I got tired of losing QR codes and rescanning them one by one, so I built my own scanner
We scan QR codes all the time now, but I realized phone cameras still have two annoying limitations.
First, there’s basically no memory or organization. You scan something at a store/event/meeting, and it disappears unless you manually save a screenshot somewhere in your gallery, then you keep scrolling to find that one QR.
Second, most camera scanners are terrible when there are multiple QR codes in the same frame.
So I built an app called Qik.
It works offline and keeps a searchable history of everything you scan. You can add tags like #work or #offers, attach notes such as “met this person at a meetup,” and later search by tag, note, date, or scan type.
There are also two scan modes:
- In instant mode, you do not need to tap to scan; it detects QR automatically in frame.
- Turn instant mode off to scan multiple QR codes in a single scene without jumping to results. Qik can detect multiple QR codes in a single frame.
No intrusive ads, no full-screen interruptions. Just simple banner ads that stay out of your way.
Everything stays on-device unless you choose backup options.
realised
I originally made it for myself because I kept losing track of QR codes from events, shops, PDFs, and random posters. After using it daily for weeks now, I realized other people might find it useful too.
Play store link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.prismtree.qrscanner
What does Qik offer: https://prismtree.com/qik-qr-code-scanner/
If you try Qik and have thoughts, suggestions, or run into any issues, feel free to reach out. I’m actively building and improving it 😄