Sarah Jacobs/Business Insider You can scan a QR code with a Samsung Galaxy using Bixby or the web browser.
- You can scan a QR code with your Samsung Galaxy phone in two ways to read and interact with the code's contents.
- Depending upon which Galaxy model you have, you can use the Camera app with Bixby Vision, or the Samsung Internet web browser.
- QR codes are like modern barcodes and can have text, images, and URLs embedded inside them.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
You can think of QR codes as a sort of modern update to the traditional bar code.
When scanned with a QR code reader, they generally contain a small amount of text, images, or more commonly, a link to a website.
Most smartphones, including the Samsung Galaxy series, can read QR codes without installing any additional software.
But the process of reading the QR code will vary depending upon which model you own.
Check out the products mentioned in this article:
Samsung Galaxy S10 (From $899.99 at Best Buy)
How to scan QR codes with a Samsung Galaxy using Bixby Vision
Most Galaxy models starting with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 have Bixby Vision built in.
1. Start the Camera app.
2. Tap "Bixby Vision" at the top of the screen.
Dave Johnson/Business Insider If your phone has Bixby Vision, you'll find it at the top of the Camera app.
3. If this is your first time launching Bixby Vision, you will need to give the app permission. Tap "Allow" on all the requests for permission that appear. You won't ever need to do this again.
4. Point the phone so the camera can see the QR code. After a moment, a pop-up should appear with the contents of the QR code.
Dave Johnson/Business Insider After scanning a QR code, your phone should display a pop-up which you can tap to see the contents.
5. Tap the pop-up to read the text or to go to the link embedded in the QR code.
How to scan QR codes with Samsung Internet
If your Galaxy doesn't have Bixby Vision, you can still read QR codes - you simply need to use the Samsung Internet browser app instead.
The first time you scan a QR code you'll need to enable the feature in the app's Settings menu. After that, you can skip this step and simply launch the QR reader.
1. Start the Samsung Internet app.
2. Tap the three vertical lines at the bottom right of the screen.
Dave Johnson/Business Insider Tap the vertical lines menu to get to the Settings for Samsung Internet.
3. Tap "Settings," and then tap "Useful features."
4. Turn on QR code reader by sliding the button to the right.
Dave Johnson/Business Insider The QR reader is turned off by default, so you need to enable it.
5. Tap the Back button twice to return to the browser window.
6. Tap the address bar at the top of the browser. You should see a QR code button to the right of the microphone.
Dave Johnson/Business Insider Tap the QR code button in the address bar to start the QR code reader.
7. Tap the QR code button and point the phone so the QR code appears in the square in the middle of the screen. After a moment, the browser should automatically display the contents of the QR code.
Dave Johnson/Business Insider Place the QR code in the square target to automatically see what's embedded in the code.
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