QR codes can be used for website links, coupons, tickets, and contact information, just to name a few, and scanning them using your iPhone or iPad is completely accessible for blind and low vision iOS users.
Apple has built QR code recognition directly into its camera app, which means all you need to do is open it up and point it at the code in question. Remember to have some lighting for scanning the QR code.
You’ll get a notification appear on screen once your iOS device recognizes what it’s looking at (which generally takes less than a couple of seconds), promoting you to action the link the QR code points to, a quick tap on this and you’ll be taken to the desired location, usually within the Safari web browser.
This works on all iPhone and iPad devices running iOS 11, and higher.
How to scan a QR code on iPhone and iPad
- Open up the camera app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Hold the device’s camera up to the QR code.
- No need to hit the shutter button, your iOS device will automatically recognize the QR code and provide you with an on-screen notification. (Make sure you have mobile signal or you’re connected to Wi-Fi.)
- Select the notification to be taken to the destination of the QR code.
There’s also a built-in QR reader in the Wallet app on iPhone and iPod. To access the scanner, open the app, select the plus button at the top of the “Passes” section, then select Scan Code to Add a Pass.
From here, you can scan QR codes for coupons, boarding passes, tickets, and loyalty cards, but only for the specific things that Wallet considers “passes.”
If you try to scan any other QR code, you’ll get an error message.
