Barcode Scanning Apps & Testing Guide
Once you have registered your barcodes on the internet, you can use a smartphone barcode scanning app to verify your product details, check database listings, or test next-generation 2D barcodes on your packaging artwork.
Our Recommended Barcode Scanning Apps
Zebra Barcode Scanner
The premier tool for verifying registered barcode information. Scans standard 1D barcodes and queries multiple international registries simultaneously—including BarcodesDatabase.org, IBN Verified, Amazon, and UPCdatabase.org.
Scanner
ScanBarcode App
A lightweight, lightning-fast Progressive Web App (PWA) designed for quick scanning on mobile phone cameras. Point your phone at any standard EAN-13, UPC-A, or QR code to instantly read the encoded data.
2D Scanner App
Purpose-built for next-generation retail packaging. Scans both traditional 1D barcodes and GS1 Digital Link 2D barcodes, resolving embedded product transparency links including Sustainability, Nutrition, Ethics, and Brand info.
Tip: You can add any of these apps to your smartphone home screen for instant 1-tap access. In Safari (iOS), tap the Share button and select “Add to Home Screen”. In Chrome (Android), tap the three dots menu and select “Install app” or “Add to Home screen”.
Smartphone Scanning vs. Retail Supermarket Scanners
A common point of confusion for new product sellers is how barcode scanning works on a smartphone compared to a supermarket checkout register:
| Smartphone Camera Scanning | Supermarket POS Laser Scanners |
|---|---|
|
Searches the Internet: Smartphone scanning apps read the barcode numbers and query online databases (such as BarcodesDatabase.org, Google, and Amazon) to display public product photos, manufacturer details, and descriptions. |
Does NOT Search the Internet: Checkout scanners at retail stores do not connect to the internet. They simply read the 13-digit number and look it up in the store’s internal Point of Sale (POS) software database. |
|
Requires Database Registration: For your product details to appear when scanned by consumer smartphone apps, your numbers must be registered on the International Barcodes Database. |
Requires Retailer Data Linking: When you supply products to a supermarket, the store manager enters your product name and price into their computer system once. Every subsequent scan at that store then retrieves that data instantly. |
Preparing Your Packaging for Flawless Scanning
To ensure your barcode scans reliably across all hardware (smartphone cameras, handheld warehouse imagers, and retail laser scanners), follow these key standards before authorizing a large packaging print run:
- Maintain Official Sizing: The nominal size for EAN-13 and UPC-A barcodes is 37.3mm wide x 25.9mm high. The smallest recommended reduction is 80% (approx. 30mm wide x 20mm high). Refer to our Barcode Dimensions Guide.
- Respect the Quiet Zones: Ensure clear, unprinted white space to the left and right of the barcode bars. Scanners require this margin to detect where the barcode begins and ends.
- Curved Surfaces (Bottles, Cans & Jars): Orient the barcode in the “ladder” orientation (bars running horizontally around the curve) rather than a “fence” orientation so the scanner laser reads a flat slice of the code.
- Check Digit Verification: Ensure your 13th digit is mathematically valid by running your number through our free GTIN Validator tool.
- Stay Ahead with 2D Barcodes: Learn how global retail is transitioning to QR-based GS1 Digital Links for Sunrise 2027 on our 2D Barcodes Guide.
Need Verified Retail Barcodes for Your Products?
We supply authentic, globally unique EAN-13 and UPC-A barcode packages with complimentary database registration and zero annual fees.