mobile_scanner #

A universal scanner for Flutter based on MLKit. Uses CameraX on Android and AVFoundation on iOS.

Features Supported #

See the example app for detailed implementation information.

Platform Support #

Platform specific setup #

Android #

This package uses by default the bundled version of MLKit Barcode-scanning for Android. This version is immediately available to the device. But it will increase the size of the app by approximately 3 to 10 MB.

The alternative is to use the unbundled version of MLKit Barcode-scanning for Android. This version is downloaded on first use via Google Play Services. It increases the app size by around 600KB.

You can read more about the difference between the two versions here.

To use the unbundled version of the MLKit Barcode-scanning, add the following line to your /android/gradle.properties file:

dev.steenbakker.mobile_scanner.useUnbundled=true

iOS #

Add the following keys to your Info.plist file, located in NSCameraUsageDescription - describe why your app needs access to the camera. This is called Privacy - Camera Usage Description in the visual editor.

If you want to use the local gallery feature from image_picker NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription - describe why your app needs permission for the photo library. This is called Privacy - Photo Library Usage Description in the visual editor.

Example,

<key>NSCameraUsageDescription</key>
<string>This app needs camera access to scan QR codes</string>

<key>NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription</key>
<string>This app needs photos access to get QR code from photo library</string>

macOS #

Ensure that you granted camera permission in XCode -> Signing & Capabilities:

Web #

As of version 5.0.0 adding the library to the index.html is no longer required, as the library is automatically loaded on first use.

Providing a mirror for the barcode scanning library #

If a different mirror is needed to load the barcode scanning library, the source URL can be set beforehand.

import 'package:flutter/foundation.dart';
import 'package:mobile_scanner/mobile_scanner.dart';

final String scriptUrl = // ...

if (kIsWeb) {
  MobileScannerPlatform.instance.setBarcodeLibraryScriptUrl(scriptUrl);
}

Usage #

Import the package with package:mobile_scanner/mobile_scanner.dart.

Create a new MobileScannerController controller, using the required options. Provide a StreamSubscription for the barcode events.

final MobileScannerController controller = MobileScannerController(
  // required options for the scanner
);

StreamSubscription<Object?>? _subscription;

Ensure that your State class mixes in WidgetsBindingObserver, to handle lifecyle changes:

class MyState extends State<MyStatefulWidget> with WidgetsBindingObserver {
  // ...

  @override
  void didChangeAppLifecycleState(AppLifecycleState state) {
    super.didChangeAppLifecycleState(state);

    switch (state) {
      case AppLifecycleState.detached:
      case AppLifecycleState.hidden:
      case AppLifecycleState.paused:
        return;
      case AppLifecycleState.resumed:
        // Restart the scanner when the app is resumed.
        // Don't forget to resume listening to the barcode events.
        _subscription = controller.barcodes.listen(_handleBarcode);

        unawaited(controller.start());
      case AppLifecycleState.inactive:
        // Stop the scanner when the app is paused.
        // Also stop the barcode events subscription.
        unawaited(_subscription?.cancel());
        _subscription = null;
        unawaited(controller.stop());
    }
  }

  // ...
}

Then, start the scanner in void initState():

@override
void initState() {
  super.initState();
  // Start listening to lifecycle changes.
  WidgetsBinding.instance.addObserver(this);

  // Start listening to the barcode events.
  _subscription = controller.barcodes.listen(_handleBarcode);

  // Finally, start the scanner itself.
  unawaited(controller.start());
}

Finally, dispose of the the MobileScannerController when you are done with it.

@override
Future<void> dispose() async {
  // Stop listening to lifecycle changes.
  WidgetsBinding.instance.removeObserver(this);
  // Stop listening to the barcode events.
  unawaited(_subscription?.cancel());
  _subscription = null;
  // Dispose the widget itself.
  super.dispose();
  // Finally, dispose of the controller.
  await controller.dispose();
}

To display the camera preview, pass the controller to a MobileScanner widget.

See the examples for runnable examples of various usages, such as the basic usage, applying a scan window, or retrieving images from the barcodes.