While the latest Galaxy S9 update brought a few camera features that have already been present on the Galaxy S10, it also introduced a new feature that is currently not available on any other Galaxy device. The June security update for the Galaxy S9 adds a toggle in the camera settings called Scan QR codes, which lets you scan QR codes by simply pointing the camera at them. Once a QR code is detected, the camera instantly shows a popup with the link to whatever website the QR code points to, letting you open that website with a single tap.
Bixby or third-party apps no longer necessary
With the built-in QR code scanner in the camera, Galaxy S9 owners no longer need to fire up Bixby Vision or use a third-party QR code scanning app. It's unclear why this particular feature has been introduced on the Galaxy S9 and not Samsung's latest flagships, but whatever the reason may be, it sure is useful. There's even a quick toggle for the QR code scanner in the notification shade; tapping the toggle simply opens the camera app, and we're assuming the toggle exists to make it easier for users to discover the feature as not everyone makes it a point to randomly tinker with their phone's camera settings.
The QR code scanner is enabled by default once the new software update is installed on the Galaxy S9, and if you don't think it's something you'll use often, you can disable it from the camera settings. We'd recommend leaving it as is, though, as it won't really bother you in your day-to-day photography sessions but will be very handy when you do point it at a QR code.
We're guessing the QR code scanning feature will come to at least the Galaxy S10 and the Galaxy Note 9 in the near future. Neither device has received the June security update yet, but we'll be sure to let you know once that changes, so keep checking back to SamMobile!
