How to scan a QR code on a Mac
On a recent Mac, open the image of the QR code in Preview or Photos and hover over it: Live Text offers to open the link. For a printed code, your iPhone is still fastest.
Updated September 24, 2026
Method 1: an image in Preview or Photos
- Capture the area with Command + Shift + 4, or open the image containing the code.
- Open it in Preview or Photos.
- Hover over the code or Control-click it: Live Text offers to open the link (macOS Monterey and later, on supported Macs).
If nothing shows, make sure Live Text is on: System Settings, General, Language and Region, Live Text. Older Macs do not always support it.
Method 2: your iPhone
For a code on paper, the iPhone beats the Mac's FaceTime camera. Scan it with the iPhone camera, then send the link to the Mac with AirDrop, or copy it: with Universal Clipboard it pastes straight onto the Mac.
Method 3: the FaceTime camera
macOS has no built-in QR reader for the FaceTime camera. Two options: an online scanner that uses the webcam, like the QRTada scanner, or a photo taken with Photo Booth and opened in Preview. The built-in camera has fixed focus: hold the code 10 to 16 inches away.
Methods compared
| Method | Code on paper | Code on screen | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preview or Photos | No | Yes | Recent macOS, Live Text |
| iPhone and Continuity | Yes | Yes | iPhone on the same Apple Account |
| Online scanner | Yes, via webcam | Yes, via an image | A recent browser |
| Photo Booth then Preview | Yes | No | None |
Apple silicon and Intel Macs
Live Text works on Apple silicon Macs (M1 and later) and on some recent Intel Macs, depending on the macOS version. On an older Intel Mac where nothing appears on hover, the simplest route is your iPhone, or the online scanner that decodes the image in the browser. In Chrome on a Mac, right-clicking an image offers "Search image with Google": Lens opens in a side panel and shows the link inside the code. All three give the same result; pick whichever takes the fewest steps on your machine.
For repeated professional use, such as logging serial numbers from labels, a USB 2D barcode scanner works on a Mac too: it behaves like a keyboard and types the code content into the active field, with no software to install.
Special cases
- QR code in a PDF: open it in Preview and zoom in on the code before hovering.
- QR code on a web page: in Safari, Control-clicking the image sometimes offers the detected link; otherwise capture and use Preview.
- WiFi QR code: the Mac will not join a network from an image. Read the password in the code content, or share the network from your iPhone.
If a code refuses to scan on every device, it is probably defective: the QR code checker tells you why.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Mac scan a QR code with its camera?
Not natively. Use an online scanner that accesses the webcam, or your iPhone.
How do I read a QR code from an email on a Mac?
Capture the area, open it in Preview and hover over the code.
Live Text does not work. Why?
It needs macOS Monterey or later on a supported Mac, and must be on in Language and Region settings.
Can I send a link scanned on my iPhone to my Mac?
Yes, with AirDrop or Universal Clipboard.
Can a Mac create a QR code?
Not with a built-in tool. An online generator like the QRTada designer gives you an SVG or PNG to place in Pages, Keynote or your layout app.
Sources
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