Android App-aholics Anonymous (Barcode Scanners)

 

Barcode scanning apps run rampant throughout the Android Market and while some have one list of features others have a completely different one,  I will do my best to outline the barcode apps that I myself have used in the time that I have had an Android Device.

 

Barcode Scanner

Price: Free

Simple barcode scanner

 

 

 

 

Barcode scanner is just that and nothing more.  If you hold it up to scan a barcode it will scan the raw data off of the barcode and give you several choices of what to do with that data (share via SMS, share via email, and open browser).  If you were to scan one of the QR codes like we use here on 8DAG choosing “open browser” will actually take you to the website or market page that the data in that QR code is for.  If you want to use QR codes to download apps and navigate to web pages only then Barcode Scanner is the right app for you.

 

 

Shopsavvy

Price: Free

Shopping with barcodes

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you want to use your barcodes to compare prices online and at retailers around you then Shopsavvyy is your app.  Shopsavvy allows users to scan an items barcode and use that info to search online retailers and local retailers to find the best prices.

 

 

Amazon Barcode Search

Price: Free

The barcode scanner built into the Amazon app

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amazon is an amazing service.  Anytime I am looking for a product online I look at Amazon first and then resort to other sites.  Have you ever found something in a retail store and thought, “I wonder if I could find this cheaper on Amazon?”  I’ve caught myself thinking that many times and the Amazon app has come to my rescue each time.  When you start the Amazon app under the search box is an option to search using barcodes or pictures.  You can use this option to take a picture of your item or it’s barcode and in a few minutes Amazon will find the item on it’s website and add it to a list of scanned items in your app so that you can buy it later.  If you use the Amazon app anyway I suggest you checkout this feature.

 

 

ScanLife

Price: Free

A simple barcode scanner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ScanLife is a bare bones barcode scanner that will allow you to scan barcodes and search the web or go to a webpage.  ScanLife is a bigger name than the previously mentioned “Barcode Scanner”, but in essence it seems to be the same basic app.  Need to scan QRs and move on?  If so ScanLife will work just fine.

 

 

QR Droid

Price: Free

A full featured scanner with the ability to create QR codes too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

QR Droid is by far my favorite scanning application.  When writing App-aholics Anonymous I have to create QR codes, test the QR codes and then post them to my articles;  QR Droid makes all of this work much easier for me.  There are several features that set QR Droid apart from the other scanners on this list: the ability to create barcodes from almost any text based data, and the ability to decode QR codes from your device’s gallery app.  DroidLa, the developers behind QR Droid, were even nice enough to supply a version of the app that is marked “private”.  The private version of QR Droid doesn’t need access to your personal data on your device.

 

 

Out of all of the barcode scanning apps that I have highlighted in this post my vote is in for QR Droid.  Note, however, that being a geek I might have different needs than some of you and if shopping is your game I would use Shopsavvy instead ( I have both of these apps on my device just in case).  Happy Scanning.

Do you have a barcode scanning app that I forgot to mention?  Post a link and short description in the comments to help others who might be reading this article.

About Jesse (The Pen of Doom)

A small time blogger with big time dreams and a love for everything geek.
Bookmark the permalink.

2 Comments

  1. I need a scanner app that will scan multiple barcodes and collect in them in an email to be sent once all items are scanned? Any ideas? Not looking to scan one item at a time and then send.

  2. @stumpjumper I’m not sure what format you want your email to be in, but if you use QRDroid you can scan your codes then go to your history and press the “send history” option to create and send a CSV file (comma separated value) that someone can open in many different programs including excel and word. I hope this helps you with your problem.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.