QR Code

By Alexis Rios-Negron · Voltkit 0.13.1

QR Code has two halves: Scan reads a QR code anywhere on your screen, and Create turns text, a link or Wi-Fi details into a code you can scan with your phone, copy or print.

Scan from the screen#

1. Press Super+Shift+Q, or click Scan from Screen on the page.
2. Drag a box around a QR code: in a video, a slide, a web page, a photo.
3. The text it holds is copied to your clipboard and shown under Result.

If the content is a web link, an Open Link button appears. It opens only http:// and https:// links, and only when you click it: Voltkit never opens anything by itself. Copy copies the text again.

If you cancel the capture, you see No screenshot was taken.

Create a QR code#

Under Create, choose the Content type:

Text or link#

Type or paste any text or a link. The code updates as you type. Very long text is refused with That's too much text for a QR code.

Wi-Fi network#

Fill in Network name, Password and Security (WPA / WPA2 / WPA3 or None (open network)). Scanning the code with a phone offers to join the network. The code appears once the network name is filled in.

Add your own logo (optional)#

Click Choose… under Logo to put a small image (PNG, JPEG, WebP or SVG) in the middle of the code, and pick a Logo size: Small, Medium or Large. Remove Logo takes it away.

Voltkit makes sure the code still works:

• It uses the highest error correction when a logo covers part of the code. Even the largest logo covers only about 4 % of the code, far below the 30 % that error correction can recover.
• It reads the code back before showing it. You see ✓ Checked: scans correctly with the logo. If the logo you chose breaks the code, Voltkit makes it smaller and says ✓ Scans correctly (logo made smaller so it fits). If it cannot be made to scan, it says This code doesn't scan with a logo. Shorten the text or remove the logo.

Use the code#

The code is drawn black on white with the quiet margin scanners need.

From the terminal#

voltkit qr scan                          # drag a box around a code on screen
voltkit qr read picture.png              # print every QR code found in an image file
voltkit qr make https://example.com      # show a QR code in the terminal
voltkit qr make "hello" --output code.png               # save a PNG instead
voltkit qr make https://example.com --output code.png --logo logo.svg   # with a logo (PNG output only)
voltkit trigger qr                       # the same as the shortcut

The terminal version draws the code with Unicode blocks. It scans normally on a dark terminal background.

Troubleshooting#

• The code is not found. Make the box tighter around the code and make sure the whole code, including its light margin, is inside it. Zoom in on the source first.
• A logo is rejected. Voltkit only accepts PNG, JPEG, WebP or SVG images of a reasonable size and shape.
• The shortcut does nothing. See Global shortcuts and the background service.