QR codes are built for phone cameras, so scanning one on a computer feels awkward — but it is easy once you know the two ways to do it. You do not need to install anything.
From an image or screenshot
This is the common case: a QR code is sitting in an email, a PDF or a web page on your screen. Take a screenshot of it (or save the image), then hand that image to a scanner and it reads the code and shows you the link or text inside.
- Open the QR scanner.
- Drop in the screenshot or image file that contains the QR code.
- Read the decoded link or text, and open it if you trust it.
From your webcam
If you are holding a physical code — on a poster, a package or someone else's phone — you can hold it up to your computer's webcam and let the scanner read it live.
A word on safety
A QR code is just a link or piece of text, and the danger is the same as any link: it can point somewhere malicious. Scanning to reveal the destination first is actually safer than pointing a phone at it and tapping through blindly. Read the decoded address before you open it, and be wary of codes in unexpected places.
The scan happens entirely in your browser, so the image of your QR code is never uploaded to a server.