "your account is locked", "your parcel will be returned". Real organizations rarely make you act through a QR code under time pressure.
- Requests for login codes, card numbers or crypto. These are the main targets of QR scams.
For more detail, read are QR codes safe to scan? Need to make your own code? Our QR Code Generator creates free codes that never expire.
What QR codes can contain
| Contents | What scanning does |
|---|---|
| Web link | Opens a website. This is the most common and the one we check in depth. |
| Wi-Fi details | Offers to join a network. A fake network can watch your traffic. |
| Phone number or text message | Starts a call or message, possibly to a premium-rate number. |
| Contact card or calendar event | Adds a contact or event to your phone. |
| Crypto payment address | Opens a wallet to send money. Crypto payments can't be reversed. |
| Two-factor setup (otpauth) | Adds a login code generator. Only scan these on a site you're signing up for yourself. |
Frequently asked questions
Is my QR code image uploaded?
No. The image is read in your browser, on your own device. Only the decoded web link is sent to our link checker so we can follow its redirects. Images and camera video are never uploaded or saved.
Why check a QR code instead of just scanning it?
Your phone's camera app usually shows only a short preview of the address, and many QR codes use short links that reveal nothing. Checking first shows the full redirect path and the final website, so a fake code on a parking meter or flyer is easier to spot.
Can I use my phone camera?
Yes. Tap "Use camera", allow camera access, and point it at the code. If your browser blocks the camera, take a photo or screenshot of the code and upload it instead.
What if the QR code isn't a web link?
QR codes can also hold Wi-Fi details, phone numbers, text messages, contact cards, crypto payment addresses and more. We show you what's inside and explain what scanning it would do.
It says no QR code was found. What now?
Try a closer, sharper photo with the whole code in view and good lighting, or crop the image so the code fills most of it. Very small, blurry or damaged codes can't be read.