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Scan bar codes using a camera in the Warehouse Management mobile app

This article explains how to set up the Warehouse Management mobile app to scan bar codes using a camera on a mobile device.

Setup

In the display settings of the Warehouse Management mobile app, you can select if the camera should be used for bar code scanning. If you enable Use the camera as scanner, you can use the camera on every input field that has the preferred input mode set to Scanning.

To control whether an input field should be scannable, on the Warehouse app field names page, set Preferred input mode to Scanning. When this option is selected, a camera can be used for scanning in the Warehouse Management mobile app. Learn more in Configure fields for the Warehouse Management mobile app.

The camera page will be initiated on each page where the input field has its Preferred input mode set to Scanning, when you are on the camera page use the following options to navigate:

  • Select the back button to go back to the Task and details page.
  • Select the pencil on the Task and details page to go to a page where you can manually enter input.
  • Select the camera on the Task and details page to go back to the camera page.

On the camera page, when you select the camera button, it appears dimmed while the camera tries to identify a bar code. If a bar code isn't identified within five seconds, the process time outs, and the camera button becomes available again. You can then try to scan a bar code again.

When you aim the camera at a bar code, a green check mark button indicates that you can scan it. Select the button to scan the code. If more than one bar code is scanned, the app asks you to identify the correct bar code.

Supported bar code formats

The following table shows the bar code formats that are supported on each platform.

Bar code format Android iOS Windows Common use cases
Aztec Yes Yes Yes Transportation tickets, identification documents
Codabar Yes Yes Yes Libraries, blood banks, shipping labels
Code 39 Yes Yes Yes Automotive, healthcare, government applications
Code 93 Yes Yes Yes Logistics, inventory management
Code 128 Yes Yes Yes Supply chain, shipping, product identification
DataBar (RSS-14) No No Yes Fresh foods, healthcare, small items
DataBar Limited No No Yes Small item identification, healthcare
DataBar Expanded No No Yes Coupons, loyalty cards, variable data
Data Matrix Yes Yes Yes Electronics, automotive parts, pharmaceuticals
DX Film Edge No No Yes Photography, film processing
EAN-8 Yes Yes Yes Small retail products, magazines
EAN-13 Yes Yes Yes Retail products, books, international trade
ITF (ITF-14) Yes Yes Yes Shipping cartons, distribution packaging
MaxiCode No No Yes UPS shipping, package tracking
PDF417 Yes Yes Yes Driver's licenses, identification cards, forms
QR Code Yes Yes Yes Marketing, inventory, contact information
Micro QR Code No No Yes Small components, electronics, jewelry
rMQR Code No No Yes Rectangular applications, space-constrained items
UPC-A Yes Yes Yes Retail products, grocery items
UPC-E Yes Yes Yes Small retail products, compressed UPC

Usage tips

Here are a few tips for effective bar code scanning in the Warehouse Management mobile app:

  • Optimal scanning conditions – For the best scanning results, ensure adequate lighting, and hold the device steady.
  • Format selection – The app automatically detects supported formats. Manual selection isn't required.
  • Compatibility check – Before deployment, verify that your platform supports your specific bar code format.
  • Performance – QR codes and standard retail formats (UPC and EAN) typically offer the fastest scanning performance.