How To Scan A Business Card Into Iphone

How to scan a barcode with your iPhone using a third-party app

Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max — You can use a third-party app to scan barcodes using your iPhone.

You can scan a barcode with your iPhone by using a third-party app. Currently, there are no built-in apps that can read barcodes.
Your iPhone can automatically scan QR codes using the built-in camera app, but with barcodes it's a different story.
After installing a third-party app, just hold it over a barcode to scan the code.
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While you can use your iPhone's Camera app to automatically scan QR codes by just holding the camera in front of the QR code and taping a pop-up, traditional barcodes are a different matter because there's no app built into your phone that can do this for you.

That's okay though because there are third-party apps available in the App Store that can get the job done.

There are a number of various apps in the App Store that can read barcodes, as well as QR codes. Here are a few free and reliable apps that you can install from the App Store:

QR Code Reader. This app is the best all-around barcode reader. When available, it displays useful results, such as the full name of the product and recent retail price history. It also includes links to the product on Amazon, Google, and elsewhere.
Quick Scan QR Code Reader. This is also a convenient app for reading retail barcodes, though it usually requires you to watch a video advertisement before seeing results.
Scandit Barcode Scanner. If you have a need for it, this powerful scanner can read many different types of barcodes, in addition to retail barcodes.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPhone 11 (From $699.99 at Best Buy)

How to scan a barcode with your iPhone using the QR Code Reader app

1. If you have not already, install QR Code Reader on your iPhone and start the QR Code Reader app.

2. Position the phone to scan the barcode with your phone's camera. When the scan is successful, you'll hear a beep and possibly see an ad on the screen.

Hold the scan box over the barcode to scan it.

3. Close the ad to see the barcode results. You can select and copy text from your result, or use the links to see the item on Amazon or elsewhere.

QR Code Reader often displays useful information about the product's barcode.

4. To scan another barcode, tap "Close" at the top-right of the screen.

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Dave Johnson

Freelance Writer

Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.