To scan a Spotify Code, open the Spotify app on your phone or tablet, tap Search, tap the search bar, tap the camera icon, tap SCAN and point your camera at the code. Spotify needs access to your camera for it to work.
This is a checklist page. I've split it into what to sort before you scan, the scan itself, and how to share a code of your own, all based on Spotify's help page on sharing, which I checked as of Nov 2026.
Before you scan: a quick checklist
- Use your phone or tablet. Spotify's scanning steps are marked for mobile and tablet only. The page doesn't give a desktop route for scanning.
- Open the Spotify app itself. The scanner sits inside Spotify's Search, so you start there.
- Allow camera access. Spotify says it needs access to your phone's camera. If you've refused that permission in the past, scanning can't work until it's allowed.
- Get the code in view. It could be on another phone's screen, a screenshot, or printed. All you need is to be able to point your camera at it.
Worth separating early: a Spotify Code isn't the same as an ordinary QR code. If what you're holding is a square QR code, you'll want my guide to reading a QR code with an iPhone instead. And if it's WhatsApp asking you to scan, that has its own steps in my piece on the WhatsApp QR scan.
The scan, step by step
Here's the exact sequence from Spotify's sharing help page:
- Tap Search.
- Tap the search bar.
- Tap the camera icon.
- Tap SCAN.
- Point your camera at the Spotify Code.
That's all there is to it. The camera icon is the step most people miss, because it only shows once you've tapped into the search bar, not on the Search screen before you tap.
Showing and sharing your own code
Want someone else to scan something you love? Spotify makes this nearly as quick:
- Find the song, album, playlist or other content you want to share.
- Tap the three-dot icon on it.
- Select Show Spotify Code at the bottom.
Your friend can then scan the code with their phone camera. Spotify also suggests taking a screenshot of the code so you can share it around. That's handy for a poster, a slide or a message. For a high resolution version, Spotify's help page points to spotifycodes.com. I'm naming it here as Spotify does, not linking to it.
If you're sharing a playlist, check it's set to public first, or people who scan it may not get far. Here's how to make a playlist public.
Code, link or embed: what to send
A code is only one of the ways Spotify lets you share. According to its help page, you can share songs, albums, artists, playlists, podcasts and your profile, and the options are these:
| Option | Where Spotify offers it | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Spotify Code | Mobile and tablet, via the three-dot icon and Show Spotify Code | Someone's standing next to you, or it's going on a screen or printout |
| Copy link | In the app's share options; on desktop, right-click and Share | You're sending it in a message or email |
| Copy embed code | Desktop, right-click and Share | You want a player on a web page |
| Social and messaging apps | In the app's share options | You're posting it straight to a social or chat app |
To get to those options on your phone, Spotify's steps are to go to what you want to share, tap the three-dot icon and choose Share. On desktop, right-click the item, or select the three-dot icon next to it, then choose Share for Copy Link or Copy embed code. Spotify also adds a tip for desktop: if you need the Spotify URI, hold the ALT key on Windows or the Option key on Mac. Most people won't need that, but it's there if a tool or a colleague asks for the URI rather than a link.
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The "Best when" column is my judgement, not Spotify's. My verdict: codes win in person, links win everywhere else. A link can be tapped, and a code on a phone screen can't be scanned by the phone that's showing it.
What Spotify's page doesn't cover
As of Nov 2026, the help page is silent on three things people often ask:
- Scanning on a computer. The scan steps are for mobile and tablet only.
- What to do when the camera won't scan or camera permission has been denied.
- Whether Spotify Codes expire.
I won't fill those gaps with guesses. If you're posting music to social media rather than showing a code, my guide on connecting Spotify and Instagram is the better route.
Quick answers
Can I scan a Spotify Code on my computer?
Spotify's scan steps are for mobile and tablet only, and the help page doesn't give a desktop route.
Where's the Spotify Code scanner?
In the app, tap Search, tap the search bar, then tap the camera icon and SCAN.
How do I get the Spotify Code for a song?
Tap the three-dot icon on the song and select Show Spotify Code at the bottom. A friend can then scan it.
Can I share a Spotify Code as a screenshot?
Yes. Spotify suggests taking a screenshot of the code so you can share it around, and your friend scans it from there.
Why won't Spotify scan the code?
Spotify needs access to your camera. Beyond that, the help page doesn't list fixes for a failed scan.
