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I have an impression that covid enabled widespread acceptation of QR codes, and now every app is excused to request camera and photo access because "we need to

I have an impression that covid enabled widespread acceptation of QR codes, and now every app is excused to request camera and photo access because "we need to scan a QR code".

alwayslikethis 3y ago
It would be nice to have a special way to scan a qr code in which the system reads the QR code for the app without the app being able to see raw camera data.
- hedora 3y ago
  I think this flow sort of supports that. https://9to5mac.com/2020/10/07/limit-third-party-iphone-photos-access/ https://9to5mac.com/2020/10/07/limit-third-party-iphone-phot... If I remember right, there’s a way to get a “take picture” option in the chooser. I’m not sure how the qr code would then be recognized, though I’m not sure why you wouldn’t have them get the qr code via the system camera app.
  - MBCook 3y ago
    That’s intended for selecting a pre-taken photo without giving an app library access. You’d have to get the user to take the picture then come back to your app. What you really need is a system dialogue that pops up the camera and only returns the QR code to the app, the way the photo picker can see the whole library but only gives the app the one selected photo.
    - gkbrk 3y ago
      Pretty sure Android has this. You can make an app without camera permissions, send an intent that opens the built-in camera to take a picture and you are given access to only that picture. It means you cannot record things in the background all the time, and users don't need to make a decision about a sensitive permission.
      - MBCook 3y ago
        iOS may have that as well. I think it’s part of that same photo picker interface. But that’s not what I was imagining. I was thinking of something in the system that did the QR code scanning for you so that you could just point the camera and as soon as it recognized one the app would get the data. That way the user doesn’t have to frame it and take the picture and select that it’s OK to use in the app. That’s how adding HomeKit devices work. You hit the add device button in the Home app and a view of the camera comes up. The instant it sees one of the HomeKit QR codes it goes away and starts doing its thing. It’s a great user experience. But third parties can’t do that without requesting camera access first to get access to the live camera view. A system library could provide it.
- rsync 3y ago
  You can do this with an “oh by” code[1] since a code with only a url in it acts as a simple redirect. [1] https://0x.co https://0x.co
folmar 3y ago
I don't know for iOS but on Android they are not excused, just register intent for your url and let the system camera app/qr code scanner pass it. Effectively you can expect it to work for Android 8+ as the previous versions don't necessarily have a QR code scanner.

I have an impression that covid enabled widespread acceptation of QR codes, and now every app is excused to request camera and photo access because "we need to scan a QR code".

alwayslikethis 3y ago

It would be nice to have a special way to scan a qr code in which the system reads the QR code for the app without the app being able to see raw camera data.

hedora 3y ago
I think this flow sort of supports that. https://9to5mac.com/2020/10/07/limit-third-party-iphone-photos-access/ https://9to5mac.com/2020/10/07/limit-third-party-iphone-phot... If I remember right, there’s a way to get a “take picture” option in the chooser. I’m not sure how the qr code would then be recognized, though I’m not sure why you wouldn’t have them get the qr code via the system camera app.
- MBCook 3y ago
  That’s intended for selecting a pre-taken photo without giving an app library access. You’d have to get the user to take the picture then come back to your app. What you really need is a system dialogue that pops up the camera and only returns the QR code to the app, the way the photo picker can see the whole library but only gives the app the one selected photo.
  - gkbrk 3y ago
    Pretty sure Android has this. You can make an app without camera permissions, send an intent that opens the built-in camera to take a picture and you are given access to only that picture. It means you cannot record things in the background all the time, and users don't need to make a decision about a sensitive permission.
    - MBCook 3y ago
      iOS may have that as well. I think it’s part of that same photo picker interface. But that’s not what I was imagining. I was thinking of something in the system that did the QR code scanning for you so that you could just point the camera and as soon as it recognized one the app would get the data. That way the user doesn’t have to frame it and take the picture and select that it’s OK to use in the app. That’s how adding HomeKit devices work. You hit the add device button in the Home app and a view of the camera comes up. The instant it sees one of the HomeKit QR codes it goes away and starts doing its thing. It’s a great user experience. But third parties can’t do that without requesting camera access first to get access to the live camera view. A system library could provide it.
rsync 3y ago
You can do this with an “oh by” code[1] since a code with only a url in it acts as a simple redirect. [1] https://0x.co https://0x.co

folmar 3y ago

I don't know for iOS but on Android they are not excused, just register intent for your url and let the system camera app/qr code scanner pass it. Effectively you can expect it to work for Android 8+ as the previous versions don't necessarily have a QR code scanner.