You can easily scan QR codes that are already on your phone

You probably think you need to use your smartphone camera to scan a QR code, right? That’s not the case—it’s possible (and very easy) to scan a Quick Reply code that’s already stored on your mobile device. The actual scanning process is slightly different depending on whether you’re using Android or iOS, but it’s still a simple process either way.

Basically, all you have to do is take a screenshot of the QR code and then access it through your phone’s gallery. The next steps are surprisingly easy, whether you’re an Android team or an Apple team. We’ll break down the exact steps below before teaching you how to scan QR codes with similar Google Lens.

The trickiest part of scanning a QR code you’ve saved on your smartphone is that it requires two fingers. A formidable mountain to overcome, no doubt. All you have to do is take a screenshot of this code that might tickle your fancy. At st new iPhones (or even most older ones), hold the wake button and press the volume up button until you see a flash on the screen to take a picture. For Android devices, hold the power button and volume down to enable the similar flash.

From here, it’s just a matter of going to your device’s image gallery. On iPhone, after selecting the QR code screenshot, you’ll see a small blue icon with three small lines that appears just above the cart icon, and an accompanying URL to the left. Once you see the icon, tap the QR code again, where you’ll be given the option to open it in the browser of your choice. The process is just as easy on Android phones. After selecting the QR code screenshot, simply click on the lens icon. Hey, fast! You have just scanned a QR code that has been saved on your phone.

Many Android devices can also use Circle to Search to help you scan a QR code without the help of a camera, such as some Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy models. If you have a relatively recent Android phone, this feature should be automatically enabled, but if it isn’t, it’s easy to enable if your device supports it. To activate Circle to Search, open Settings on your home screen, then use the search bar to find Circle to Search. If your device supports this feature, a toggle will appear to enable this convenient QR code scanning method.

When you’re ready to use Circle to Search, hold down the home button to launch it. A Google search bar should then appear at the bottom of your device’s screen along with a small animation. In that case, just go to the QR code you found online or saved on your device and trace it with your finger. Yes, this really is one of those features that “does exactly what it says on the tin”.

Big G also provides another way to scan codes you may have stored on your phone. While Google Lens obviously works most seamlessly on Android devices, you can also take advantage of its scanning capabilities if you have the Google or Google Photos app installed on your iPhone.

On Android phones, simply tap the lens icon that will appear in the Google search bar. Alternatively, you can also open Lens through the Google app. Once you’ve selected an image of a QR code stored in your kitchen, Google Lens will work its magic by analyzing the code before providing you with the next link to click on.

The above methods show that it is very easy to scan QR codes that are already stored on your phone. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t always be diligent when working with codes. You need to be wary of common phishing signals avoid QR code attacksso only scan codes from sources you trust.