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Comment by AdmiralAsshat | Hacker News Reader

Given how ubiquitous QR Codes are these days (I received a letter from my county to pay my property tax via QR code!), it's mind-boggling to me why Google and Apple don't simply add add native QR scanning to Android and iOS. Why force us to navigate the minefield of third-party apps for something so easily done in-house?

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iOS >= 11 has a native QR code reader in the camera.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208843

EDIT: 12 -> 11 iOS version correction

News to me, thanks! Now I can tell my parents to scrub whatever crap they grabbed from the appstore.

That support document doesn't elaborate the types of codes it can scan, here are the ones I'm aware of:

    URLs -> Safari
    Locations -> Maps
    Contacts -> Contacts
    WiFi SSID/password -> Join network

To reduce confusion more: The QR scanner only works on the camera accessed via the lock screen, but not from the actual "Camera.app"

Just tested and this is not the case. In iOS 12 and iPad OS 13 it definitely works in the camera app launched from home screen.

iOS 11 added this, actually.

QR scanning is in the top menu of Android on my phone ( next to settings, flashlight, mobile data and wifi)

OEM specific I believe. Newer Samsung devices have it as part of the Camera app. Previously, it was an option of Samsung Internet browser.

Google lens can do this too.

I find I have to walk people through it, so iOS/Android ui designers have work to do to make it more discoverable

Hello There, this is not about a QR code scanner being into the phone, but the tool that is used to generate those QR. IOS has a native QR reader. Maybe Google and Apple could include a QR generator and improve the reader in a way that makes it easy to verify and read what is scanned

They do. This is a scam involving generation of QR codes, not reading of QR codes.

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