Smartphone users can scan on-screen QR codes without a second device

Users can scan QR codes displayed on their own smartphone screens without needing a second device by utilizing built-in features on iOS and Android operating systems.

On iPhones, the Live Text function allows users to scan codes from saved images or screenshots. By opening the image in the Photos app, a user can long-press the QR code to highlight it and open the embedded link. If the feature does not trigger automatically, the Live Text icon can be used to activate it.

Android users can utilize Google Lens to achieve the same result. By taking a screenshot of the QR code and opening it within the Google Lens app or the device's photo gallery, the system will automatically detect the code and suggest the associated actions or links. Some devices also support the 'Circle to Search' function for this purpose.