How Browser-Based QR Scanning Works

Modern browsers support the MediaDevices API, which allows web pages to access your camera with your permission. The page captures video frames, passes them through a QR detection library (ZXing, ZBar, or similar), and decodes any found codes.

Browser Support

• Chrome 53+ — full support
• Firefox 36+ — full support
• Safari 11+ — full support (requires HTTPS)
• Samsung Internet 5+ — supported
• Edge 12+ — supported

Note: Camera access requires HTTPS (doesn't work on http:// pages).

Tips for Better Scanning

• Hold the QR code steady — blurry images won't decode
• Ensure good lighting — dark environments cause scanning failures
• Fill the camera frame with the QR code (but don't clip the edges)
• For damaged or low-contrast codes, try adjusting the angle slightly

Desktop QR Scanning

On desktop, take a screenshot of the QR code and upload it to the QR Scanner tool. This is often faster than using a phone app when you're already at your computer.