Android Barcode Scanner SDK

The Android Barcode Scanner SDK is a full-featured software library to integrate barcode scanning into your Android apps.

The Android APIs allow you to access cameras available on the device for video input, display a barcode scanner interface, configure in-depth settings for AI-powered scanning and performance, and customize the UI for your users and brand.

All samples for the Android Barcode Scanner SDK are in the GitHub repo datacapture-android-samples. Instructions for running the samples are in the README file.

You will need a license key to run the samples. You can obtain one by signing up for a free trial of the SDK.

Read our system requirements to learn what’s needed to develop and run Scandit’s Android software.

Our Android Barcode Scanner SDK supports 30+ of the most common barcodes, including UPC, EAN, Code 39, Code 128, ITF, Code 93, Codabar, Databar, MS1 Plessey, QR codes, DataMatrix, PDF417 and Aztec codes.

For a detailed list, please refer to our Barcode Symbologies documentation page.

With no guarantee that barcode integrities are sound, the Android Barcode Scanner SDK is designed to handle instances where barcodes are torn, wrapped in plastic, or tiny. It works in low light, at wide angles, and at long distances.

The Android Barcode Scanner SDK has significant advantages over open source alternatives for enterprise developers. While open source libraries offer basic functionality, Scandit software provides advanced features, enterprise-grade reliability, consistent updates, and dedicated technical support — critical factors when scanning is central to business operations.

Using proprietary AI and computer vision algorithms, Scandit solutions typically outperform open source in challenging environments with poor lighting, damaged codes, or unusual angles. They also offer advanced capabilities like batch scanning, context-based scanning, and augmented reality overlays that open source solutions cannot match.

The Android Barcode Scanner SDK also saves valuable development time with comprehensive documentation, cross-platform compatibility, and pre-built components that allow teams to focus on core business logic rather than maintaining the scanning engine.

The tables in this article give you an indication of the built app size containing the Scandit SDK for Android.

Our production licenses do not require a continuous internet connection. However, test licenses require an internet connection during scanning.

If you need to test offline, we can provide a license key – please contact support.

To implement Scandit barcode scanning for native Android, you have two options:

1. To use the SparkScan pre-built component, download the package, configure and initialize the library, enable barcode symbologies, and register a barcode capture listener to receive scan events. This Get Started guide has the details.

2. To use the fully customizable Android Barcode Scanner SDK, install the SDK, configure and initialize the library, enable barcode symbologies, register a barcode capture listener to receive scan events, and consider how to design your scanning UI. This Get Started guide has the details.

You can also read our full developer’s guide on how to build a Android barcode scanner.

To implement Scandit barcode scanning in an Android app, you will need to install the Android Barcode Scanner SDK, configure and initialize the library, enable barcode symbologies, register a barcode capture listener to receive scan events, and consider how to design your scanning UI.

Our How to Add an Android Barcode Scanner Library blog explains how to address these problems for Android barcode scanning and provides a step-by-step tutorial for a barcode scanning solution for Android using the pre-built features in Scandit SparkScan.

Scandit’s Android barcode scanning library can be integrated into your app to provide advanced barcode scanning features to users. The SparkScan component provides a pre-built user interface for rapid deployment..

The Android APIs allow you to access cameras available on the device for video input, display a barcode scanner interface, configure in-depth settings for AI-powered scanning and performance, and customize the UI for your users and brand.

Android barcode scanner libraries typically capture barcodes using the device camera and use computer vision techniques to extract important information. The app receives barcode data through event listeners and triggers further actions, such as notifying the user and storing the information.

Scandit’s Android barcode scanning library eases development effort by embedding well-researched UI components and automating many aspects of the scanning process – meaning developers don’t have to worry about implementing and testing them.

Android apps commonly use event listeners, which trigger actions in response to successful barcode scans.

Scandit’s Android barcode scanning library provides a BarcodeCaptureListener interface that you can implement to inform your app whenever a new barcode is recognized, and the BarcodeCaptureSession class that contains the list of barcodes to handle.