You don't need your phone to open a QR code. You probably already know how to scan a QR code with your phone. It's simple enough: just open the camera app, point your phone at the code, and tap ...

Here’s how: Open the Camera app and hold your iPhone, so the QR code appears in the viewfinder. Your phone should recognize the QR code and give you a notification.

Want to scan QR codes on your Windows PC without using your smartphone? Here are three ways to scan a QR code on Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Point at the QR Code: Once Google Lens is open, point your phone’s camera at the QR code you want to scan. This could be a QR code displayed on your phone’s screen, in an email, or on a website.

Bar codes store information along one axis, horizontally. QR codes store information in both vertical and horizontal axes, which allows them to hold significantly more data.

Instagram is launching QR codes so businesses can make it easier for people to find their Instagram profiles. The feature will replace Nametags, which had to be scanned from within Instagram.

QR codes are a close cousin of the bar codes on product packaging that cashiers scan with infrared scanners to let the checkout computer know what products are being purchased.