# QR scanning on iPad

> iPads scan QR codes exactly like iPhones, open the Camera app, point it at the code, and tap the banner: supported since iOS 11 (2017). Because iPads are heavier and often mounted, scanning from a screenshot with Live Text or using a browser scanner is frequently easier.

Source: https://useqr.app/docs/scanning/qr-scanning-on-ipad · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · UseQR is free forever, no signup.

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## The software is identical to iPhone

Open **Camera**, frame the code, tap the banner, the same flow, supported since
**iOS 11 (2017)**, which reached the iPad Air, iPad mini 2 and everything after. The
**Code Scanner** can be added to Control Centre the same way, and **Live Text**
(iPadOS 15, A12 chip or newer) decodes codes inside saved images and screenshots. If any
step is unfamiliar, the [iPhone page](/docs/scanning/how-to-scan-a-qr-code-on-iphone)
applies verbatim.

## The differences are all physical

An iPhone is a scanning device you point; an iPad is a tray you lift. In practice:

- **Weight and grip.** Holding a tablet steady at a poster for the second the camera
  needs is genuinely harder, and camera shake is the main cause of missed focus.
- **Camera position.** The rear lens sits in a corner, so aiming is less intuitive,
  people frame with the middle of the device and miss.
- **iPads live on tables.** A propped or docked iPad cannot be pointed at anything.

The consequence: on iPad, the **screenshot route often beats the camera**. A code that
arrives in Mail, Safari or a PDF gets screenshotted and long-pressed via Live Text
without moving the device at all, the same
[image-decoding flow](/docs/scanning/how-to-scan-a-qr-code-from-a-screenshot) as any
same-device scan.

## Split View makes the upload route pleasant

iPadOS multitasking gives the browser-scanner flow a nice shape: put **Photos** (or
Files) in Split View beside Safari showing a [browser-based scanner](/scan), and **drag
the image straight into the upload area**. Decoding happens client-side in Safari (the
image never leaves the iPad), and the decoded text appears before anything opens, which
is the [cautious way to treat unknown codes](/docs/security/how-to-check-a-qr-code-before-opening).

## iPad as the scanner at a kiosk

Mounted iPads make solid check-in stations: a stand at chest height, the **front camera**
facing the visitor, and a scanner page open in the browser using the camera via
`getUserMedia`. Guests hold their ticket or phone up to the iPad rather than the other
way round. Three practical notes:

- Safari asks for **camera permission per site**, grant it once during setup; the
  details are on [camera permissions and QR scanning](/docs/scanning/camera-permissions-and-qr-scanning).
- Use **Guided Access** (Settings → Accessibility) to lock the iPad to the scanner page.
- Screens reflect: tilt the mount slightly to keep overhead lighting out of the camera's
  view of glossy phone screens, the same physics as
  [scanning off a monitor](/docs/scanning/scanning-a-qr-code-off-a-monitor).

## FAQ

### Can an iPad scan QR codes?
Yes, identically to an iPhone: open the Camera app, point it at the code, and tap the
banner. This has worked since iOS 11 in 2017 on the iPad Air, iPad mini 2 and every
later model.

### How do I scan a QR code that is on my iPad's screen?
Screenshot it, open the screenshot in Photos, and long-press the code or use the Live
Text icon. On models without Live Text, upload the screenshot to a browser-based
scanner instead.

### Can I use an iPad as a QR code scanning kiosk?
Yes. Mount it with the front camera facing users, open a browser-based scanner with
webcam support, grant the site camera permission once, and lock the iPad to that page
with Guided Access.

### Why does my iPad struggle to scan posters and signs?
Weight. Holding a tablet steady enough for focus is harder than with a phone, and the
corner-mounted lens makes aiming unintuitive. Brace your elbows or photograph the code
and decode it from the image.

## Try it

- https://useqr.app/scan
- https://useqr.app/url