QR codes have become ubiquitous in the digital world. You can find them on products, advertisements, menus, tickets, and more. Scanning a QR code on your phone is easy, as most phones have a built-in camera app that can scan codes. But what if you want to scan a QR code on your Chromebook?
Chromebooks now have the capability to scan QR codes without needing to download any additional apps. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to scan QR codes on a Chromebook.
Table of Contents
Access the Camera App
The first step is to open the Camera app on your Chromebook:
- Click on the search/launcher icon in the bottom left corner of your screen
- Type in “camera”
- Click on the Camera app icon to open it
Once the Camera app is open, you will see various modes like Photo, Video, and Scan.
Enable QR Code Scanning
- At the bottom of the Camera app screen, click on “Scan”
- You will now see the option for “QR Code”
- Select QR Code to enable QR code scanning mode
Your Chromebook camera is now ready to scan QR codes!
Scan a QR Code
Scanning a QR code on your Chromebook is very simple:
- Hold up the QR code you want to scan so it’s clearly visible on your Chromebook screen
- Center the QR code within the viewfinder box
- Your Chromebook will automatically scan the QR code
- The URL or text encoded in the QR code will appear at the top of your screen
- Click on the URL or text to open it
Tips for successful scanning:
- Hold the QR code 6-12 inches away from your Chromebook camera
- Make sure there is sufficient lighting and no glare on the code’s surface
- Adjust the angle or distance if you are having trouble getting it to scan
- Clean your camera lens if it is smudged
Additional Features
The Camera app provides a few other useful features when scanning QR codes on your Chromebook:
Scan QR codes from images
If you want to scan a QR code from a saved image instead of a physical code, you can do that too.
- Open the image containing the QR code in the Chromebook photo viewer or an image editing app
- Launch the Camera app
- Click on “Scan QR Code”
- Position the QR code image within the viewfinder box to scan it
Scan multiple QR codes
You can consecutively scan multiple QR codes without having to relaunch the scanning feature each time. As soon as one code is scanned, center the next code in the viewfinder to continue scanning.
Copy QR code contents
After scanning a QR code, click on the copy icon next to the decoded URL/text to save it to your clipboard. You can then paste it wherever needed.
Customize Your Scanning Experience
You can customize a few settings in the Camera app to improve your QR code scanning on a Chromebook:
Enable flash
If you are scanning codes in a low light environment, turn on flash by clicking the flash icon in the top right.
Switch cameras
If your Chromebook has front and back cameras, you can switch between them by clicking the camera flip icon in the top right.
Adjust scan area size
Use the plus and minus buttons at the bottom to increase or decrease the size of the viewfinder box.
Change aspect ratio
You can change the shape of the photos/videos taken to match your subject. This also applies to the viewfinder box for scanning.
Through the Camera app, Chromebooks provide an easy way to get information from QR codes without needing additional software. Follow these tips on accessing the scanner and optimizing the scanning experience.
