Barcode Scan on iPhone

iPhone reads QR codes with the built-in Camera app and Control Center, but not product barcodes like UPC or EAN. Here is how to scan both on iOS and iPad — no app to install.

Scan a QR code on iPhone with the Camera app

This is the fastest way to barcode scan on iPhone when the code is a QR code.

  1. Open the Camera app in Photo mode

    The built-in scanner only works in Photo mode. Portrait, Video, and the other modes will not detect a code.

  2. Point the camera at the QR code

    Hold iPhone steady so the whole code sits inside the frame. Tap the flashlight control if the light is low.

  3. Tap the notification

    A banner shows the link or action. Review where it goes before you tap — a QR code can point anywhere.

Use the Control Center Code Scanner

iOS also has a dedicated Code Scanner. Open Settings → Control Center, tap the plus next to Code Scanner to add it, then open Control Center and tap the scanner icon whenever you want to read a QR code. It opens straight into scanning without the rest of the Camera interface, and it does not save a photo.

To scan a QR code that is already saved as a picture, open it in the Photos app and tap the Live Text icon, or upload it to the image barcode scanner in Safari.

Scan a product barcode (UPC, EAN) on iPhone

The iPhone Camera app and Control Center scan QR codes, but they do not decode 1D product barcodes such as UPC-A, EAN-13, or Code 128. To read those on iOS without installing an app, open this site in Safari and use the browser-based camera scanner, which supports both 1D and 2D formats.

Open the camera scanner Scan from a photo

The first time you scan, Safari asks for camera permission. Everything runs in the browser on your iPhone; the camera frames and decoded values are not uploaded.

Why a barcode scan might fail on iPhone

Not in Photo mode

Switch back to Photo mode; the camera only recognises codes there.

QR scanning turned off

Open Settings → Camera and turn on Scan QR Codes.

It is a product barcode

The Camera app decodes QR codes, not UPC or EAN. Use the Safari scanner below.

Poor focus or glare

Steady the phone, add light with the flashlight, and tilt glossy packaging to kill reflections.

Barcode scan on iPad

iPadOS works the same way. The Camera app and the Control Center Code Scanner read QR codes, while UPC and EAN product barcodes are handled by the Safari camera scanner. A barcode scan on iPad benefits from the larger screen when you line up the code and review the decoded value. Using an Android phone instead? See barcode scan on Android.

A decoded value is not a safety check

A QR code or barcode can hold a misleading link, message, or identifier. Read the decoded value before you open a destination or trust it. For QR content, the QR code scanner asks you to confirm before it follows a supported action. If a code will not read, work through the troubleshooting guide.