# Scan QR & Barcodes — Scan QR codes from images on Mac

Read QR codes and barcodes from photos, screenshots and PDFs. Part of OneMacTools, 151 private tools in one native Mac app (macOS 26 or later); category: Utilities. Runs on your Mac; nothing is uploaded.

Drop images or PDFs and every QR code and barcode in them is read and copied to your clipboard. Useful when the code is on your screen and your phone can't scan it.

Page: https://www.onemactools.com/tools/scan-qr-code · Download: https://www.onemactools.com/download · Pricing: https://www.onemactools.com/pricing

## How to use it
1. **Get the code into a file.** Take a screenshot of the QR code or barcode on your screen, or use a photo or PDF that contains one.
2. **Drop the files.** Drag in images or PDFs, one or several. Every page of a PDF is checked.
3. **Click Scan.** Every QR code and barcode found is read.
4. **Use the result.** The window shows the code it found (or how many, if there are several), the results are copied to the clipboard, and a Scanned Codes.txt file with one result per line is saved in a new dated folder in Downloads › OneMacTools.

## Options
- **Copy results to clipboard:** On by default. Copies everything found, one result per line, so you can paste a link straight into your browser. The results are saved to a text file either way.

## Tips
- Before opening a link from a QR code, read it in the results. Check the address is the one you expect.
- Crop the screenshot close to the code if it isn't found. A small code in a large busy image is harder to spot.
- Use a sharp, straight-on photo. Blurry or steeply angled codes may not read.
- Drop a whole scanned PDF to collect every code in it at once; repeated codes are listed only once.

## Questions
**How do I scan a QR code on my Mac screen?**
Take a screenshot of it (Shift-Command-4), drop the screenshot onto Scan QR & Barcodes and click Scan. The link or text in the code is copied to your clipboard.

**Can I scan a QR code from a photo on my Mac?**
Yes. Drop the photo in and click Scan. A sharp photo taken straight on reads best.

**Can it read barcodes as well as QR codes?**
Yes. It reads the common product, shipping and ticket barcodes, such as EAN, UPC, Code 128, PDF417 and Aztec, as well as QR codes.

**Can I scan every QR code in a PDF?**
Yes. Drop the PDF and every page is checked. All the codes found are listed one per line.

**Why does it say no QR codes or barcodes were found?**
The code may be too small, blurry or cut off. Crop the image closer to the code or use a sharper picture, then try again.

**Does scanning a QR code open the link automatically?**
No. The link is only copied and saved as text, so you can check it before opening it yourself.