How to Scan a QR Code on iPhone (and Spot a Fake One First)

QR codes are everywhere: restaurant menus, parking meters, event tickets, Wi-Fi signs and package slips. Your iPhone reads them without any extra app. This guide covers both built-in ways to scan, what to do when nothing happens, and how to avoid the fake codes the FTC keeps warning about. For more, browse our iPhone guides.

How to scan a QR code on iPhone with the Camera app

1. Open the Camera app from the Home Screen, the Lock Screen or Control Center. On iPhone models with Camera Control, you can press it to open the Camera.
2. Use the regular photo mode and point the rear camera at the QR code so it appears inside the frame.
3. Wait a moment. The iPhone recognizes the code and shows a notification or link near the code.
4. Read the web address in that link, then tap it to open it.

You don’t need to take a photo. Just holding the camera steady over the code is enough.

Use Code Scanner in Control Center

Code Scanner opens a dedicated scanner, which can be handy when the Camera app is slow to react or the code is small.

1. Open Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner of the screen.
2. Tap the Scan Code button.
3. Position your iPhone so the code appears on the screen.

Add Scan Code to Control Center

If you don’t see the button, add it:

1. Open Control Center.
2. Touch and hold the background of the screen, then tap Add a Control.
3. Find Scan Code in the controls gallery and tap it.
4. Tap anywhere to go back to Control Center.

Before you tap: how to spot a fake QR code

A QR code is just a link you can’t read until you scan it. That’s what scammers rely on. The FTC describes several common tricks:

• Stickers on parking meters. Scammers cover a real QR code with their own, sending you to a fake payment page.
• Codes in texts and emails. A message claims a package couldn’t be delivered, your account has a problem, or there’s suspicious activity, and asks you to scan to fix it.
• Codes on unexpected packages. A note inside a parcel you didn’t order says to scan it to find out who sent it or to process a return.
• Urgent demands. Anything that pressures you to scan and pay right away is a red flag.

According to the FTC, these codes can take you to a phishing site that steals card numbers, usernames and passwords, or try to install malware on your phone.

• Read the address before you open it. The FTC advises inspecting the URL and watching for misspellings or swapped letters.
• Look at the code itself. On a meter or sign, a sticker placed over another code is a warning sign. Pay through the official app or website instead.
• Don’t scan codes from unexpected messages. If you think a message might be real, contact the company using a phone number or website you know is genuine.
• Check a link if you are unsure. Copy it and paste it into our free link safety checker, which looks for look-alike domains and other phishing tricks without opening the page.
• Keep iOS up to date and use strong passwords with two-factor authentication, as the FTC recommends.

If you already scanned a suspicious code

1. If you entered a password, change it right away and turn on two-factor authentication.
2. If you entered card or bank details, call your bank using the number on your card and check your statements for charges you don’t recognize.
3. The FTC suggests checking your credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and considering a fraud alert or credit freeze.
4. If someone used your personal information, report it at IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.
5. Report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Scam texts often come in waves. Our guide on how to stop spam texts shows how to filter and report them, and our security guides cover more scams to watch for.

If the iPhone won’t scan the code

• Move closer or farther away until the whole code fits comfortably in the frame.
• Add light. In a dark restaurant or garage, turn on the flashlight from Control Center, or use Code Scanner instead.
• Clean the lens. A smudged camera often fails on small codes.
• Try Code Scanner. It sometimes reads codes the Camera app misses.
• The code is damaged or blurry. Ask for a printed link or type the web address yourself.
• Update iOS in Settings → General → Software Update.

Make your own QR code

Want guests to open your menu, website or contact card with one scan? Our free QR code generator makes codes in your browser that point straight to your link and never expire. To share your home network, use the Wi-Fi QR code generator.

Related guide: How to Spot a Phishing Link Before You Tap It.

FAQ

Sources

• Scan a QR code with your iPhone or iPad (Apple Support)
• Scan a QR code with your iPhone camera (iPhone User Guide, Apple Support)
• Scammers hide harmful links in QR codes to steal your information (Dec 2023), FTC Consumer Advice
• Scam alert: QR code on an unexpected package (Jan 2025), FTC Consumer Advice