# A QR scanner that shows you the link before it opens

> ScanQR never jumps straight to a website. A short preview step makes scanning a little slower and a lot safer.

- Author: Ethan, Tech Lead · Mobile & Web
- Published: 2026-02-12
- Canonical: https://www.nexateam.dev/blog/qr-scanner-that-shows-the-link
- About: [ScanQR](https://www.nexateam.dev/work/scanqr.md)

Many scanners open a link the instant they read a QR code. It feels fast. It also means visiting a website without ever seeing its address, which is exactly what a fake sticker on a parking meter is counting on. ScanQR adds one step: a preview. This post explains what that preview shows and why.

## Anatomy of a suspicious link

Here is a made-up address of the kind found on fake parking stickers. The only part that decides where you actually go is the highlighted one.

https://pay.citypark-0nline.com/meter/4471?ref=sticker

"pay" and "meter" make it look official, but the real domain is not the city's, and the zero in "0nline" is a classic lookalike trick. Shown full size, it is easy to spot. Hidden behind an instant redirect, nobody sees it at all.

## Every scan passes through a preview

1.  **Scan**QR code or barcode
2.  **Classify**Link, Wi-Fi, contact or text
3.  **Preview**Real domain shown large
4.  **Act**Open, copy, connect or save

Nothing opens until the user decides.

## What the preview shows for each type

Content

Preview shows

Main action

Web link

Real domain, large, separate from the rest

Open in browser

Wi-Fi

Network name and security type

Connect

Contact

Name, phone, email

Save to contacts

Plain text

The text itself

Copy

## Signals we point out

-   Shortened linksThey hide where they really go.
-   Plain http without encryption
-   Domains that look like a well-known name but are spelled differently
-   Very long addresses where the real domain is pushed out of view

**A preview is not a guarantee**

None of this proves a link is safe. It gives people the information to make their own decision, which is more than an instant redirect does.

> Half a second of friction is a fair price for knowing where you are going.

## Beyond scanning

Scans are saved to a searchable history on the device, so the menu from lunch or the event link from a poster is still there tomorrow. The same app generates codes for Wi-Fi networks and contact cards, which turned out to be popular with small shops and cafes.