An update to the QR code scanning system on Android now allows the smartphone to automatically zoom in on it as soon as it detects it. A very significant little extra, because it was not always easy to ensure that the QR code was recognized by the device.
Whether we like them or not, QR codes are part of our daily lives. Especially since the health crisis of 2020 which has made it necessary to dispense with paper supports as much as possible in gathering places to avoid the transmission of COVID-19. Today, QR codes are used for everything : consult the menu of a restaurant, transfer a WhatsApp account from one mobile to another, trigger the explanation of a work in a museum and sometimes, unfortunately, set up scams to steal money.
But as practical as they are, it is sometimes difficult to use them, especially when they are too far away. We would like not to have to cross the street to scan the QR code of a concert poster for example, or get closer to the TV screen during its configuration. It is finally a reality. Google updates its QR code scanning program on Android and now, your smartphone will automatically zoom in on it.
Your smartphone will automatically zoom in on a QR code as soon as it detects it
Even better: since this is a feature integrated into the dedicated Android program, all QR code scanning applications using the latter will benefit from the update. As seen in the demo video posted to Twitter by Mishaal Rahman, who spotted the change, the system is responsive and efficient. The second the mobile detects a code to scan, it zooms in and reads it without the user having to get closer.
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As the feature is still in the testing phase, there is no official global rollout date, but it has obviously already started. Note that only devices running Android 13 and above should be affected. In July 2023, approximately 30% of smartphones run on this version of Android according to the StatCounter site.
Google has updated ML Kit’s Barcode Scanning API and the Code Scanner API with auto-zoom, enabling the camera to automatically zoom in to scan barcodes that are far away. The scanner will intelligently detect barcodes and zoom in so the user doesn’t have to manually adjust zoom. pic.twitter.com/yZGjJsrgI9
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) August 3, 2023