How to scan a QR code with your iPhone or Android phone - USA TODAY

Your smartphone is afloat of surprises. There's an app if you privation to usage your telephone arsenic a magnifying solid oregon scanner. Tap oregon click present for hidden apps connected your smartphone and however to find them.

Third-party programs instrumentality up abstraction connected your phone, and galore are redundant acknowledgment to your phone’s built-in capabilities. Tap oregon click present for communal apps you tin delete close now.

Quick Response codes, amended known arsenic QR codes, are those pixelated squares you spot successful restaurants, advertisements, stores, nutrient packaging, concern cards, hose tickets – you sanction it. Some developers would pb you to judge you request to download their app to scan them. Spoiler: Your telephone tin bash that with built-in features.

Follow the maze

QR codes were initially created to way automotive parts, but present they’re utilized for overmuch more.

How galore calories are successful those fries? Where tin you bargain the outfit you spot successful an ad? How galore miles tin this car question connected a gallon of gas? A speedy QR codification scan tin resoluteness each these questions and more. Think of this tech arsenic a astute barcode.

QR codes existed agelong earlier smartphones, and your instrumentality tin scan them close retired of the box. Here’s however to usage this adjuvant diagnostic without third-party software.

Use your phone’s autochthonal capabilities to debar malware

Third-party scanning apps are popular, making them premier transportation systems for malware. Hackers fell unsafe codification successful these adjuvant apps, which tin bargain your money, hijack your idiosyncratic information, oregon adjacent instrumentality implicit your device.

RELATED: QR codification app caught hiding malware – Check your phone!

How to scan a QR codification with your iPhone’s Camera app

Your iPhone’s built-in Camera app tin scan QR codes, and it’s arsenic casual arsenic taking a photo. Here’s how:

• Open the Camera app and clasp your iPhone, truthful the QR codification appears successful the viewfinder.

• Your telephone should admit the QR codification and springiness you a notification.

• Tap the notification to unfastened the nexus associated with the QR code.

How to scan a QR codification with your Android phone

Your Android phone's camera apt tin scan QR codes without the usage of a third-party app. Here's how:

• Open the Camera app and clasp your Android telephone truthful that the QR codification appears successful the viewfinder.

• Your telephone should admit the QR codification and springiness you a notification.

• Tap the notification to unfastened the nexus associated with the QR code.

• If you aren't notified, spell to Settings and alteration QR codification scanning.

Use your Samsung Camera app

Samsung’s camera app comes with autochthonal enactment for QR codification scanning. Here’s how:

• Open the Camera app and clasp your Samsung telephone truthful the QR codification appears successful the viewfinder.

• Your telephone should admit the QR codification and springiness you a notification.

• Tap the notification to unfastened the nexus associated with the QR code.

• If you aren't notified, spell to Settings and enable QR codification scanning.

Use Google Lens

Google Lens started arsenic a diagnostic successful Pixel phones but soon became modular successful galore Android phones. The instrumentality is portion of your camera app and tin bash galore things, from identifying a canine breed to translating text. Here’s however to usage it:

• Open your Camera app and pat More > Google Lens.

• Now you’ll person a Lens icon you tin usage whenever you unfastened your camera, and it tin scan QR codes.

• You tin besides usage Google Assistant to activate Google Lens. Say “OK Google,” past pat Google Lens astatine the bottommost right.

Tap oregon click present to get adjacent much retired of Google Lens.

Use Bixby

Samsung’s virtual adjunct tin assistance you larn much astir thing with a QR code. Here’s how:

• Launch your camera app and tap Bixby Vision.

• Then pat Allow to alteration permissions. Enable each pop-up permissions.

• Scan and pat Go to navigate to presumption the QR codification content.

While convenient and entertaining, scanning a QR codification tin exposure you to malware and scams. Tap oregon click present for tips connected what to look retired for.

Keep your tech-know going

My fashionable podcast is called “Kim Komando Today.” It’s a coagulated 30 minutes of tech news, tips, and callers with tech questions similar you from each implicit the country. Search for it wherever you get your podcasts. For your convenience, deed the nexus beneath for a caller episode.

PODCAST PICK: Sell your poop, nary much Netflix sharing, delete these apps

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Check retired my podcast “Kim Komando Today” connected Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, oregon your favourite podcast player.

Listen to the podcast here oregon wherever you get your podcasts. Just hunt for my past name, “Komando.”

Learn astir each the latest exertion connected the Kim Komando Show, the nation's largest play vigor speech show. Kim takes calls and dispenses proposal connected today's integer lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privateness and information hacks. For her regular tips, escaped newsletters and more, sojourn her website at Komando.com.

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