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How do you scan a Telegram QR code?
It depends on what the code does. A Telegram QR code either logs a computer into your account or opens a t.me link to a person, group, channel or bot. The two are scanned in different places, and mixing them up is how accounts get stolen.
Login code on a computer screen: open Telegram on your phone, go to Settings › Devices › Link Desktop Device and point the camera at the screen.
Code for a profile, group or channel: scan it with your phone’s Camera app or Google Lens, then tap the t.me link to open it in Telegram.
- Log intg://login?token=…
- Open a chatt.me/name or t.me/+invite
- Change a settingproxy, folder, stickers
Where is the QR scanner in Telegram, and which one should you use?
Tell us where the code is. Each place has its own scanner and its own result.
- Open the login screen on the computerTelegram Desktop shows “Quick log in using QR code”. On web.telegram.org the QR code is the first screen.
- Open the scanner on your phoneSettings › Devices › Link Desktop Device. Older versions call it Scan QR. On Android, Settings is in the ☰ menu; on iPhone it is the tab at the bottom right.
- Point the camera at the screenThe code changes about every 30 seconds, so scan the one that is on screen now.
- Type your cloud password if askedIf Two-Step Verification is on, the computer asks for it before it opens your chats.
Result: the computer is logged in and appears in Settings › Devices, where you can end the session at any time.
- Use your phone’s camera, not TelegramiPhone: open Camera and hold it over the code. Android: open Camera or Google Lens (on many phones, Circle to Search works too).
- Tap the t.me link that appearsThe phone hands the link to Telegram, which opens the profile, group, channel or bot.
- Check before you tap Join or StartLook at the name, the member count and the description. Nothing is joined until you tap the button.
Do not use Link Desktop Device for these. That scanner exists to approve logins. Anything that asks you to scan a chat, vote or prize code there is a login request in disguise.
- iPhoneOpen the photo in Photos, touch and hold the QR code (or tap the scan icon at the bottom), then tap Open in Telegram.
- AndroidOpen the photo in Google Photos and tap Lens, or long-press the screenshot with Circle to Search. Tap the t.me link.
- Login codes are the exceptionA login QR code in a photo is useless after about 30 seconds. If someone sends you one to scan, it is not yours and you should not scan it.
Never scan a login code you received. A real login code only ever appears on a screen in front of you, at the moment you are logging in.
What is inside a Telegram QR code, and is it safe to open?
Every Telegram QR code is just a link. Your camera shows it before opening it. Paste or pick one below and see what it would do.
Login request
This is the code Telegram shows on a computer that wants to log in. Scanning it in Settings › Devices gives that computer full access to your account.
Do this: scan it only if it is on your own screen and you started the login yourself.
- tg://login?token=
- Login token. Your account, for whoever shows it.
- t.me/login/
- A login code inside a link. Never share or scan it.
- t.me/+invite
- Private group or channel invite.
- t.me/proxy?
- Routes your connection through someone’s server.
- t.me/addlist/
- A folder that adds several chats at once.
- t.me/giftcode/
- Premium gift. The first person to open it claims it.
- t.me/name
- Public profile, group, channel or bot.
- t.me/addstickers/
- Sticker set. Adds stickers, nothing else.
Link formats from Telegram’s deep links documentation and QR login documentation. The checker runs in your browser and sends nothing anywhere.
Why does a Telegram login QR code expire after 30 seconds?
Because it is a one-time key. Telegram’s documentation says each login token is valid for a short period, usually 30 seconds, and the computer then shows a new one.
- 1The computer asks for a tokenTelegram Desktop or Web requests a fresh login token from Telegram’s servers.
- 2The token becomes a QR codeIt is shown as
tg://login?token=…. That text is all the code contains. - 3Your phone approves itScanning in Link Desktop Device tells Telegram “let this computer in”.
- 4The computer is logged inUnless Two-Step Verification is on, in which case it asks for your cloud password first.
Why a screenshot of a login code fails: by the time it reaches you, the token has expired. Telegram answers with an “expired” error and the computer has already moved on to a new code.
Why the 30 seconds do not protect you from scams: a scam page simply shows a fresh code every time, live. The timer stops old screenshots, not a person in the middle.
Can someone hack your Telegram with a QR code?
Not by showing you a code, only by getting you to scan their login code with your phone. In April 2026 Bitdefender described a campaign that does exactly that, through messages from friends’ hacked accounts.
Example built from the pattern in Bitdefender’s report.
Three red flags in that chat
- A quiet contact suddenly needs a favor.The message comes from a real friend’s account that was taken over the same way.
- The link leaves Telegram.Votes, contests and prizes do not need a website to check who you are.
- “Verify” with Link Desktop Device.That screen only does one thing: log a new device into your account. Telegram never uses it for votes, contests or identity checks.
Already scanned it? Do this now
- Settings › Devices › Terminate All Other Sessions. This logs out every device except the phone in your hand.
- Turn on Two-Step Verification in Settings › Privacy and Security. With it on, a scanned code still stops at a password screen, as long as you never type that password on the scam page.
- Check the “New login” message from the official Telegram account. It names the device and location.
- Warn your contacts and report the account that sent the link.
How do you make a QR code for your Telegram profile, group or channel?
Telegram builds most of them for you. The one thing it does not do is tell you how big to print it, so the tool below does.
Your profile
Open Settings and tap the QR icon at the top. Pick a color theme, then Share or save the image.
The code links to your username, so set one first in Settings › Username.
Public group or channel
Open the chat, tap its name, then tap the QR icon next to the t.me link.
Private group or channel
Info › Invite Links › the ⋯ menu next to a link › Get QR Code.
Pro move: make one named invite link per poster or flyer. Telegram shows how many people joined through each link, so you know which placement works.
A bot, with a source tag
Use t.me/yourbot?start=flyer1. The bot receives “flyer1” when someone starts it from that code.
Public profile, group, channel or bot
Rule of thumb used by QR printers: the code should be at least one tenth of the scanning distance, and never under 2 cm.
Black on white scans best. Keep the white border.
Why is your Telegram QR code not scanning?
Pick what you see. Most failures come down to the wrong scanner or an expired code.
QR scanning is off in your camera
On iPhone, turn on Scan QR Codes in the camera settings. On Android, try Google Lens if the camera app has no QR mode. Hold the phone 15 to 30 cm away and let it focus.
iPhone: Settings › Camera › Scan QR CodesStill stuck? Open the code’s link by hand: ask for the t.me address and type it into Telegram’s search bar.
What else do people ask about Telegram QR codes?
Where is the QR code scanner in Telegram?
Telegram’s own scanner is in Settings › Devices › Link Desktop Device (called Scan QR in older versions). It is meant for logging in on a computer. For QR codes that open a profile, group or channel, use your phone’s Camera app or Google Lens.
How do I log in to Telegram Web with a QR code?
Open web.telegram.org on the computer and keep the QR code on screen. On your phone, go to Settings › Devices › Link Desktop Device and scan it. If Two-Step Verification is on, type your cloud password on the computer.
Can I scan a Telegram QR code from my gallery?
Yes for profile, group and channel codes: open the image in Photos (iPhone) or Google Photos with Lens (Android) and tap the t.me link. Login codes cannot be scanned from a photo because they expire after about 30 seconds.
How do I join a Telegram group with a QR code?
Scan the group’s QR code with your phone camera, tap the t.me link, and Telegram opens the group preview. Tap Join Group. Private groups may require an admin to approve your request.
How do I find my own Telegram QR code?
On Android or iPhone, open Settings and tap the QR icon at the top. You can change its color theme and share or save it. The code links to your username, so you need one set.
Why does Telegram say the QR code has expired?
Login QR codes are valid for about 30 seconds. Scan the code that is currently on the computer screen. For group invite codes, the admin may have revoked the link, set an expiry date or reached its member limit.
Can someone hack my Telegram account with a QR code?
Only if you scan their login QR code with Settings › Devices › Link Desktop Device. That approves their device. Two-Step Verification adds a password step that blocks this, and Settings › Devices lets you end any session you do not recognize.
Can I log in to Telegram with a QR code without my phone?
No. A QR login has to be approved by a device that is already logged in. Without your phone, log in with your phone number and the code Telegram sends you instead.
Which Telegram guides go well with this one?
Written by the AddTelegramMember team, a Telegram growth service since 2019. Checked against Telegram’s API documentation on QR login and deep links, and Bitdefender’s April 2026 report on the QR login scam. Updated October 2026.
