The mobile industry is growing at a fast rate. There was a time when a person had to log into the computer to use the internet. Now things have changed. People spend more time on phones than on computers because they can browse the internet by turning on the mobile data connection. As billions of people are using mobile phones, companies are now accepting payments from mobile phones with WiFi or NFC technology. Smartphones powered by Android and iOS OS had killed many services that were widely used 15 years back when Nokia was the largest phone brand in the world. The services include SMS, MMS, GSM calls, etc. Most of the revenue of telecom companies comes from internet-related services.
Many companies have stopped barcode use because of the growing popularity of QR codes. Both are old technologies, but QR codes have become more popular because of smartphones. In the coming years, it may completely replace barcodes. There are several reasons why QR codes are better than barcodes. The significant difference between the two is the character limit. QRC can hold around 100 characters, whereas BCs have a character limit of 48. The characters are arranged in a matrix (array) format, and QR code reader apps for Android can recognize them within 2 to 3 seconds.
QR codes make our lives easier. It isn’t easy to copy or open the website URL on mobile phones. If a QR code has been added to the web page, the user can open the URL by scanning the code with a QR code reader application. QR codes are now being used to verify identity. An excellent example of this is the desktop version of WhatsApp. When you use the official WhatsApp software on your PC, you’ll be asked to verify your account by scanning a QR code.
QRCs are widely used in two-factor authentication and password manager apps for PC and mobile phones. Because of them, the user can log into a website without entering a password or PIN. Well, QRCs are being used everywhere. Thus, it’s important to install a QR code reader. Here’s the list of applications you can use to scan and read QR codes.
Best Android QR code reader apps
QR & Barcode Scanner
QRBS from Gamma Play is one of the most popular QRC reader apps. It has 50 million active installations and around a million ratings.
This app takes 11.4 MB of space on storage memory. When you start it, QRBS will open its inbuilt rear camera module, which flaunts a rectangular focus area. To scan the code, hold your phone in such a way that the QRC is embedded in the focus area. If you’re in a dark room, tap on the flash icon to turn on the flash.
QRS maintains a history of codes you’ve scanned with it. The app has a settings section through which a user can disable vibration and sound. It is ad-free and straightforward. QRBS scans QR codes embedded in pictures. It requires storage, network, and camera access permissions.
Also see: Best WiFi Signal Booster Apps for Android to Improve Network Strength
QR Code Reader
Yet another top QR code reader for Android is this app from TWMobile. QRCR requires the camera access permission to work. When you run it, QRCR displays an image that explains its functionality. Its features are the same as found in the app from Scan corporation. Like the QRS, QRCR is an ad-free app.
Kaspersky QR Scanner
Kaspersky is one of the top security software development companies. A few years back, the company had introduced an Android QR reader app that decodes complex QR codes and scans the URLs. KQS displays a warning whenever you try to scan a malicious code. KQS maintains a list of codes you’ve scanned earlier. It provides an option to turn on the phone’s LED flash.
QR Droid Scanner
This Android QR code reader app requires the below four permissions to function:
- Device and app history access.
- Contact.
- Photo/media file.
- Camera access.
QRD provides more features than the above two applications. Below are the features of QR Droid Scanner:
- Option to generate QR from phone contacts, browser bookmarks, maps, etc.
- Reads codes found on websites, magazines, books, etc.
- Scans QR in an image file saved on internal or external storage media.
- Blocks opening of USSD codes.
- Widget support.
QR Droid is a large app. Its APK file’s size is around 12 megabytes.
Free QR Scanner
FQS is a great app to create, manage, and scan QR codes. It enables you to generate QR codes for clipboard content, website URLs, WIFi connections, contacts, etc. QRs you’ve created/generated are displayed in the “Create” section of the app. FQS saves the codes you’ve recently scanned on your device. To see the list of these codes, open the app’s “History” interface. You can configure FQS to play a beep sound when the scan is successful. FQS supports 20+ languages. Its size is around 5 megabytes.
Must Read: Best Voice to Text Apps for Android with 100% Accuracy
Final thoughts: If you’ve encountered a QR code, the above apps will help you scan it. The applications are free, and they work well on most Android devices.
