10 Best QR Code Scanner App for iPhone and Android

A QR code (Quick Response code) is a square patch of pixel pattern, with coded information. A 2D barcode that when scanned, can open a URL; send a text; make calls; send a payment; display text etc. QR codes are seen everywhere today.

QR codes provide digital dimensions to products and services. Businesses use QR codes in their marketing campaigns. Organizations creatively integrate QR codes in their corporate communications. For consumers, QR codes add a lot of convenience to their daily lives.

In its early years, QR codes faced the difficulty of having an app to scan them. When QR code scanning was integrated into smartphone cameras in 2017, its adoption speeded up. Today, the use of QR code scanning expands, with different applications for businesses, organizations and consumers.

Anyone can Scan QR codes without Third-party Apps

If the operating system of your smartphone is Versions 8 and higher for Android or iOs11 and above for Apple devices, then your device has a built-in QR code scanner through the camera. There’s no need to download a third-party app to scan QR codes.

How do you check if your Android phone has a QR code scanner?

Open the camera app and point the camera at a QR Code. Tap on the symbol with the Google Lens. Depending on the version of your device, there is an automatic pop up for scanning the code. Or you can press the home button to activate the QR code scanner.

Related: Check out our blog post on scan QR code Android.

How do you check if your iPhone has a QR code scanner?

Open the camera. Point the camera at a QR code. When you see a notification appears at the top containing details of the QR code, then your phone has a built-in QR code scanner.

Related: Check out our blog post on scan QR code iPhone.

Benefits of Third-Party QR Code Scanner App for iPhones and Android devices

You may think that with a QR code scanner on your phone, you can take it easy, and there’s no need for any third-party apps.

When QR codes play a vital role in your life, you’ll enjoy many benefits using third-party apps to scan QR codes.

Scans Better

Your phone camera is there to take photos. Its priority is focused on balancing dynamic range, colors, and other features to enhance the quality of photos, and come out with the best output. This function affects the speed by which it can detect a QR code, which leaves an impact on your needs. Your third-party app is specialized to identify QR codes; everything else is secondary. So even if the image may not be in its best condition, the image will be recognized.

Better Shopping Experience

Some QR code apps can be your online shopping companion, offering a smooth online shopping experience on your mobile device by scanning the QR code or barcode of products. You can compare prices while you’re in the shop, find the best deals offered by favorite merchants and product brands; when and where the best deals are. Check product reviews, add items to your shopping list, purchase items online. All that’s needed is to scan a code: you get information and do some shopping via the app.

Updates on Developments

Today, the applications for QR codes are increasing, from serving as a virtual business card to connecting to WIFI. Technology is improving and new uses will come up along with continuous updates to QR code apps.

10 QR Code Scanner Apps for iPhone and Android Devices

1. Free QR Scanner: Barcode Scanner & QR Code Scanner

Developed by Simple Design Ltd

Price: Free, contains ads and offers in-app purchases

Platform: Android

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QR Code Scanner App Features:

• It instantly scans a QR code. Auto-recognition and decoding. After scanning a QR code, the app offers options, i.e. users can search the products online, visit websites, or connect to Wi-Fi even if they don’t manually enter a password.
• It supports every QR code and barcode format: Maxi code, Data Matrix, Code 93, Code 39, EAN-8, UPC-A, Codabar and more.
• This QR code reader scans and decodes all types of QR codes and barcodes, including contacts, products, URL, Wi-Fi, text, books, e-mail, location, calendar etc. It also scans QR codes and barcodes from the gallery.
• It is simple and convenient: No internet connection is required. All scan history is saved and can be viewed quickly, anytime.
• It scans and decodes all QR code and barcode types, including contacts, products, URL, Wi-Fi, location, text, books, email, calendar. The app has a price scanner: when you scan product barcodes, you can compare prices online. You can scan promotion and coupon codes in shops to get discounts.
• Auto-zoom feature: No need to zoom in or zoom out, when QR code or barcode is at a distant or is small.
• Note: Use a flashlight to scan QR, bar codes in a dark setting.
• Your privacy is 100% safe. Only camera permission is required.

Free QR Scanner: Barcode Scanner & QR Code Scanner on Google Play.

2. QR & Barcode Scanner

Developed by Gamma Play

Price: Free, contains ads

Platform: Android

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It is a widely popular scanner of QR codes and barcodes, and is a vital QR reader especially for Android devices.

QR Code Scanner App Features:

• QR & Barcode Scanner is described as “point-to-shot”: Just point the QR code scanner at a QR code, the app immediately decodes the QR code. The reader scans automatically. No need to press a button or adjust zoom.
• It can scan, read all types of QR codes and barcodes. These include URL, text, ISBN, product, email, contact, location, calendar, Wi-Fi etc.
• After each scan, it automatically identifies the needed actions to take, like visiting the URL, saving contact information, or call someone.
• This app has a storage history of all previous scans. It assists its users in scanning barcodes of products. It does online comparisons of prices of products. It scans product barcodes in shops and compares the shop prices with online prices.
• This app can be used to scan coupons, coupon codes to receive discounts and save you money.
• Note: when it’s dark, turn on the flashlight to scan. To scan a QR code that is far, use a pinch to zoom.
• Other functionalities are: create QR codes, scan from the Gallery, scan images, share your contact information through QR code.

QR & Barcode Scanner on Google Play.

3. QR Code Reader

Developed by BACHA Soft

Price: Free, contains ads

Platform: Android

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QR Code Reader not only scan QR codes like phone number, SMS, location, contact etc, it can also scan barcodes including EAN, UPC, ISBN and matrix data.

QR Code Scanner App Features:

• Scans QR codes easily.
• Barcode scanner: you can view detailed information on products in stores, supermarkets.
• QR decoding speed: you can read information behind QR codes in mere seconds.
• Offline capability: It does not need Internet connection to scan QR codes, barcodes.
• QR scan history saved: with filter support.
• QR code generator: you can encrypt contact information; create codes for messages, email, Wi-Fi, phone numbers. And share this with friends.
• You can also generate QR codes for a web link or a piece of text.
• You can create QR code of your destinations and share it with friends.
• You can create QR codes from contacts and bookmarks. Friends can scan this on their phones.
• QR code generator can saves and shares codes you create.

QR Code Reader on Google Play.

4. QR Droid Private

Developed by DroidLa

Price: Free

Platform: Android

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QR Code Scanner App Features:

• The key difference between QR Droid Private and QR Droid is the number of permissions for using the app. QR Droid Private, vis a vis QR Droid, needs fewer permissions to allow you to create codes using information from your device.
• QR Droid Private is a scanning utility for QR codes, barcodes and data matrix.
• The apps have a “sort and group function” that helps the user to organize and access its history of QR code scans.
• Safety feature: It does not automatically open USSD links, to prevent wipe attacks on your mobile device.
• The app has a QR Droid widget that you can put on the home screen for instant access.
• The app also enables you to generate QR codes. QR With QR Droid, you can create and share QR codes for contacts, installed apps, bookmarks, maps and more.
• Auto-sync your data on your own Google Drive account.

Website: qrdroid.com

QR Droid Private on Google Play.

5. QR Code Reader ϟ

Developed by: TapMedia Ltd

Price: Free, offers in-app purchases

Platform: iOS

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The QR Reader for iPhone is the easiest, most simple QR reader; a hassle-free scanner on iOS. It can scan business cards, documents, PDF files. Interestingly, it can even scan puzzles.

QR Code Scanner App Features:

• Code Scanner: it scans QR codes, barcodes.
• PDF Scanner: it scans PDF files; such that it converts your iPhone into a digital scanner. But it does not check PDF accessibility.
• Business Card Scanner: scans business contacts.
• Puzzle Scanner: it scans and plays puzzles.
• Database Scanner – send barcodes to a server/API.
• NFC Scanner for NFC compatible devices.
• The app can browse products, coupons, deals. It has an auto-detect feature enabling its users to decode codes by simply pointing the camera at products, deals, coupons.
• It approves websites prior to visiting the sites.
• It has a QR generator feature to enable its users to create QR codes and export them in graphic formats, like PNG or SVG files.
• Users can share the scanned information through email, Twitter, Messenger, Facebook. They can export the scans to CSV, i.e. a tabular format used in a spreadsheet program.
• The app offers a monthly subscription plan. There is a free 1-week trial period.

QR Code Reader ϟ on App Store.

6. QR Code Reader

Developed by TinyLab

Price: Free, offers in-app purchases

Platform: iOS

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Available exclusively on iOS, QR Code Reader supports more than 15 different categories of digital optical labels, like the QR Code, Barcode, Code 128, Code 39, Datamatrix, Google Auth, EAN-13, EAN-8, and others.

QR Code Scanner App Features:

• Detailed information on products and food.
• Detailed data cards on QR Code.
• A scan history of QR codes and barcodes.
• It has folders to keep information organized.
• It does batch scanning.
• It can export scans to CSV format.

The free app version, which is ad-supported, includes the most fundamental functionalities. App users can subscribe to a premium version, that has no featured ads. This app version has unlimited scans and product information.

QR Code Reader on App Store.

7. QR Code Reader & QR Scanner!

Developed by MixerBox, Inc

Price: Free, offers in-app purchases

Platform: iOS

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QR Code Scanner App Features:

• Scans every standard 1D, 2D code types.
• You can scan and view product details on Google, amazon.co.jp and amazon.com.
• Rapid scan.
• Internet connection not needed to scan.
• It is flashlight supported, you can scan in dark settings
• Saves scan history.

QR Code Reader & QR Scanner! on App Store.

8. Quick Scan – QR Code Reader

Developed by iHandy Inc.

Price: Free

Platform: iOS

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QR Code Scanner App Features:

• Fast QR code and data matrix scanning.
• QR code and barcode scanning is a handy experience with Quick Scan. It helps you scan with ease, decode all QR code types, including contact, plain text, telephone number, website URL, email address and message, SMS message, calendar event, locations and more.
• It has unlimited storage for scab history. Save your favorite QR codes for future use and reference.
• Barcodes and QR codes can be scanned from photos in your Photo Roll.
• The app also enables you to share scanned content by email or text.
• It opens map locations and web links directly in the app. It also adds contacts into the address book.

Quick Scan – QR Code Reader on App Store.

9. QR Code Reader and Scanner: App for Android (Android) / Kaspersky QR Scanner (iOS)

Developed by Kaspersky Lab Switzerland

Price: Free

Platform: Android, iOS

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Kaspersky is among the best apps that scan QR codes for iOS and Android. Its main focus is providing security for scanning QR codes and is regularly updated, with the newest bug fixes and other features:

QR Code Scanner App Features:

• Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity company. The mobile app scanner has safety checks on the texts, websites, images linked to the QR code. It uses the malware database of Kapersky, to protect users from malicious content and from rogue QR codes with dangerous links leading to risky areas that expose users to phishing traps and malware. Many QR code readers disregard this safety feature.
• Its security features cover office security, internet threats, and anti-virus.
• It stores the information on QR codes scanned by the user. It has its own browser; no need to select a spot to show the content.
• All QR codes scanned by the app are stored. When a user scans a QR Code, this data is automatically saved in the device. So users can easily access data, images, websites, previous links etc.
• The app has no instant share option. But you can share the QR code later if you copy the link of the QR code.
• The app only scans QR codes. It does not scan multi-barcodes, like the i-nigma reader.

QR Code Reader and Scanner: App for Android on Google Play.

Kaspersky QR Scanner on App Store.

10. NeoReader QR & Barcode Scanner (Android) / NeoReader®-QR&BarcodeScanner (iOS)

Developed by NeoMedia Technologies, Inc.

Price: Free, contains ads and offers in-app purchases

Platform: Android, iOS

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QR Code Scanner App Features:

• NeoReader is a universal QR code and barcode reader. It can scan 1D code types such as Data Matrix, QR codes, Aztec, EAN, UPC, Code 128, Code 39, PDF 417 and more.
• It can scan a variety of QR code types such as vCard, meCard, WiFi, phone number and email codes.
• It detects the code type automatically.
• Users can create their own QR codes and share these using email, SMS, Facebook or Twitter.
• It keeps a history of all QR codes scanned.
• It uses the front and rear cameras to support scans.
• This app confirms the website prior to visiting the site’s URL.
• The readability of QR codes is fast and easy. When you scan a QR code, open the link on the browser of your mobile device. Or tap “More”, then save the content or you can share content through email, SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook.

Website: neoreader.com

NeoReader QR & Barcode Scanner on Google Play.

NeoReader®-QR&BarcodeScanner on App Store.

Final Words

QR Codes are part of today’s consumers. They encounter QR codes in their lives from digitally reading restaurant menus to looking for discount coupons online. During the global pandemic, restaurants ask customers to scan their QR codes so that their menu appears on customers’ mobile phones, thus avoiding physical contact. Some say that the year 2020 is a QR code year, for both business people and consumers.

The good news about all of this is, we offer our own free QR code generator. You can create a multitude of personalized QR codes for all your wants and your needs.

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