iPhones have scanned QR codes natively since iOS 11 (2017) — no app, no setup. Three methods cover every situation.
Open the Camera app, point at the code — do not press the shutter. A yellow banner appears at the top with the link; tap it. If no banner shows: Settings → Camera → Scan QR Codes must be switched on.
Someone sent the code in WhatsApp, or it is on your own screen? Save/screenshot it, open it in Photos, then long-press directly on the code — iOS detects it and offers the link (iOS 15+). Older iPhones: upload the image to our picture scanner instead — decoded in your browser, never uploaded.
There is a dedicated scanner most people never find: swipe into Control Centre and tap the QR icon. (Add it via Settings → Control Centre → Code Scanner.) It opens links in-app and works in low light with the torch button.
Check the Settings toggle above first, then lens cleanliness, distance (a third of the frame) and light. If the code still refuses, test it in our online scanner — if that fails too, the code is defective: the full checklist says why.
Open the Camera, point at the code, tap the yellow banner. No shutter press, no app. Works since iOS 11.
Open it in Photos and long-press on the code (iOS 15+) — the link pops up. Or upload it to our browser-based picture scanner.
Settings → Camera → Scan QR Codes is usually off. After that: dirty lens, too far away, or a defective code.
Built in — the Code Scanner in Control Centre. Add it via Settings → Control Centre.
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