How to Scan a WhatsApp QR Code (Contacts and Linked Devices)

Before you scan anything, check which job you're doing. WhatsApp uses QR codes for two quite different things: adding a person as a contact, and logging in to WhatsApp on another screen such as a laptop or tablet. They look alike, the steps differ, and mixing them up is the most common reason a scan seems to do nothing.

I run most of my work admin from a laptop, and I know how much faster it's when a client hands over a QR code at an event and you can add them in seconds. Below are WhatsApp's own steps for both jobs, plus what to check when the camera just won't catch the code.

Two kinds of WhatsApp QR code and which one you need

What you want to do	Which code you scan	Where you scan it
Save someone as a WhatsApp contact	Their contact QR code, shown in their WhatsApp settings	Inside WhatsApp on your phone
Use WhatsApp on a laptop, tablet or other screen	The login QR code on that other screen	With your primary phone, from Linked devices

A contact code is generated by the person you're adding. A login code appears on the device you want to sign in on. If you scan one in the screen meant for the other, nothing useful happens, so start by working out which screen you're holding.

Scanning a WhatsApp QR code in person to add a contact

WhatsApp's help pages say you can scan a WhatsApp QR code to add someone's contact information. Here's the in-person route, written for Android as the help page shows it:

1. Tap the three dots, then Settings.
2. Tap the QR code displayed next to your name.
3. Tap Scan code.
4. Hold your phone over the other person's QR code.
5. Tap Add to contacts.

The other person opens the same screen on their phone and shows you their code. If you're on an iPhone, the Settings tab and the QR icon next to your name are the place to look, but menus vary by app version, so follow the wording on your own screen.

Using the WhatsApp camera to scan a QR code

There's a quicker route if you don't want to dig through settings. WhatsApp says you can tap Camera inside the app, hold the phone over the code, tap the WhatsApp link that appears, and then tap Add to contacts. That's the one I'd use at a networking event, because you're already holding your phone up.

Scanning a WhatsApp QR code from a photo

Sometimes the code is a screenshot or a photo someone sent you, so there's nothing to point a camera at. WhatsApp's help pages list several ways to scan from an image instead:

• From Gallery: open your QR code screen, tap Scan code, tap the Gallery icon at the bottom left, pick the photo, then tap Add to contacts.
• From the new chat screen: tap New chat, tap the QR code next to New contact, tap Scan code, choose the Gallery icon and select the image.
• From the WhatsApp camera: tap Camera, select the image that contains the code, tap the image, then tap Add to contacts.
• Inside a chat: open an individual or group chat, tap the camera, select the image with the code, and tap Add to contacts.

This is handy if a supplier sends their contact code in an email or a client shares it as a picture on a brochure.

Scanning a WhatsApp QR code to log in on another device

This is the other kind of code. You open WhatsApp on the new screen, such as WhatsApp Web, a desktop app or a tablet, and it shows a code. Then you use your primary phone to scan it. WhatsApp's steps for Android are:

1. Open WhatsApp on your Android phone and tap the three dots.
2. Tap Linked devices, then Link a device.
3. If WhatsApp asks, confirm it's you with your fingerprint, face or phone PIN.
4. Point the phone at the QR code on the other screen.

On an iPhone, open Settings or tap your profile picture, then tap Linked devices and Link device. WhatsApp asks you to confirm with Touch ID, Face ID or your PIN, and then you scan.

WhatsApp's help pages say you can link up to four devices to the same account, and you need to open WhatsApp on your primary phone every 14 days to keep them connected. If WhatsApp spots a device it doesn't recognise, it asks you to confirm, and you tap Don't link if it isn't yours.

Logging in without a QR code on WhatsApp Web

If your camera is broken or the code won't read, WhatsApp's help pages describe another route for Windows and WhatsApp Web: choose the option to link with a phone number, enter your primary account number, and an eight-character code appears. You then confirm the notification on your phone and type that code in. It's worth knowing about, though I'd still try the QR code first because it's quicker.

Why your WhatsApp QR code scan isn't working

WhatsApp lists the reasons a contact code may not scan. Work down the list before you assume your phone is at fault:

• The code isn't valid, or it isn't a WhatsApp contact code at all. Plenty of QR codes point to websites and menus.
• The person has reset their code, or their account no longer exists.
• Your phone isn't connected to the internet.
• Your camera isn't working as it should. Clean the lens and try again in better light.
• You're using an older version of WhatsApp, so update the app and retry.

WhatsApp's advice is to ask the contact to send the code again, check your connection and camera, and scan again. It's dull advice, but it solves most cases.

Keeping your WhatsApp login QR code scans safe

Treat a login QR code like a key. WhatsApp's help pages warn that linking your account through unofficial apps or websites may put your account at risk, and they list only the official routes: WhatsApp Web, the Windows and Mac apps, Android tablets, the iPad app and a few others. Never scan a login code someone sends you in a message, because that would sign them in to your chats.

You can see what's connected at any time. On Android tap the three dots then Linked devices, and tap a device then Log out to remove it. WhatsApp also disconnects linked devices that have been inactive for 30 days.

After you scan a WhatsApp contact QR code

Once you've tapped Add to contacts, the person is saved in your phone's contacts. If you'd like to tidy the entry afterwards, I've written a walkthrough on adding a contact on WhatsApp that covers editing the name. And if you only have a phone number rather than a code, my guide to finding someone on WhatsApp covers the other routes.

For small business owners, a printed contact code on a flyer, a shop window or a business card is a tidy way to let customers message you without typing a number. Just remember it only works for people with WhatsApp on their phone.

If you want the full set, start at the WhatsApp Help: 43 Guides to Transfers, Backups, Business and Privacy.

Frequently asked questions

How do I scan a WhatsApp QR code?

Open WhatsApp, tap Camera and hold your phone over the code, then tap the WhatsApp link and Add to contacts. For a code in a photo, use the Scan code screen in Settings and choose the Gallery icon.

Where is my own WhatsApp QR code?

Open Settings in WhatsApp and tap the QR code icon next to your name. The other person can scan it from their own Scan code screen.

How do I scan a QR code to use WhatsApp on a computer?

Open WhatsApp on your phone, go to Linked devices, tap Link a device, then point the phone at the code on the computer screen.

Why won't my phone scan the WhatsApp QR code?

WhatsApp says the code may be invalid, reset, not a contact code, or your connection, camera or app version may be the problem. Ask for a fresh code and try again.

How many devices can I link with a QR code?

WhatsApp says up to four devices can be linked, and you need to log in on your primary phone every 14 days to keep them connected.