Scan QR Code on Screen: A Shortcut I Built for My Mac
I built this Shortcut because I kept running into a simple but annoying problem. Every now and then, I’d come across a QR code on my Mac—maybe in a PDF, a presentation, or just an image on a website. And every time, I had to pull out my iPhone to scan it. macOS doesn’t offer a built-in way to do this, so I decided to make my own solution.
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The Problem I Wanted to Solve
Scanning a QR code on macOS isn’t straightforward. You either have to send the image to your iPhone or use a third-party app. Neither felt seamless. I wanted something that fit directly into my workflow: capture the QR code on my screen, decode it, and open the link—no extra devices or steps.
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How My Shortcut Works
I designed the Shortcut in two phases:
Phase 1: Capturing the QR Code
- The Shortcut opens the Mac’s Interactive Screenshot tool, which lets me select just the portion of the screen where the QR code is visible.
- If I don’t actually grab anything, the Shortcut just stops cleanly. No errors, no wasted steps.
Phase 2: Decoding and Opening the Link
- Once I’ve got the screenshot, the Shortcut sends it to the QRServer API (http://api.qrserver.com/v1/read-qr-code/).
- The API responds with the decoded content in a dictionary. I pull out symbol.1.data, which is where the actual text or URL lives.
- If it’s a valid URL, the Shortcut opens it immediately in Safari.
- If there’s nothing useful, I get a simple alert: “No URL Found.”
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Why I Like This Approach
What I like most about this Shortcut is how resilient it is. I added error checks at two points—first to make sure an image was actually captured, and second to verify that the decoded content is a valid URL. Both failure cases are handled gracefully.
It’s also a nice example of how powerful Shortcuts can be when you mix in APIs. By leaning on QRServer, I made a feature that Apple hasn’t brought to macOS yet, and I didn’t need to install extra apps to get there.
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How I Use It
Now, anytime I run into a QR code on my Mac, I just trigger this Shortcut. Whether it’s a menu, a payment link, or a download, I can scan and open it instantly without breaking my flow.
It’s a small thing, but it’s one of those utilities I use often enough that I can’t imagine not having it anymore.
Scan QR Code On ScreenApps & Tools I Used to Create this Shortcut
Jayson