Q. Do I still need a separate app to scan bar codes and QR codes with my iPhone?
A. Quick Response (QR) codes — those black-and-white square images often found on packaging — have been around for years and serve as shortcuts to websites with more information about the item. Some museums have used QR codes on gallery cards, and services like Snapchat and Spotify are among those using their own variation of the concept.
QR codes can still be scanned with a mobile device using a dedicated app, but if your iPhone is running OS 11 system (or later), Apple’s standard Camera app should be able to detect a quick-response code when the black-and-white square is visible in the picture frame. When the Camera app recognizes a QR code, it displays a message asking if you would like to open the site in your web browser.
If you have the mobile version of Google Chrome installed on your iPhone, you can also use it to scan bar codes and QR codes. To do so, open the Chrome app and tap the browser address bar. When the keyboard appears on the screen, tap the square Scan icon (to the right of the microphone icon) and point the camera at the code. When Chrome decodes the address, it takes you to the product’s web page. (As a Home-screen shortcut on iPhones with the 3D Touch feature, press and hold the Chrome icon to see a pop-up menu with a Scan QR Code option.)
QR scanning for Android users varies by version and hardware maker, and several third-party apps are available in the Google Play store. In later versions of Android, you can point the camera at an object and press the home button to get more information about what is on your screen from the Google search software.
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