Free QR code checker — see where it points before you scan
A QR code hides its destination until it's too late — that's the whole trick behind fake parking-meter stickers, dodgy menu codes and letterbox flyers. Add a photo of the code below and see exactly where it points, decoded on your device. If it's a web address, one more tap checks the destination safely — you never have to open it.
The image is read entirely on your device and never uploaded.
How the QR check works
Two steps, and the first never touches the internet. Your photo is decoded entirely in the browser, revealing the code's raw contents — usually a web address, sometimes Wi-Fi details or a contact card. If it's an address and you choose to check it, our server fetches the destination safely, looks up how old its domain is, and reads what the page asks for — the same analysis as the link checker.
Where scam QR codes turn up
Anywhere you already expect one: stickers layered over parking-meter and EV-charger codes, table menus, gym noticeboards, parcel cards in the letterbox, invoices and even TV screens. The page a scam code opens is usually a convincing payment or login form on a domain registered weeks ago. The habit that beats all of it: reveal the destination first, and pay through the operator's official app or website whenever money is involved.
Your privacy
The photo is read entirely on your device and never uploaded. If you choose to check a decoded address, only that address is sent securely for analysis — and it's never shown to other users.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check a QR code without scanning it?
Take a photo (or screenshot) of the code and add it above. It's decoded right in your browser — the image never leaves your device — and you'll see exactly where the code points before anything opens. If it's a web address, one more tap checks the destination safely.
What is quishing?
QR phishing — a scam QR code placed where you expect a real one: a sticker over a parking meter's code, a fake table-menu code, a letterbox flyer, or a code in an email claiming to be from your bank. The code itself looks like any other; the danger is the destination, which is why revealing the URL before you visit matters.
Are parking meter QR codes safe?
Mostly — but sticker-over scams have been reported in Australia, and a fake payment page harvests your card in seconds. Check the code before paying: if the revealed address isn't the council's or operator's official domain, or it's a shortened link, pay via the operator's app or website instead.
The code doesn't point to a website — what is it?
QR codes can also hold Wi-Fi setups, contact cards or plain text. The checker shows you the raw contents without acting on them. Only use what it contains if you trust where the code came from — joining an attacker's Wi-Fi network or saving a fake contact carries its own risks.
The iPhone app scans QR codes live with the camera — no photo needed — and checks the destination in the same motion. Already scanned one and entered details? Here's exactly what to do now.