How do I create or scan QR codes on Windows devices?

Answer

About Partial Trust Applications

For the best privacy and security, look for partial trust applications, typically found in the Microsoft Store. The baseline configuration for partial trust applications means that they:

• cannot access the Internet or local network (it could launch an installed web browser to send data, but you’d notice)
• cannot access your files (unless you authorize specific ones using the system file picker)
• cannot use your Windows identity
• cannot use hardware peripherals or sensors
• cannot observe or manipulate the contents of other running applications (it could detect the existence of specific installed applications, or enumerate their support for specific file formats)

This is technologically enforced by the system (backed by a Windows security boundary). This can be better for privacy than using a web site, because web sites inherently have Internet access, and opting out of Internet access means your data can’t leave your device.

You can identity partial trust applications in the Microsoft Store by looking at the “This app can” section and the absence of the entry “Uses all system resources” — be sure to expand the “Show more” link if it appears. If there is no “This app can” section at all, then the application doesn’t require any permissions, which is the theoretical best possible scenario. (If it does disclose “Uses all system resources”, that is a full trust application; for more information, see the “Sidebar: About Full Trust Applications” section.)

Producing or Scanning QR Codes with QRCode Helper

Consider using QRCode Helper [sic] (Microsoft Store listing), which runs with the fewest permissions (none), is freely available, and can produce or scan (still image only) QR codes. If you aren’t at a Windows device or the direct link is missing, visit QRCode Helper in the Microsoft Store on the Web. Before installing, please verify that its “This app can” section is still absent from its Store listing.

To produce a QR code for plain text and URLs, enter it in the text box, then click the save button.

To scan a QR code using a camera, use the open file picker and look for “Camera” in the navigation pane at the bottom, then take a still image photograph with the on-screen shutter button and then click the file picker’s Open button. If this is missing, install Windows Camera from the Microsoft Store or visit Windows Camera in the Microsoft Store on the Web.

For users using a non-visual user interface, note that QRCode Helper is not localized into English, and buttons are unlabeled — it contains a text box with the payload, a text box for the image dimensions, a save file button, an open file button, and a clipboard paste button (text or image file).

Scanning QR Codes with QR Scanner Plus

For live scanning of QR codes from the camera, consider using QR Scanner Plus (Microsoft Store listing), which runs with the fewest permissions (camera), is freely available, and can scan QR codes. If you aren’t at a Windows device or the direct link is missing, visit QR Scanner Plus in the Microsoft Store on the Web. Before installing, please verify that its “This app can” section still only contains “Use your webcam” in its Store listing.

When the QR code is detected, its URL appears in the center bottom. Click the menu icon at the bottom to review scan history, and to export the content to a CSV file for copying. Click an individual URL entry for an option to open it in a web browser. The alleged Copy and Delete context menu depicted in the Store screenshots seems to be absent in this version, or is inaccessible using mouse or keyboard.

For users using a non-visual user interface, note that some buttons are unlabeled — those buttons correspond to the clipboard (copy or paste depending on mode) and a save file button (create mode only).

Alternative Products

QR Notes (Microsoft Store listing) (or visit QR Notes in the Microsoft Store on the Web) runs with minimal permissions (camera; contacts for saving scanned information), is freely available, and can produce or scan (front / back camera or file) QR codes. Before installing, please verify that its “This app can” section still only contains “Use your webcam” and “Use your contacts” in its Store listing. Its feature set is more sophisticated, so the learning curve is higher. You are responsible for adding the quiet zone margin as described in the Publishing QR Codes section. You might find it frustrating that a scanned hyperlink can’t be copied to the clipboard or directly edited.

ScreenCode (Microsoft Store listing) (or visit ScreenCode in the Microsoft Store on the Web) runs with the fewest permissions (none), is freely available, and can produce or scan (screenshot or clipboard image) QR codes. Before installing, please verify that its “This app can” section is still absent from its Store listing. You are responsible for adding the quiet zone margin as described in the Publishing QR Codes section. You might find it frustrating that it is dependent on the clipboard or Snipping Tool, and saving to a file seems nonfunctional.

When evaluating the “This app can” permissions for a Microsoft Store product, here are some common permissions you might see:

• Uses all system resources (formerly Access all your files, peripheral devices, apps, programs and registry): Mandatory consent. Avoid these products for the reasons described in the “Sidebar: About Full Trust Applications” section.
• Access your Internet connection or Access your Internet connection and act as a server. or Access your home or work networks: Mandatory consent. This is a privacy risk because QR code activities should be doable without network access. Some reasons that developers may declare this capability include accepting the project template defaults without performing due diligence to validate its appropriateness, collecting analytics, showing advertisements, or including an embedded web browser. Some QR code generation web sites may quietly replace your URL with a redirect that they host so that once your free trial ends and your QR codes are in production use, you’ll have to pay to ensure the QR codes continue functioning. Opting out of Internet access greatly reduces the effectiveness of this business model. Avoid these products.
• Use your webcam: Camera access consent is optional. This is expected for scanning software that wants a live video stream. Applications can also opt out of this capability and rely on the system file picker to host Windows Camera to supply a photo or video snippet that you record and approve before it’s returned to the application as a prerecorded file.
• Use your contacts: Contacts access consent is optional. Applications might want to retrieve or add contact information since QR codes can contain these kinds of personal information.
• Use your microphone: Microphone access consent is optional. There doesn’t seem to be a legitimate reason for QR code software to need this, but since it’s optional, you can opt out so it behaves as if it wasn’t requested.
• Use your pictures library: Pictures library access consent is optional. Applications might want this to retrieve all photos automatically, or automatically save to this location, without you having to grant manual approval with the system file picker. QR codes are rather specialized, so bulk access to photos is unlikely to be a quality experience, but this is optional.
• Use data stored on an external storage device: Mandatory consent. Like with the pictures library, applications might want to retrieve all photos automatically from an external storage device, like a flash drive. This is unlikely to be a quality experience, so be skeptical of these products.
• File System: Broad file system access consent is optional. QR code software should not need to work with arbitrary files anywhere on your device without your consent. Avoid these products, but since it’s optional, the risk can be mitigated.

If you cannot install software or access the Internet, 3D Builder may be preinstalled. To produce a QR code, create a New scene, Insert a Cube, then Paint a Texture choosing to generate a QR texture for your payload without a transparent background and position it on the cube, and finally adjust the camera position and take a screenshot or Print on paper.

Publishing QR Codes

Please ensure your usage of QR codes complies with licensing rules and regional patents. For the latest licensing guidance, see the QR Code FAQ, particularly “It is [sic] all right to use QR Codes with colors or an inserted illustration?” (these features are absent from the specification, and therefore in breach of the license).

Additionally, note that the “quiet zone” margin of 4 rows / columns on each side is part of the specification, so if you crop it out from the image file (or if the application neglects to include it), ensure that your design includes an equivalent margin.

If your QR code is going to be directly uploaded as an image file or embedded in an electronic document, and depending on the application that you use to save the image file, consider saving the final copy to a new file instead of overwriting an existing file. A common oversight in applications is neglecting to trim or reset the file size when overwriting a file, leaving leftover content from past versions at the end of the file if the newer version is smaller than the original version, which is an information disclosure concern and prevents the excess storage space from being freed. Saving to a new file sidesteps this oversight.

Sidebar: About Full Trust Applications

Full trust applications, including loose .exe and .msi files you might find for download directly from the publisher, can do anything they want, typically without needing prior approval, so the Microsoft Store publishes a disclaimer on the privacy and security implications of desktop applications that apply whether or not it’s acquired from the Microsoft Store. Their presence in the Microsoft Store is also disclosed by the “This app can” section’s permissions entry “Uses all system resources” (formerly known as “Access all your files, peripheral devices, apps, programs and registry”), and published products with this disclosure have been granted an exception to the Microsoft Store policies along with a liability shift from Microsoft to the user (due to the developer wishing to bypass the AppContainer security boundary).

Only install and use these full trust applications if you fully trust the publisher and developers, as there is no technological enforcement, only social enforcement. To put this into perspective, consider applying your standard interview process to those people, because you are granting them unattended access to your device and account (as if you had left your desktop unlocked and given your PC to them to borrow).

Disclaimers

Third party products were last reviewed on 6 May 2025. Over time, products may become unpublished in the Microsoft Store — existing installations will continue to function, but it is inconvenient to install on new devices. For alternatives and shopping guidance, see the Alternative Products section.

This guidance is for PCs running Windows 10 or later. Other operating systems are not covered.

QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED.

Mentioned third party products are suggestions and not endorsements.