Smartphones have become a ubiquitous part of our lives, which has made QR Codes an easy, effective, and reliable means to send and retrieve information. QR Codes have become exceptionally omnipresent in addressing our everyday needs, just like smartphones. They are widely adopted by businesses, corporates, brands, and consumers alike. Right from paying bills to gathering information to availing discounts, 2020 is the year of QR Code technology. The silver lining is QR Codes that can be operated best on smartphones. 

The latest smartphones, having Android 8 and iOS 13 and above OS, come with an in-built QR Code reader app, enabling users to scan QR codes online through phone cameras without downloading any third-party app. 

While the black and white maze of boxes may look confusing initially, QR Codes on Android are ridiculously simple to use. In this blog, you will learn how the Android QR Code Reader works and how to scan QR Code on Android Devices.

Android QR Code Reader Technology

Android devices allow you to scan QR codes without an app. When it comes to the most popular mobile OS, Android dominates the world spectacularly, with over 2 billion active monthly users. However, not all android devices are equipped with a built-in QR code scanner app. You can find out if your smartphone has one by pointing out your phone camera towards a QR code for 2 to 3 seconds. If your phone pops open a notification with the link, then you just got lucky. 

QR Codes are created by QR code generator to serve specific purposes. Certain apps already have a QR Code Scanner which also scans other third-party codes. These include Snapchat, Pinterest, and Shazam. For instance, Shazam, a popular music recognition app, can scan codes for information, special offers, purchasing products, and interactive content.

How to Scan QR Code on Android Devices

Scan QR Code on Android 9 (Pie) and Android 10 (One)

Google lens enables Android versions 9 and 10 to scan QR codes without an external application. 

Furthermore, the latest Android 10 lets users share encrypted passwords through QR codes. All you need to do is activate Google Lens on your phone to enable the feature. 

• Switch on your phone camera app
• Click on ‘Settings’ 
• Activate Google Lens suggestion
• You can also find the Google Lens icon on your camera app screen

Scan QR Code on Android 8

To scan a QR code on Android without an app on the Android 8 version, you have to activate ‘Google Screen Search’. Google Screen Search is an AI interface that recognizes things on the screen, including QR Codes, texts, images, and prescriptions. You may find QR code tips helpful to generate perfect yet scannable QR codes. 

• Open your camera app (You can also find the feature on Google Assistant)
• Point the lens at the QR Code
• Press and hold the ‘Home’ button
• Click on ‘What’s on my screen.’

The QR Code link will open up on your phone screen. 

NOTE: You have to download the Google Lens app from the Android Play Store to enable the ‘Search Screen’ feature if it’s not available on your smartphone. Open the ‘Google’ app on your smartphone and tap on the ‘Navigation’ button to permit Google Lens.

Click here to find the entire list of smartphones and the upgraded models listed that allow QR Code Scanning without a third-party app. 

Remember that some smartphones can be upgraded to Android 9 and 10 versions. If you cannot locate Google Lens, you can run a system update check and install the latest version. 

You can find the Google Lens as a built-in scanner on the Notification panel of many smartphones. For instance, Vivo phones have it on their Smart Launcher Screen.

How to Scan QR Code on Android 7

Unfortunately, QR Code Scanner App is not available on Android 7 and below versions as a built-in app. You need to download a third-party application to enable scanning. However, since a lot of apps require scanning to function productively, such as Amazon, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and Skype, you may already have it running on your phone without Google Lens. 

That being said, downloading a third-party app is no big deal. There are many good apps available on Google Play Store. However, find below the most reliable and compatible QR Code scanner apps for Android devices.

BarCode

Barcode is a great QR Code Reader app devised for both Android and iOS mobile devices. It supports some very unique features, such as;

• Save scanned QR Code information (e.g., an image or contact card)
• Share the content of the QR code via email
• Export all the scanned codes through Google Drive or Dropbox
• Copy-paste the QR Code in another app or on Google to perform a search

Kaspersky QR Scanner/ Reader

Kaspersky is a renowned cybersecurity company that offers vast firewall security for home and office needs. The company’s expertise and exposure make its QR Code scanner app the best for android devices.

• Rated as the best Android QR scanner
• Provides safety checks to ensure the code is devoid of threatening content
• Preserves scanning history done with the app
• Saves scanned data on the app folder for future access, such as images, files, and documents.

NeoReader Barcode Scanner

NeoReader is an advanced QR Code reader that can scan standard codes besides modern QR Codes, including Aztec Codes, PDF 417, Code 128, UPC, EAN, and Data Matrix.  Its advanced features make it even more likable:

• Can detect and scan QR Code from any direction
• Allows users to generate their QR Code and share across multiple platforms
• Saves scanned QR Codes content for future access
• Allows QR Code scanning using both front and rear camera
• Performs safety check of the external link before redirecting it to the user

Gamma Play, Scan, QR Droid Private, and i-nigma are a few other popular QR Code Scanner apps for Android devices. You can scan QR codes without a smartphone as well, using Online Decoder and optical QR Code scanners.

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