Manage updates with the Download App
How to store and share info from bar codes in Android
Some bar codes and QR codes are really handy, helping us get info that may be hard to collect otherwise. Passing along that info can be a pain, though--unless you use Barcode Cache, a free Android app.
If you've ever scanned a bar code or QR code, only to wish you could pass along the link or other info to friends, the aptly named Barcode Cache is a lifesaver. This free Android app lets you store the data contained in codes and then share them with anyone you like. Here's how it works:
- Install Barcode Cache from Google Play.
- If you don't already have a bar code reader app, install one. I like Barcode Scanner, but there are many great apps out there.
- Run Barcode Cache and set up at least one label. These are categories that will contain the codes you scan; when you share them, you'll send the whole category at once, so you may want to create quite a few.
- Quick-press any label to bring up your default bar code scanner (or choose which you prefer, if you have multiple installed). When you scan a code, it's added to that label, but it's not otherwise acted upon, so you won't visit any sites or see any text.
- Long-press any label to bring up options. You can change its color for quick identification, clean out all the codes from that label, edit the label name or delete it entirely. You can also share the label over e-mail, Evernote or whatever other app you like.
That's it! Barcode Cache is extremely simple, but fills a need quite well.
