Someone shares a QR code in a Slack message. Or a PDF includes one linking to a resource. Or a web page displays a QR code for app download. The code is right there on your Mac screen, but to scan it, you're expected to pull out your phone, open the camera, point it at your monitor, wait for it to focus, and then tap the link — which opens on your phone instead of the computer where you actually need it.
Phones Scan the Real World, Not Screens
QR code scanning was designed for phone cameras pointed at physical objects. Using a phone camera to scan your own computer screen is a clumsy workaround: you deal with screen glare, the camera struggles to focus at close range, and the resulting link opens on the wrong device. If you want the URL on your Mac, you then have to AirDrop it or send yourself a message — all to open a link that was already on your Mac.
macOS has no built-in QR code reader for on-screen content. You can't right-click a QR code in Safari and choose "read code." Preview won't decode one from an open image. There's simply no native path from QR code on screen to decoded content on the same machine.
Scan QR Codes Directly from Your Screen
Optic includes a QR code reader that works on anything visible on your display. Activate it from the menu bar, drag a selection around the QR code, and the decoded content — URL, text, contact info, Wi-Fi credentials — is immediately available on your Mac.
QR Codes in Documents and Emails
Event tickets, boarding passes, payment confirmations, and setup guides frequently include QR codes. Drag a selection over the code in your email client or PDF viewer and get the decoded content without switching devices.
Developer and IT Use Cases
Two-factor authentication setup pages show QR codes for TOTP apps. API documentation sometimes encodes endpoints or keys in QR format. Optic lets you decode these directly, keeping your workflow on one screen.
Everything Stays in History
Decoded QR content is saved alongside your text captures in the menu bar history. Need that Wi-Fi password from a QR code you scanned yesterday? Scroll back through your captures instead of scanning again.