There are several ways to scan a QR code on an Android device: by downloading a special application through the Play Market or using the code reading tool built into the OS.
QR code (English: Quick Response Code; abbreviated QR code) is a matrix (two-dimensional) barcode developed by the Japanese company Denso-Wave in 1994. Initially, these codes were used in the automotive industry to quickly record information about the production and sale of cars.
Now images with black squares can be found on:
- cash register receipts;
- air and train tickets;
- plaques in museums, architectural monuments, monuments;
- In the underground;
- cafe and restaurant menus;
- on product packaging;
- utility bills.
A QR code is convenient because it allows you to encrypt several thousand characters in one picture. In this case, the image itself for scanning can be either a small centimeter square or a rather large picture placed on a flat surface.
Currently, QR codes are widely used in Asia, Europe and North America. They appeared in Russia relatively recently, but are actively used in the areas of goods and services.
How to find out if your phone has a QR scanning app
Most mobile devices have a built-in application for reading the quar code. To find out if your mobile phone has this, you need to go to settings and select the section with all applications installed on your device.
In the main menu you need to find this section and go to the list of programs. Among them, find an application with the word QR in the name or the Yandex application. In some cases, the scanning application is available through the camera interface on the smartphone.
If you can’t find the application in the specified places, try opening the additional menu at the top of the screen (curtain).
It contains quick links to phone system utilities and popular functions. To turn on the scanner, you need to activate the button from the menu and configure the scanning lens. There are also third-party code readers with more functionality and capabilities.
Using the Camera
This method takes longer, but some users find it more convenient than the previous one.
How to scan a QR code with a Samsung mobile phone: • open the standard “Camera” application; • scroll the menu bar to the “More” item; • tap on the “Scanner” icon; • position the smartphone so that the desired image is in the blue frame and press the camera button; • usually the code is recognized automatically, if this does not happen, open the photo you took and click on the “More” icon in the editing panel; • select the appropriate item in the context menu that opens.
Read our review for a comparison of cameras and other characteristics of the best Samsung Galaxy smartphones of 2022.
How to scan a QR code on your smartphone screen
The scanner on the phone can determine information on the code, which is located on external sources: on the display case, packaging, goods, etc. It works through the front camera and can display encoded information on the phone screen. Not all scanners have the ability to detect barcodes on the phone screen itself. There are two ways to scan it: using another application or an online scanner. Choose the method that is more convenient for you.
This QR Scanner for Android opens this opportunity on users' smartphones. It has a “Scan from Gallery” function. Open a viewing image that is saved in memory and start scanning in the program.
If the picture is located on the smartphone screen online, for example, on a website that you visited through a browser, take a screenshot of the screen. The photo will automatically be placed in the gallery, from where you can work with it through the downloaded application.
The QR Scanner application works with different types of codes, can detect barcodes, and opens links and contacts encoded in encrypted information. Provides a set of functions for working with decoded data.
This is interesting: how to read a QR code online from your phone.
In what format are documents scanned on Android?
There are several formats designed for saving scanned documents. Each of them has its own characteristics, so before starting the scanning process, you need to determine for what purpose the scan is being created.
Today the following formats are considered the most popular:
Portable Document Format (PDF) is a cross-platform saved file format that allows you to view electronic archive documents using various applications, as well as the official free Adobe Reader program, regardless of the fonts and software that were used to create the original.
Joint Photographic Experts Group (JEPG) is one of the popular raster graphics formats used for saving pictures, photographs and similar images. The main disadvantage of the format is that the copied files are saved in their original form and cannot be further processed. They can be identified by the presence of one of the following extensions - jpg, jpe, jfif, jpeg.
Tagget Image File Format (TIFF) is a high-quality format used for images with high color depth. Ideal for scanning and archiving documents and drawings, which can later be edited using special programs such as Adobe Photoshop. The format supports 3 compression methods: zip, lzw, jpg. Since the latter option significantly distorts the image quality, it is used extremely rarely. By the way, if you want to transfer images over the network, we recommend reading how to compress photos on Android .
Microsoft Word documents (.DOC) or Microsoft Rich Text Format (RTF) are standard digital text formats that are supported on any operating system and allow files to be edited after scanning.
How to scan a QR code online
A less troublesome way is to scan in real time on the website https://dewiar.com/xscan. On the main page, select one of the scanners. To use it you need to use a laptop.
Laptop computers have built-in web cameras, which will help the site “see” the image on the screen of your smartphone with a QR code. Or use a desktop computer with a camera connected. Then activate the web application and bring the image to the webcam.
Encrypted information will appear on the computer screen, which can be used further for its intended purpose. If a web address is encrypted in the code, the application will prompt you to follow a link or show text and digital data from the code. The site can be useful not only for deciphering information on QR codes and barcodes from a smartphone screen, but can also create codes. The button to create is located on the main page at the bottom.
There is a paid version for using the decryptor on an ongoing basis. A paid account provides the user with additional opportunities.
What is a QR code?
A QR code is a mark made of dots and lines that can be decoded by a special application. In Russia, this type of information encoding is just beginning to become popular, while in Japan, where it was invented, QR can be found at every step.
Codes are very popular; they are used for business cards, invitations, and even used in correspondence. This seemingly small area of the image can contain a lot of information.
- QR can encode 7089 digits in different orders;
- Text in English, numbers, combinations of this data - 4296 characters;
- And 2953 Cyrillic characters.
Often, product manufacturers use this type of code to place additional information on the packaging. For example, a website for ordering products in bulk, operating instructions, and other information.
After all, if you placed a description of the product and its instructions on the packaging, you would have to use up all the space. But one small code can open a web page with important information on your phone. Public establishments encode information important for their establishment into QR. This could be a WiFi password, promotional codes and promotional data.
In China, using a code, visitors to cafes and restaurants can pay bills or leave tips. There are services that generate codes. Users can create QRs themselves and encode any of their information into them
Online QR code generator
The site https://qrcoder.ru makes it possible to generate a QR code from information that the user wishes to encode.
In it you can create plain text, add a link to a website, create an SMS message or a business card. Quick links to creating such codes are located in the block for entering information on the site. The user will be able to select the appropriate QR code size. And after creation, copy the link to the code or paste the HTML code into the web page of your blog or social networks.
- Enter the code in the main field, add the necessary digital information;
- Select a size from 1 to 6 under the form;
- Click the "Generate Code" button or on the keyboard Ctrl + Enter.
Get the QR link or copy the embed code. The image can be saved to your phone's gallery or to a folder on your computer. To do this, you need to right-click on the code field and select “Save image” in any browser.
The creators of the site are developers of mobile applications for reading or creating QR. The link to their products is in the top menu of the site.
Scanning documents on Android: advantages and disadvantages
Scanning documents is the most important tool for optimizing document flow and creating an electronic archive, in demand both in government agencies, private companies, and also among individuals. There are many reasons for creating electronic copies:
- sending a photo of one of the documents required when registering on some sites;
- providing a scan of your passport to confirm your identity, for example, when verifying an electronic wallet;
- provision of certain documents at the request of the employer when the employee is outside the access zone (in another region, country);
- archiving personal documentation, photographs for further storage in the cloud or on removable electronic media.
Scanning documents allows you to solve many problems that invariably arise when using paper media. The advantages of the process are:
- Freeing up space . Personal documentation, bills, receipts, photographs are rarely stored in one place; as a rule, “papers” are scattered in different cabinets. Converting the archive into electronic form will allow you to streamline storage and also free up space for other things;
- Security of documentation . Over time, paper loses its properties, it wears out, the ink fades, and pictures turn yellow. A scanned document is more durable in this regard, which allows you to store valuable information for a long time;
- Convenient access . By optimizing storage in the shortest possible time, you can not only receive a scanned document, but also send it via email, instant messenger, or social network.
Specially developed mobile applications for Android smartphones allow you to scan anything: accounting, legal, personal documentation, diagrams, drawings, projects, photographs, and even books.
Scan settings in the application
Most QR scanners have the same settings, since their purposes are the same. Some Chinese smartphone models do not have separate scanning applications. They're built into the Camera apps. Before looking for a third-party program to deactivate QR, try turning on the camera on your smartphone and pointing it at the code to check. If you still don’t have a scanning function on your phone, download the application from Google Play by request in the search bar.
In the program settings, the user will be able to enable history and view all codes that were scanned previously. Enable automatic creation of duplicate codes, and they will be saved in the phone's memory in a separate folder. It is also recommended to turn off the function for automatically opening web addresses on the Internet. The QR may contain a virus site encoded that can harm personal information on the device. Or download a spy program to your phone that tracks your actions in real time.
Each scanner works with audio by default. They can be turned off along with the vibration response, which is activated when the picture is decrypted. Before downloading a new application, familiarize yourself with its features. And download the program whose functions suit your tasks.
