How to Use Chrome to Scan QR Codes on iPhone

Mar 11, 2017 - 4 Comments

Chrome

Update: Modern iOS and iPadOS versions can scan QR codes with camera app on iPhone and iPad, detailed here. If you simply need to scan and read a QR code that may be a better approach, though Google Chrome on iOS also continues to offer the feature and thus the article below will discuss that.

QR Codes are the weird looking pixelated squares you sometimes see printed on signs or elsewhere, and while it’s a stretch to say they are widely used (or understood) they are ubiquitous in some areas. While the iPhone does not bundle a method of scanning QR codes by default, if you’re a Google Chrome user then you will find the latest versions of the iPhone Chrome app can scan QR codes for you.


There are a few ways to access the QR code scanning ability of Chrome in iOS. Perhaps the easiest is using Spotlight, but there’s a 3D Touch trick available too.

How to Read QR Codes with Google Chrome on iPhone

  1. Install Google Chrome app on your iPhone if you have not done so already (update to the latest version too)
  2. From the Home Screen of iPhone, pull down on the screen to access the Spotlight search feature
  3. Type “qr” and tap on “Scan QR Code” under the Chrome section of results
  4. Scan QR code in Chrome on iPhone

  5. Scan the QR code using Chrome by placing the QR code in the app scanner
  6. Scan QR code with iPhone and Chrome

Since most QR codes direct to websites nowadays, having this feature in Chrome makes a lot of sense, and since it’s bundled in the app there is no need to download a separate app just for scanning QR codes, just get Chrome which is a great browser anyway.

You can also get a dedicated QR code scanning app like Scan app and you can make your own QR codes if you really want to.

Scan QR Codes via 3D Touch in Chrome

Another option is to 3D Touch the Chrome icon, which also reveals a “Scan QR Code” option on iPhone.

Chrome scan QR Code

How useful this feature is to you likely depends on how often (if ever) you need a QR code scanner.

But even if you rarely need one, having it built into Chrome is fairly nice, so it’s worth noting it exists.

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Related articles:

Posted by: Paul Horowitz in iPhone, Tips & Tricks

4 Comments

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  1. Freonpsandoz says:

    Apple really, really doesn’t want anyone to use Chrome, right? An “easy to use” system would allow a user to change the app that the camera uses for QR codes. Instead, they make it take 5 minutes to use Chrome instead of Safari for QR codes.

  2. DNI says:

    Just to let you know the the iPhone camera (at the time of this article) did have support to read QR codes through it’s internal camera.

    Just open the camera and point it at a QR code.

  3. no way says:

    This article should be titled “How to share more of your info with Google and the world”.

    Google is the biggest spies on the web, anything related to them is fair game to sell, trade or otherwise compromise you. Stay far away from them, ESPECIALLY Chrome.

  4. Ogles of Kansas says:

    The qr code worked but it didn’t turn up anything for bad code unfortunately. That would have been cool.

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