This article will walk you through the steps to scan a regular barcode with your iPhone smartphone. While this guide will primarily focus on traditional or 1D barcodes, it will also include some additional information on how to scan a QR code with your iPhone and what you need to do to scan documents for editing and sharing.

To scan a barcode on your iPhone or iPad, you’ll first need to download an iOS barcode scanner app. There are many iPhone barcode apps available for download in the Apple App Store, but for this example, we’ll use QR Code Reader – Barcode Maker. This app is easy to use, supports all major barcode formats, and is free. This app can also be used to create your own barcodes.

Open the QR Code Reader – Barcode Maker app on your iPhone and tap the large round barcode icon in the center of the screen.

The app will ask permission to use your iPhone's camera. Tap OK.