4 ms·

It is 2021 and Android still doesn't have a QR code scanner by default.

welly 6y ago
I don't know if it differs from various vendor releases of android but certainly on my Samsung S20, QR codes can be read without an additional app just by pointing the camera app at one. I seem to recall my Pixel XL did the same.
danielsamuels 6y ago
It's built into the camera app
- pjc50 6y ago
  There is no "the camera app"; the manufacturer often provides their own. It may well be in recent versions of GCam, but quite often it requires you to bail out to Google Lens for some reason. Android is like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates: you never quite know what you're going to get. And sometimes it's stale.
martyvis 6y ago
Actually they do if they have Google Assistant, which I imagine anyone with Android 7 or later will. If you use the Google Lens feature it will decode barcodes and QR codes. But unfortunately this feature is pretty much self-discovery rather than a publicised function
- varispeed 6y ago
  Not everyone wants to use more spying software.
- captn3m0 6y ago
  It isn't obvious, needs Lens installed, which needs Internet to work properly.
perryizgr8 6y ago
Samsung phones have it in the camera, so I guess most Android users do have a barcode scanner built-in.
- captn3m0 6y ago
  Why are Android users installing all these apps then? https://play.google.com/store/search?q=QR%20scanner&c=apps&hl=en&gl=US https://play.google.com/store/search?q=QR%20scanner&c=apps&h...
  - meibo 6y ago
    Because most Android users don't know about Google Lens/their camera app and google "Barcode Scanner app" when they get their phone.
  - magicalhippo 6y ago
    My Samsung has a built-in QR scanner, which I found out by accident. I downloaded an app for it because it never crossed my mind it would be built into the camera app. After all I don't want to take pictures of the QR code, I want to decode it... No idea when it was introduced. I've had an S3, S5 and now an S8 where I discovered it by accident last year. Pretty sure the S3 didn't have it.
  - jabroni_salad 6y ago
    Personally, when I installed the app, there wasn't one built in. I just still had it lying around.
artifact_44 6y ago
the camera app scans qr codes on my pixels.
- captn3m0 6y ago
  Limited to certain phones. Otherwise, how do we explain millions of installs on QR code apps?
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
simias 6y ago
Google lens does it, is it not part of stock android? My phone runs Android One, so I think it's all stock but I could've missed a subtlety.
- captn3m0 6y ago
  Lens isn't AOSP, so it gets different treatment depending on your manufacturer.
sdefresne 6y ago
The stock Camera app on my Android phone recognises QR codes. This is on Android 11 on a Pixel 3. I think this has been the case for a few versions of the OS (but don't have access to old versions to check).

I don't know if it differs from various vendor releases of android but certainly on my Samsung S20, QR codes can be read without an additional app just by pointing the camera app at one. I seem to recall my Pixel XL did the same.

danielsamuels 6y ago

It's built into the camera app

pjc50 6y ago
There is no "the camera app"; the manufacturer often provides their own. It may well be in recent versions of GCam, but quite often it requires you to bail out to Google Lens for some reason. Android is like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates: you never quite know what you're going to get. And sometimes it's stale.

martyvis 6y ago

Actually they do if they have Google Assistant, which I imagine anyone with Android 7 or later will. If you use the Google Lens feature it will decode barcodes and QR codes. But unfortunately this feature is pretty much self-discovery rather than a publicised function

varispeed 6y ago
Not everyone wants to use more spying software.
captn3m0 6y ago
It isn't obvious, needs Lens installed, which needs Internet to work properly.

perryizgr8 6y ago

Samsung phones have it in the camera, so I guess most Android users do have a barcode scanner built-in.

captn3m0 6y ago
Why are Android users installing all these apps then? https://play.google.com/store/search?q=QR%20scanner&c=apps&hl=en&gl=US https://play.google.com/store/search?q=QR%20scanner&c=apps&h...
- meibo 6y ago
  Because most Android users don't know about Google Lens/their camera app and google "Barcode Scanner app" when they get their phone.
- magicalhippo 6y ago
  My Samsung has a built-in QR scanner, which I found out by accident. I downloaded an app for it because it never crossed my mind it would be built into the camera app. After all I don't want to take pictures of the QR code, I want to decode it... No idea when it was introduced. I've had an S3, S5 and now an S8 where I discovered it by accident last year. Pretty sure the S3 didn't have it.
- jabroni_salad 6y ago
  Personally, when I installed the app, there wasn't one built in. I just still had it lying around.

artifact_44 6y ago

the camera app scans qr codes on my pixels.

captn3m0 6y ago
Limited to certain phones. Otherwise, how do we explain millions of installs on QR code apps?
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]

simias 6y ago

Google lens does it, is it not part of stock android? My phone runs Android One, so I think it's all stock but I could've missed a subtlety.

captn3m0 6y ago
Lens isn't AOSP, so it gets different treatment depending on your manufacturer.

sdefresne 6y ago

The stock Camera app on my Android phone recognises QR codes. This is on Android 11 on a Pixel 3. I think this has been the case for a few versions of the OS (but don't have access to old versions to check).