I'm looking for an app that can scan or more importantly, decode a
barcode or QR code. Not with the camera, from a picture or document or
on screen of the phone. Best case, I'd like the app to grab a
screenshot and if any code found then stuff it on the the clipboard,
silently and without a fuss.
Need is to scan the occasional barcode that I get via email, never
mind the whys and wherefores.
I've looked but I haven't found any apps that can do that, they
usually want to scan with the camera. Which means, the libraries exist
to find and decode barcodes and QR codes from an image but not the
apps, I think. Or maybe I just haven't found it yet?
On a lark, I tried to feed a screenshot of a barcode to Gemini. It's
too clunky in practice even if it worked but Gemini couldn't make
heads or tails out of it. It did try and it got the type of barcode
right but the end results from its decoding attempts were just crap
every time.
Maria Sophia wrote:
Someone else may be able to help you better'n I can.
One obvious way the O/P could do what he wants is with two phones, or a
phone and a tablet, barcodes in general read well from screens when the brightness is cranked-up.
On 27/02/2026 18:03, Andy Burns wrote:
Maria Sophia wrote:
Someone else may be able to help you better'n I can.
One obvious way the O/P could do what he wants is with two phones, or a
phone and a tablet, barcodes in general read well from screens when the
brightness is cranked-up.
I don't know anything about Android split-screen "windows" (or even if
they can exist!). Would it be possible to have the email with the QR
code on half the screen, and the front-facing camera with a QR scanner
on the other half, and use a mirror to let the QR scanner see the QR
code on the other half of the screen?
Anssi Saari wrote:
I'm looking for an app that can scan or more importantly, decode a
barcode or QR code. Not with the camera, from a picture or document or
on screen of the phone. Best case, I'd like the app to grab a screenshot
and if any code found then stuff it on the the clipboard, silently and without a fuss.
Need is to scan the occasional barcode that I get via email, never mind
the whys and wherefores.
I've looked but I haven't found any apps that can do that, they usually
want to scan with the camera. Which means, the libraries exist to find
and decode barcodes and QR codes from an image but not the apps, I
think. Or maybe I just haven't found it yet?
On a lark, I tried to feed a screenshot of a barcode to Gemini. It's too clunky in practice even if it worked but Gemini couldn't make heads or
tails out of it. It did try and it got the type of barcode right but the
end results from its decoding attempts were just crap every time.
Maria Sophia wrote:
Someone else may be able to help you better'n I can.
One obvious way the O/P could do what he wants is with two phones, or a phone and a tablet, barcodes in general read well from screens when the brightness is cranked-up.
Other than that, I suspect it will be a fruitless search for an app that
can process a QR code from a screen capture, since it's a very non-
typical use case ...
I'm looking for an app that can scan or more importantly, decode a
barcode or QR code. Not with the camera, from a picture or document or
on screen of the phone. Best case, I'd like the app to grab a screenshot
and if any code found then stuff it on the the clipboard, silently and without a fuss.
Need is to scan the occasional barcode that I get via email, never mind
the whys and wherefores.
I've looked but I haven't found any apps that can do that, they usually
want to scan with the camera. Which means, the libraries exist to find
and decode barcodes and QR codes from an image but not the apps, I
think. Or maybe I just haven't found it yet?
On a lark, I tried to feed a screenshot of a barcode to Gemini. It's too clunky in practice even if it worked but Gemini couldn't make heads or
tails out of it. It did try and it got the type of barcode right but the
end results from its decoding attempts were just crap every time.
Alan wrote:
You suspect completely incorrectly.
The number of methods that exist for dealing with a QR code that
already exists as a digital image on a device is very large.
In which case, it's notable you haven't suggested one.
VanguardLH wrote:
On a lark, I tried to feed a screenshot of a barcode to Gemini. It's too >>> clunky in practice even if it worked but Gemini couldn't make heads or
tails out of it. It did try and it got the type of barcode right but the >>> end results from its decoding attempts were just crap every time.
Sorry, but I forget which app it was at the Play Store that mentioned it
could scan images in the Gallery.ÿ Seems you could take a screenshot,
and have the scanner app look at the image in the Gallery.ÿ It was an
app found searching on "qr scanner screen" at the Play store.ÿ Think it
was the first one, but look in the app descriptions to find one that
says it can scan images in the Gallery.
We've all given the OP plenty of apps to test that do what he asks.
Now it's time to see what the OP says after he's tried them out.
Andy Burns wrote:
Alan wrote:
You suspect completely incorrectly.
The number of methods that exist for dealing with a QR code that
already exists as a digital image on a device is very large.
In which case, it's notable you haven't suggested one.
I have to do all the work, do I?
Anssi Saari <anssi.saari@usenet.mail.kapsi.fi> writes:
I'm looking for an app that can scan or more importantly, decode a
barcode or QR code. Not with the camera, from a picture or document or
on screen of the phone. Best case, I'd like the app to grab a
screenshot and if any code found then stuff it on the the clipboard,
silently and without a fuss.
Need is to scan the occasional barcode that I get via email, never
mind the whys and wherefores.
I've looked but I haven't found any apps that can do that, they
usually want to scan with the camera. Which means, the libraries exist
to find and decode barcodes and QR codes from an image but not the
apps, I think. Or maybe I just haven't found it yet?
On a lark, I tried to feed a screenshot of a barcode to Gemini. It's
too clunky in practice even if it worked but Gemini couldn't make
heads or tails out of it. It did try and it got the type of barcode
right but the end results from its decoding attempts were just crap
every time.
If you open google lens from google chrome, it opens the camera, but
there is also an option from there to open a screen shot (to the left of
the search button). I am not going to try it though, as it will send
that screenshot to google I think.
I'm looking for an app that can scan or more importantly, decode a
barcode or QR code. Not with the camera, from a picture or document or
on screen of the phone. Best case, I'd like the app to grab a screenshot
and if any code found then stuff it on the the clipboard, silently and without a fuss.
Need is to scan the occasional barcode that I get via email, never mind
the whys and wherefores.
Arno Welzel wrote:
Binary Eye can also decode image files
At this point, each of us, save for the troll Alan Baker, has proposed at least one solution, probably all of which will work just fine for the OP.
It's up to the OP to test out our kind heart-felt thoughtful suggestions.
If the OP doesn't report back, then the proposed solutions appear to be:
1. <de.markusfisch.android.binaryeye>
2. <com.google.ar.lens>
3. <com.example.barcodescanner>
4. <com.czlucius.scan
5. <any.splitscreen>
Note: The Alan Baker troll has never owned an Android phone in his life.
His only goal is to troll us and gloat over supposed Apple superiority.
On 27/02/2026 18:03, Andy Burns wrote:
Maria Sophia wrote:
Someone else may be able to help you better'n I can. One obviousway the O/P could do what he wants is with two phones, or a phone and
a tablet, barcodes in general read well from screens when the
brightness is cranked-up.
I don't know anything about Android split-screen "windows" (or even if
they can exist!). Would it be possible to have the email with the QR
code on half the screen, and the front-facing camera with a QR scanner
on the other half, and use a mirror to let the QR scanner see the QR
code on the other half of the screen?
f your phone has that built in screen search thing ...
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