Native support for QR code scanning via the Camera app means it's easier than ever to use these types of codes in your daily life. Previously, you needed to download a third-party app to do so. That's not the case anymore!
To scan QR codes on iPhone and iPad, it's quite literally a matter of opening your camera and pointing.
If you scan a lot of QR codes, you might benefit from putting a link to the tool in Control Center. To add the built-in QR Code Reader:
To use the QR Code Reader from Control Center:
QR codes might seem outdated, especially when compared to NFC tag scanning. After all, QR codes are nothing more than two-dimensional designs without any fancy circuitry or electromagnetic communication. But that's what makes QR codes so great. Anyone can create QR codes and store them physically or electronically. QR codes can also be scanned from a distance or up close. NFC tags have to be purchased, data has to be written to them (Apple doesn't support writing to an NFC tag), and you have to be within the near-field range in order to get information from them. Where NFC tags feel sort of closed off and inaccessible, QR codes are open and easy to make.
To give you an idea of how you might use QR codes, here's a list of different QR code data types and how iOS lets you interact with that data.
That last one is especially exciting. You can have a long, complicated password on your guest network and you won't have to start off the evening with friends by doing an open mic session called, "I'm Reading out My Long-As-Hell Wi-Fi Password and You All Hate Me for It". You can simply show the QR code and your friends can scan and tap!
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Thoughts?What do you think of QR codes? NFC tags? Give us a shout in the comments or over on Twitter!
Updated July 2019: This article has been updated for the most recent version of iOS.
Bryan M. Wolfe has written about technology for over a decade on various websites, including TechRadar, AppAdvice, and many more. Before this, he worked in the technology field across different industries, including healthcare and education. He’s currently iMore’s lead on all things Mac and macOS, although he also loves covering iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Bryan enjoys watching his favorite sports teams, traveling, and driving around his teenage daughter to her latest stage show, audition, or school event in his spare time. He also keeps busy walking his black and white cocker spaniel, Izzy, and trying new coffees and liquid grapes.
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