Scan QR Code from Own Phone: Every time you buy something from a shop or take a ride in a cab, what do you look for in the end? A QR code to pay them. These codes have simplified the online payment process globally, but how many of you know where they’ve come from?
QR codes were first invented in 1994 in Japan as an evolved form of barcodes. Because barcodes were falling short in some areas, Denso, an automotive manufacturing company, came up with a QR code that was both easier to read and could store much more information.
While all of us know how to scan QR codes, what about scanning a code that’s already present in your device as an image?
Are you looking for an answer to “how do i scan a QR code inside my phone without using another phone?” and “can you scan a QR code on your own phone?”
Stick with us till the end to learn how to scan QR code inside phone without using another phone.
Can You Scan QR Code on Your Own Phone?
Yes, you can easily scan QR code on your own phone with the help of Google Lens and other third-party apps. The general idea behind scanning a QR code is to bring that code in the focus of your smartphone’s camera and then use your scanner to scan it.
Just like every other Google app, Google Lens has transformed the way you extract information from a picture.
There’s a good reason why we call our phones a “smartphone.” There are countless things it can do for you, many of which you’re still unaware of because you’ve never needed it in the past. Its ability to scan a QR code from the gallery is just one of these things.
But since it is exactly what you need our help with today, we’re going to tell you how it’s done.
How to Scan QR Code Inside Phone Without Using Another Phone
Method 1: Scan QR Code on Your Own Phone using Google Lens
Let’s suppose your friend is out shopping and can’t make a payment due to a server issue. They call you asking to pay for them and send you a picture of the QR code. If you’re alone at home, how would you find another smartphone to scan and pay? Would you need to get it printed? Or will you have to ask your neighbor for their phone for a minute?
Such a problem can put you in a difficult spot, particularly when you have no one you ask for help. But you’re not alone in it; we’re here to help, remember? Let’s bring you in on a little secret today.
The miraculous application that has made it possible for us to scan a QR code from our gallery is none other than Google Lens.
One of Google lens’ many benefits includes scanning codes inside a smartphone without having to use another device. There are two ways you can use Google lens to scan a QR code present inside your device.
- Launch the camera app on your smartphone.
- On the home screen of this app, look for a tiny Google lens icon, which looks like a camera with a bold, circular spot in the middle of it. It could either be on the top or the bottom of the screen, depending on which smartphone you use.
- Once you locate this icon, tap on it. You’ll see the Google Lens tab opening on your screen, with the camera opened and a magnifying glass drawn on a white button and the bottom, which is a Search button.
- On the left side of the Search Button, you’ll find a tiny square with the thumbnail of an image from your gallery. This icon is how you open your gallery from here; tap on it.
- As soon as you tap on it, a slide-up menu will open with the most recent pictures of your gallery. Scroll through these pictures until you find the one with the QR code.
- When you find it, tap on it to open it in Google Lens. As soon as you do it, the picture will open on your Google Lens screen, and if the QR code is correct, and Google will scan what it’s linked to within a minute.
While this is the main method you can use to scan a QR code from your gallery, it might not always work. Although rare, there have been complaints about users not being able to find the Google Lens icon on the home screen of their camera.
However, this app is installed as a default in most android smartphones, so even if you’re unable to find the icon on your camera, you’ll certainly find the app in your app drawer. Just type “Google Lens” in the search bar of your app drawer, and it will appear. Once it does, all you need to do is open it, select the QR code from your gallery, and scan it.
Method 2: Third Pary QR Code Scanner App
As we just discussed in the last section, Google Lens is present as a default or system app in most smartphones today. And in addition to that, different smartphone companies either equip their products’ camera apps with a QR scanning feature or provide a separate application that can do it for them. In other words, no one with a functioning camera phone today should have trouble scanning a QR code.
However, as always, there can be exceptions to it. Are you someone who has been using the same smartphone for a long time and doesn’t have these features integrated into their device? Well, don’t worry; as long as you have a functioning camera, we can always do something to fix your problem.
Wondering how? With the help of all these QR scanner apps:
- NeoReader QR & Barcode Scanner
- Bar-Code Reader
- QR Droid
- QuickMark Barcode Scanner
- Kaspersky’s QR Code Reader and Scanner
- QR Code Scanner by Scan
All of these third-party QR code scanner applications are free to download and use and will resolve your problem in minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What does QR code stand for?
The term QR stands for “Quick Response.” In other words, QR code is an evolved version of barcodes that can hold diverse information and help you perform countless actions more conveniently, such as making payments, opening a website, downloading an ebook, and so on.
Q2: Can scanning a QR code transfer virus to my smartphone?
Many users feel threatened by the idea of a QR code containing a virus that could steal their data or infect their device. However, that’s not how these codes work. No QR code can store a virus because that’s not how they’re programmed. A QR code can be linked to some malicious website or content, but it cannot hold the virus itself. And even the latter is a rare possibility.
In the end
With this, we’ve reached the end of our blog. Today, we’ve discussed in-depth about what QR codes are and how they work. We also talked about how you can scan a QR code that’s present inside your device in the form of an image; it can be done using Google Lens, and we’ve included the steps you’d need to follow to get it done above.
Lastly, we listed down the names of the best free QR code scanner apps in the market that can help you if your device doesn’t have an in-built QR code scanner.
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