Read QR code: How to crack the encryption

Decrypt the QR code via smartphone and app

The most common way to read QR codes is to use your smartphone in conjunction with an app.

If you want to use your Windows Phone as a scanner, you don't even need an app. In addition to QR codes, these smartphones also decode EAN codes and all other barcodes. In addition, the Windows Phone can even scan text with the same function.
Of course, you can also read QR codes with your iPhone. However, you need an additional app for this smartphone.
With an Android smartphone, you don't have to ponder a QR code either. We will present the 3 best barcode scanners for Android in another practical tip.

You can crack any QR code online easily, quickly and free of charge. There are many websites that offer this service. We present one to you here.

For example, open the webqr.com website in your browser. There you can either upload a picture of the code or hold it in front of the camera of your laptop.
The QR code is automatically decrypted and you can read the result immediately. If you want to create a QR code yourself, you can do it here with just a few clicks.

In order to read a QR code with a Windows PC or notebook, you have to download a free tool to your computer. We also describe the detailed procedure in a practical tip.
Instead of using an additional tool, you can also use the webcam as a barcode scanner and thus capture the QR code.

Finally, you can decrypt a QR code without any tools.

In order to start decoding a QR code manually, it is definitely helpful to know what a QR code is and how it works. You will of course find a detailed explanation in our practical tips.
In addition to the structure and function, you also need to understand the individual elements of the code. We explain the meaning of the individual patterns and their interpretation in detail in our article "Decrypt QR code without scanner".

By the way, you can also share WiFi access via QR code. We explain in the next practical tip how exactly this works.