How to read QR codes on Android, with and without an app

In our daily life we ​​use the smartphone in many contexts, such as work and that related to leisure and domestic activities. With the technological evolution our phones are able to do more and more operations and among these we find the scanning of QR codes.

Scanning a QR code with your phone can prove to be very convenient and useful to quickly access specific content or websites. In fact, we can also find QR codes in business contexts such as for scanning business cards.

In this guide we will go to see how to scan QR codes on android. We will go first to see in what they consist of the QR codes and then what are the tools integrated in Android for scanning and then what are the best free apps to do it.

Born in 1994, the QR Code is a two-dimensional barcode that allows you to to memorize several information which can then be decoded with a special reader.

These graphics can contain URLs, text, telephone numbers, and information (a maximum of 4,296 alphanumeric characters and 7,089 numeric characters).

QR Codes are often used to “replace” restaurant menus (by storing a URL in the code with which to view the complete digital menu), allow users to visit websites, watch videos, read information, create interactive business cards and much more. more quickly and easily.

A QR code can be created in different ways, you can use apps for smartphone And Tablet or specific websites. Generally making a QR code is free and simple.

All the details on the apps and services that allow you to create QR codes you can find them in this our guide. In the same guide you will also find any rates and subscriptions associated with the apps and services described.

Scanning QR codes can be done a lot quickly and for free with the tools built into Android.

This means that it is not strictly necessary to install a third-party app. So let’s go and see how to scan QR codes on Android with the Camera app:

1. Open the app Camera built-in of your Android phone or tablet compatible.
2. Frame the QR code.
3. Touch the banner that appears on your Android phone or tablet.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish accessing the QR code content.

The above applies to Android devices compatible with QR scanning via the Camera app. Among these we certainly find the Pixel from Google, as they have the Google Camera app. But many other manufacturers implement QR code scanning functionality on their smartphones and tablets. Samsung, Huawei, OnePlus, Realme and OPPO for example provide the QR code function in their Camera app.

There aren’t many free and reliable apps which offer the ability to scan QR codes on Android smartphones and tablets.

On the Play Store there are many alternatives but we suggest you pay close attention to the reviews and the number of downloads associated with this type of app, since this category is often taken as a Trojan horse to install malware and spyware.

So here are a couple of valid alternatives for those who intend to scan QR codes with their device without using the built-in Camera app.

Google Lens

Let’s start with the Google tool. Lens is now available as a standalone app on the Play Store. Let’s check how to use it to scan QR codes on your smartphone or tablet:

1. Download and install Google Lens from the Play Store.
2. Open the Google Lens app.
3. Frame the QR code and tap on the link that appears on the screen.

Binary Eye

Binary Eye is a third-party app that certainly constitutes a valid alternative on the Play Store to scan QR codes. Let’s check how to use it:

1. Download and install Binary Eye from the Play Store.
2. Open Binary Eye.
3. Frame the QR code and tap on the content that will appear on the screen.