Short answer
There are two ways. Point your iPhone camera at the screen, and the link opens on your phone. If you want the link on your Mac, press Shotbox's Capture Text shortcut (Shift-Command-1 by default) and drag over the code: the decoded content goes straight to the clipboard, ready to paste into your browser's address bar. Decoding happens on your Mac and no image is saved. The first time, it needs the Screen Recording permission, and it requires macOS 13 or later.
Where this comes up
A sign-in code on a web page, a registration code in slides or a PDF, a download code someone sent in a chat window, a code in the corner of a video. The code is on your Mac screen, and the link behind it is usually something you want to open on the Mac too.
Option 1: point your iPhone camera at the screen
Apple's support page says the iPhone can scan QR codes with the Camera app or the Code Scanner in Control Center, then you tap the link that appears (Apple Support: Scan a QR code with your iPhone camera, checked 2026-10-26). Nothing to install. The catch is that the link opens on your phone, so getting it back to the Mac takes another hop, and glare or a tiny code can take a few tries to focus.
Option 2: drag over it on your Mac (Shotbox)
- Press the Capture Text shortcut. The default is Shift-Command-1, and you can change it in the Shortcuts group in Settings.
- The screen freezes. Drag a box around the QR code. A bit of margin around the code helps.
- When you release, a small note next to the selection confirms the QR content was copied and shows its first line. Paste it into the address bar or anywhere else.
If the box contains several QR codes, all decoded contents are copied together, one per line. Some barcodes decode too. With no code in the box, it works as plain Capture Text and copies the recognized words; see how to copy text from a screenshot on Mac.
Can the built-in macOS screenshot read QR codes?
According to Apple's support page, the built-in screenshot shortcuts (Shift-Command-3, 4 and 5) save the capture as a file, or copy it to the clipboard when you add Control (Apple Support: Take a screenshot on Mac, checked 2026-10-26). The page does not mention reading QR codes. We have not verified whether other built-in macOS apps can read a QR code off the screen. Not verified means we did not find a clear statement on an official page, not that the feature is missing.
What it can't do
- It does not open links for you. Shotbox only puts the content on the clipboard, and whether to open it is your call. For a code from an unknown source, look at the URL after pasting before you open it.
- A code that is too small, blurry, partly covered or cut in half may not decode. In that case it copies whatever text it recognized in the box, or tells you no text was found. Zooming the page in and trying again usually works.
- Capture Text saves no image, so the QR screenshot does not go into your library. To keep the image, use the normal screenshot shortcut.
- Mac only, and it requires macOS 13 or later.
FAQ
Does scanning need an internet connection?
No. QR decoding and text recognition both run on your Mac. The link is only visited when you paste and open it.
Can I scan a QR code inside an image file?
Yes. Open the image on screen in Preview or any image viewer, then press the Capture Text shortcut and drag over the code.
Does it save a screenshot of the QR code?
No. Capture Text saves no image. The temporary image used for recognition is deleted right after, and nothing goes into your screenshot library.
