This tool uses your device's camera (or an uploaded image) and processes the video stream in real-time using QuaggaJS, a pure JavaScript barcode scanning library. All processing happens locally in your browser — no video or image data is ever sent to any server. The scanner analyzes each frame, detects barcode patterns, and decodes them into readable numbers. This ensures your privacy while delivering fast, accurate 1D barcode scanning.

Absolutely safe. All scanning is performed locally on your device. The camera feed never leaves your browser. Scan history is stored only in your browser's localStorage for your convenience and is never transmitted anywhere. You can clear the history anytime with one click. No server-side processing, no tracking, no data collection — complete privacy guaranteed.

Common reasons:
① Camera permission denied — Please allow camera access in your browser settings and reload the page.
② Not HTTPS — Camera access requires a secure connection (HTTPS) on most browsers. If you're on HTTP, try localhost or switch to HTTPS.
③ Poor lighting — Ensure the barcode is well-lit. The scanner needs contrast between bars and background.
④ Barcode too small or blurry — Hold the camera steady and ensure the barcode fills the scanning frame.
⑤ Unsupported barcode type — This tool scans 1D barcodes only (not QR codes or Data Matrix). Try uploading a clear image if the camera struggles.

No. This tool is specifically designed for 1D (linear) barcodes such as Code 128, EAN-13, UPC-A, Code 39, ITF, and Codabar. It does not support 2D barcodes like QR codes, Data Matrix, or PDF417. For QR code scanning, you would need a dedicated QR scanner tool. We chose to focus on 1D barcodes to provide the best possible accuracy and speed for retail, logistics, and inventory use cases.

The scanner works on Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari (both desktop and mobile). For camera scanning, a device with a camera is required — smartphones and tablets work best. On iOS, Safari requires iOS 11+ and HTTPS. On Android, Chrome works excellently. Desktop users can use a webcam or the "Upload Image" tab to scan barcodes from saved images. The tool is fully responsive and optimized for mobile screens.

1D barcodes (linear barcodes) encode data in parallel lines of varying widths — like the ones on grocery products, shipping labels, and books (ISBN). They typically store 20-25 characters and are read horizontally. 2D barcodes (like QR codes) encode data both horizontally and vertically in a grid pattern, storing much more information (up to thousands of characters). This tool specializes in 1D barcodes, which are the most common type in retail and logistics.

Switch to the "Upload Image" tab, then click or drag-and-drop your image file (PNG, JPG, GIF, BMP). The tool will analyze the image and extract any 1D barcode it finds. This is useful when you have a photo of a product, a screenshot of a shipping label, or when the camera isn't available. For best results, use clear, well-lit images where the barcode is prominent.