Clean Links
Free Link Cleaner & QR Code Scanner for iPhone and Mac
See the real destination behind short links and codes. Our QR code reader protects you from phishing by showing the full URL first. Stripping trackers across thousands of domains and thousands of parameters. Share tracker-free links and generate fresh QR codes in a tap.
QR Code Scanner Protects Against Quishing Scams
Use Clean Links as your go-to QR code scanner to unmask hidden dangers. Preview the real destination before opening, clean away trackers, and expand short links instantly. With QR code phishing ('quishing') surging 25% year-over-year in 2025 and accounting for 26% of malicious links, this feature empowers you to spot fake sites early, stay ahead by verifying every scan-essential for dodging scams in emails, parking lots, or public spaces.
Link Cleaner Removes Trackers From Any URL
Clean URLs effortlessly with Clean Links' link cleaner-paste, share, or automate to strip utm_source, fbclid, gclid, and thousands more across e-commerce, social, and ad domains. Fight back against big tech tracking as social platforms wrap links with unique identifiers. As malicious short links obscure phishing in 26% of attacks, Clean Links unmasks redirects like bit.ly or t.co-keeping your data private and workflows seamless, without ever sending info off-device.
Generate Clean QR Codes for Social Sharing
Use Clean Links' QR code generator to create tracker-free codes from any scanned or cleaned URL. Help friends scan safely by generating a fresh QR-perfect for social settings like a group hike where you scan a trail map QR, clean away trackers, and share the new code so everyone accesses the real info without phishing risks or data leaks.
Build Advanced Workflows with Control Center & Shortcuts
Integrate Clean Links into Control Center or Shortcuts to craft complex workflows. Imagine a Shortcut that grabs a copied link, runs it through the URL cleaner to remove trackers, then shares the clean version directly to WhatsApp chats-tailored for users who juggle multiple apps, with infinite options like voice-activated cleaning via Siri for ultimate efficiency and privacy.
Effortless Cleaning in Any App's Share Sheet
Clean Links' Share Sheet integration makes link cleaning a breeze: from Safari, X, or Mail, select the extension to instantly remove tracking parameters and reveal true destinations. Share the cleaned URL with family right away-simple, fast protection against data tracking, keeping your circle safe in daily digital exchanges.
Always-On Link Cleaner in Mac Menu Bar
Run Clean Links in your Mac's menu bar with Clipboard Monitoring to auto-clean URLs as you copy them. Strip UTM tags, unshorten t.co, and remove trackers-all on-device for total privacy. Perfect for daily workflows, it handles redirect chains without ever leaving your Mac.
QR Code Phishing & Link-Tracking: The Growing Threat
QR code scanners are now everywhere - and so are the scams. In just two years, QR-based phishing exploded from 0.8% to 12.4% of all attacks (a 15× jump), while 1 in 10 phishing emails hides a QR code. Even 'harmless' social links aren't exempt: Facebook, X, TikTok and more tag every outbound URL with fbclid, t.co, igshid, gclid and thousands of other trackers that shadow you across the web - which Clean Links strips automatically, with a catalog that grows every update.
Clean Links removes the trackers and exposes the real destination before you tap-so every scan and click is on your terms.
QR Code Phishing Surge
Social Media Tracking
Major platforms wrap every outbound link with tracking identifiers:
From protecting against QR code phishing to automating privacy workflows, Clean Links adapts to your digital life across 17 key scenarios
E-commerce shopping
Clean Links removes affiliate and marketing tracking (e.g. Amazon "tag" parameters, affiliate IDs) so you see a product page exactly as the retailer intended, without ad-tech profiling.
Social-media links
Strip UTM and other campaign tags from Facebook "fbclid", Twitter "t.co", Instagram "l.instagram.com" redirects, LinkedIn "lnkd.in", TikTok shorteners, etc., giving a true URL preview before you tap.
Search-engine results
Remove Google "gclid", Bing "msclkid", Yahoo tracking tokens and similar parameters so clicking search results feels as direct as typing the URL yourself.
Advertising links
Clean out tracking parameters from banner ads, email promotions, and paid-search landing pages to prevent invisible ad-networks from profiling you.
Restaurant menus & on-site QR codes
Before landing on a digital menu (or any public-place code), see the full link-avoiding fake "quishing" stickers that reroute payments to scammers.
Event tickets & boarding passes
Verify that the QR code on your festival ticket, boarding pass, or conference badge truly points to the official URL rather than a spoofed phishing site.
Payment-point codes (parking meters, transit, vending)
Scan public payment QR codes to confirm they go to the correct city or vendor-approved portal, not a fraudulent payment collector.
Email/SMS QR attachments
Inspect codes embedded in unexpected "missed delivery" or "account problem" messages to thwart malicious redirections.
Bit.ly, TinyURL, t.co, rb.gy
Expand and preview any shortened link client- or platform-side, so you know in advance where bit.ly/PayPal-update or t.co/UD3p5uZH17 will land you.
Multi-redirect chains
Follow and collapse sequences of redirects-preventing obfuscation by CAPTCHA pages or layered shorteners-into the final destination.
Platform-wrapped links
Reveal the real URL behind Facebook/Instagram's Link Shim, Twitter/X's t.co, LinkedIn's lnkd.in, YouTube's redirect pages, etc., so you never click blindly.
Email or messenger forwarding
Clean pasted URLs before you forward them to colleagues or friends-so they get a "clean" link without tracking parameters.
Marketing & social-media posts
Generate a new QR code from any cleaned link for printed flyers, posters, or online campaigns-offering audiences a privacy-first experience.
Business-card QR codes
Create short, tracker-free QR codes on your printed material, ensuring every scan goes exactly to your specified landing page.
Share-Sheet extension
Invoke Clean Links from within Safari, Mail, X, LinkedIn (and any app supporting iOS share sheets) to scrub links with one tap.
Control Center tile
Add a quick-access button in Control Center to clean the clipboard URL or scan a QR code anywhere in iOS.
Shortcuts & Siri integration
Automate link-cleaning or QR generation within Apple Shortcuts or call via Siri ("Hey Siri, clean my link"), embedding privacy into your daily routines.
Frequently asked questions about Clean Links
QR Code Scanner & Link Cleaner - Protect Your Privacy
Instantly reveal the real URL, erase hidden trackers, and create share-ready QR codes - all 100% on device, 100% free.