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Is there a reason neither Chrome, Safari, and now Firefox for iOS have a qrcode reader built in? It seems like to me that would be a no brainer. Is there someth

• nandhp 11y ago
  Firefox for Android added one in the last version. I don't see why that's better than a separate QR code app, but it's there if you want it.
• mintplant 11y ago
  I don't know about the iOS version, but in Firefox for Android a QR code reader can be accessed by tapping on the URL bar and then on the little box icon to the right.
  • soylentcola 11y ago
    Interesting... I use Firefox as my primary Android browser for various reasons but I've never seen this. Just checked and still don't see the box icon when I tap the URL bar. This interested me so I checked the Firefox support site and supposedly it's an option under "settings->display" but I still don't see it. (https://support.mozilla.org/si/kb/scan-qr-codes-firefox-android#w_how-to-enable-or-disable-the-qr-code-reader https://support.mozilla.org/si/kb/scan-qr-codes-firefox-andr...) Checked the Firefox support site and apparently you need to install a separate app to enable this (https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/scan-qr-codes-firefox-android https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/scan-qr-codes-firefox-a...) After installing the app (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.zxing.client.android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.zxi...) I do indeed have the option and the box.
• dspillett 11y ago
  What would be the point? There are a great many QR apps out there that can call your configured preferred browser when appropriate (assuming Apple allows you to set a preferred browser that isn't their's - I don't have nay iDevices so can't test this personally). QR codes can contain data other than URLs for browsers to follow (though you would be forgiven for thinking otherwise given that in the vast majority of cases this is what they are used to transmit) so it makes more sense to have a QR app that deals with QR codes generally and defers to a browser when a relevant URI is detected.
  • rplnt 11y ago
    It should be a camera feature if anything. Just show a small pop-up when camera detects some kind of code in the picture. I don't see why I would need a separate app for that.
  • tannerj 11y ago
    Ah, okay. I didn't realize they could contain more data. That would make sense. If it only contained space for URLs, like I assumed, having to open a separate app seems like an extra step, but if they contain more information I guess I can see the reason.
• mahouse 11y ago
  Because QR is dead and nobody wants to pretend it isn't.
  • amk_ 11y ago
    People keep saying that but I keep seeing more and more QR codes on cereal boxes, advertisements, billboards, business cards, menus, instruction manuals, and product packaging.
    • jrochkind1 11y ago
      Do you scan them frequently? Ever? Know anyone that does?
      • dylanh 11y ago
        Anyone that tracks their calories with a calorie tracking app? It's really convenient.
        • Philadelphia 11y ago
          Those are UPC codes, not QR codes.
          • dylanh 11y ago
            Seems to be pretty common for restaurant chains to have QR codes.
    • mahouse 11y ago
      I literally haven't seen any QR code anywhere for years.