In this guide we will show you how to scan QR code on Android devices. The QR codes initially came out as successors to the bar codes. Just like barcodes, the QR codes were also initially used to stock inventory, but as smartphone technology advanced, they started being used for many other things. QR codes can store a large amount of information regarding anything, such as a product or a web server.
It is more convenient to use than bar code because they are found in square shapes which can be scanned vertically and horizontally. Also, they can store much more characters of information as compared to bar codes.
Once you scan a QR code on Android, you are able to access all of the data stored in the code through your device. QR codes can be scanned with the help of a smartphone camera or an Android application.
The ability to scan QR codes is another one of Android’s many useful features. But because it is a feature not known by many, some users do not properly know how to use their Android smartphone camera to scan QR codes.
You need to open the QR code mode on your device’s camera app and then scan the QR code. There are other ways of doing this task as well. If you are one of those users who want to know how to scan QR codes on Android devices, then this guide is for you as here we will be discussing how to scan QR code on Android devices.
How to scan QR code on Android
Knowing how to scan QR code on Android devices comes in handy on numerous occasions. QR codes are everywhere around us, such as on books, advertisement boards, tickets etc. Keeping that in mind, developers have made many apps that carry out this task.
Some are free and some are paid, but all of these carry out the required task efficiently. Below, we have shared some apps and methods through which you can scan QR code on Android.
Scan QR Code using camera app
If you use a device running on Android 9 or higher, then you must be familiar with the Google lens application. You will not need to download any application, this is because Google Lens already comes integrated in the camera application of Android devices. The Google lens on your device can be used to scan QR codes. In order to do so you will have to follow the steps given below:
- First up, proceed to the camera app on your device and then tap on the Google lens icon present among the different modes of your camera.
- Now use your camera to capture the QR code and make sure that all of it is captured on the screen.
- Now tap on the magnifying icon that would be available on the interface.
- Once done, you will be taken to the corresponding link that is stored in the QR code.
It is also worth mentioning that some device manufacturers including Oppo, Xiaomi, Vivo, Realme etc offer a separate feature along with their devices’ camera app that can be used to easily scan QR code on Android.
Scan QR code on old Android devices
As we discussed earlier, the Google Lens only comes integrated in the camera app of Android devices running on Android 9 and higher. So this means that in order to scan QR code on Android using Google lens, you will have to first install the Google Lens app on your device. In order to do so, follow the steps given below:
- First of all, install the Google app from the play store and open the application.
- After that, give it access to all permissions such as Camera, microphone and storage.
- Now proceed to the Settings of the Google app and choose Screen search.
- Here you are required to provide the permission to use voice to search on the internet or hold the home button to access certain features.
- Now you can hold the home button to start the Google application and use the Google lens feature to scan QR code on Android.
You should note that if you are using a device with Android 7 or an older version, you will have to download and install a third party application on your device so that you can scan QR codes.
Scan QR code using Web browser
An alternative to using the camera app or installing third-party applications to scan QR code is to use your Web browser on your Android device. Some mobile browser apps come with the feature to scan QR codes. Some of these browsers are Mozilla Firefox and edge.
Also, the Samsung internet browser also comes with the feature to scan QR codes. You can activate the feature by going to the Settings inside the browser app > Tap on Useful features > Enable QR code scanner.
So that was it from our side on how to scan QR code on Android devices. We hope that you found this guide helpful. Let us know what you think in the comment section below.
