How to scan a menu on android

Over the last decade, QR codes have boomed in popularity. You can find them on restaurant windows, at bus stops, in stores, and even in books. They're a useful way to quickly direct people to specific websites.

And as QR codes become more standard, more devices are designed to scan them. That includes smartphones.

You can scan QR codes on any Android device that has a camera, whether it's a smartphone or a tablet. And once you've scanned the code, you can open or share its URL (the website it points to) freely.

How to scan a QR code on your Android

1. Open the Camera app on your Android device.

2. Move the QR code into the frame. If the code is easily scannable, you'll see the code's URL appear at the bottom of the frame. Tap it to open that URL.

The Camera app on Android, with a QR code being scanned within the frame.

Give your camera enough room to see the entire QR code.Stefan Ionescu

Quick tip: If your camera won't recognize the QR code, try closing your camera and opening it again, or moving the QR code so it doesn't take up the entire screen.

If your Android device's camera doesn't scan the QR code automatically, you'll need to use Google Lens, a feature that lets you search the web with your camera, in the Google Search app, which you can download from the Play Store. Lens also gives you more options for using the QR code you've scanned.

Note: You can also download the Google Lens app to scan the QR code, but it's not available on all Android devices. We're going to discuss a more universal approach with Google Search.

Some Android phones, like the Pixel 5, have Lens built into the camera app. Just tap Modes at the bottom of the screen, then Lens, and try again.

The Google Lens feature in the Camera App on Android, withe “Modes” and “Lens” options highlighted.

Some Android have Google Lens built in.Stefan Ionescu

1. Open the Google Search app on your Android device.

2. Tap the camera icon on the right side of the search bar to start Google Lens.

The Google Search app on Android, with the camera icon highlighted.

Tapping the camera icon in the search bar will open Google Lens.Stefan Ionescu

3. In the top section, tap the camera icon above where it says Search with your camera to give Google Lens access to your camera. If this is your first time using Lens, you'll have to give the feature permission to access your media and camera.

Google Lens in the Google Search app on Android, with the camera icon highlighted.

Tap the camera icon for Google Lens to access your camera.Stefan Ionescu

4. Position your camera so the QR code is in the frame.

5. If your phone can scan QR codes automatically, the URL will appear over it. Tap the URL or the shutter button – magnifying glass – at the bottom of the screen to immediately go to the website.

Google Lens in the Google Search app on Android, with the URL of a QR code and the shutter button highlighted.

Tap the URL on the QR code or the shutter button at the bottom of the screen to visit the website.Stefan Ionescu

6. If the URL doesn't show up automatically, tap the shutter button for Lens to search the web.

7. The URL will appear over the QR code, and you can tap it to go to the website right away. You'll also be given three options:

  • Website: Opens the URL in your web browser.
  • Copy URL: Copies the URL to your phone's clipboard, so you can paste it anywhere.
  • Share: Lets you send the URL to someone in a text message, email, or using another app.

If neither of these methods work, the QR code itself might be invalid.

William Antonelli

Tech Reporter for Insider Reviews

William Antonelli (he/she/they) is a writer, editor, and organizer based in New York City. As a founding member of the Reference team, he helped grow Tech Reference (now part of Insider Reviews) from humble beginnings into a juggernaut that attracts over 20 million visits a month. Outside of Insider, his writing has appeared in publications like Polygon, The Outline, Kotaku, and more. He's also a go-to source for tech analysis on channels like Newsy, Cheddar, and NewsNation.

Are you sitting in the restaurant and you want to open the digital menu of the restaurant on your smartphone? Here’s how you can scan the QR code provided by the restaurant and read the menu.

Nowadays many restaurants are replacing the old paper menus with better menus, called digital menus. A digital menu is a normal menu, but instead of printing it, you simply read it on your smartphone.

Usually the restaurants that have a digital menu place a QR code on the tables or at the entrance: you can scan the QR code in order to open the menu on your smartphone.

Here’s a video that shows the opening of a digital menu using a QR code:

Scan the QR code with your smartphone camera

On the most recent Android and iOS devices you can simply open the Camera app and scan the QR code.

As soon as you point the camera to the QR code, your smartphone will display a message asking if you want to open the website: at that point you simply click on the message to confirm that you want to open the link and the restaurant menu will appear.

Alternative: use an app to scan the QR code

If your device doesn’t have a built-in QR code reader, then you may have to download an app from the app store. Don’t worry there are many free apps both for Android and iOS.

Open the App Store or the Play Store and search “QR code” or “QR code scanner” or “QR code reader” and you will find many apps. Simply install your favorite QR code scanner, then open the QR code scanner and point your smartphone to the QR code to read it. Finally click “Open the link” or a similar message in order to open the restaurant menu.

How do I scan a menu on my phone?

There are two ways to scan a digital menu with an android phone..
Download the Google app from the iOS app store. ... .
Click the app icon and tap the Google Lens icon from the top right of the search bar..
Give the Google Lens access to the device camera..
Point the device at the QR code for scanning by Google Lens..

How do you scan to see menu?

A QR code menu is a digital menu which you can access by scanning a QR code with your smartphone. When you scan the QR code, your smartphone will open a webpage where your menu is hosted. Many restaurants place QR codes directly on tabletops, on small paper cards, or on plastic placards.

Does Android have built in QR reader?

Does Android have an in-built QR Code reader? Yes. Just like iPhones, Android 9 (Android Pie) and Android 10 have an in-built QR Code reader. Even the Android 8 or Oreo does not need an app to scan QR Codes.

How do I scan a menu without an app?

Open the “Google” application and tap “Navigation” if the smartphone's screen search is not currently enabled. Enable the “Screen Search” permission in the settings. Google Lens can now scan and recognize QR codes. It's available on Google Assistant as well as the camera app.