Scanning a QR code without your phone requires a little help from Google or a webcam.

Want to scan QR codes on your Windows PC without using your smartphone? Here are three ways to scan a QR code on Windows 10 and Windows 11.

QR codes are used for everything from opening a restaurant menu to making payments: just point your camera at the QR code, and your phone will automatically open the relevant page.

QR codes store information in both vertical and horizontal axes, which allows them to hold significantly more data. That extra amount of data is what makes QR codes so versatile.

QR codes are a close cousin of the bar codes on product packaging that cashiers scan with infrared scanners to let the checkout computer know what products are being purchased.

QR codes are a close cousin of the bar codes on product packaging that cashiers scan with infrared scanners to let the checkout computer know what products are being purchased.