User Guide

Scan and Recognize

Camera scanning is for QR codes, product codes, and barcodes in front of you. After MeCode recognizes a code, it shows the content, the real format, and the actions you can use. It also saves the result to History. Links can be opened, copied, shared, and favorited. Phone numbers, email, SMS, locations, contacts, and events show matching actions. Formats without a supported preview can still be saved, copied, and shared as content.

Photo recognition is useful for screenshots, posters, packaging, or images someone sent you. You can review the results before saving and deselect anything you do not need. Duplicate results in the same batch only need to be saved once. MeCode only processes the images you choose and does not keep the original images.

PDF recognition is useful for tickets, manuals, contracts, or groups of screenshots. MeCode recognizes codes page by page and lets you save the results you need from the review page. The PDF file and page images are not saved as History records.

For link results, MeCode shows an on-device check. Non-HTTPS links, short links, redirect parameters, mixed characters, download extensions, IP addresses, and local network addresses may ask you to review the link before opening it. This only checks the link structure. It does not decide whether a website is safe.

MeCode supports common QR codes, product codes, linear barcodes, and 2D matrix codes. When you scan product codes, GS1 DataBar, or some Data Matrix content that matches common GS1 rules, MeCode can show GTIN, batch or lot, production date, expiration date, count, and net weight on your device while keeping the original content unchanged. MeCode does not look up products, brands, manufacturers, or prices online. Some formats can be recognized and saved but cannot be created or exported as code images, such as GS1 DataBar, Micro QR, and Micro PDF417. Codabar can be recognized from photos and created, but it is not supported by camera scanning.

In Scan Settings, you can choose whether MeCode opens to Scan, starts in full-screen scanning, how links open, which feedback to use, and which formats are included in recognition. When you turn off a format, camera scanning and photo recognition both follow that setting. Formats that are not supported by the device or system may still fail to scan.

Create Codes

Create is where you make your own codes. After you save an image or share a code file, the record is added to History. Only records created in MeCode can be regenerated.

QR codes support these content types:

Type	Good for
URL	Websites, profiles, event links
Text	Notes, instructions, temporary content
Wi-Fi	Network name, password, security
Email	Email address, subject, body
Phone	Phone number
Contact	Name, phone, email, organization
SMS	Phone number and message
Location	Latitude, longitude, place name
Event	Title, location, start and end time, notes

URLs must start with http or https and include a domain. Contact creates a vCard QR code that Contacts can recognize.

Product codes support EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A, and UPC-E. ISBN accepts ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 and creates a book barcode. Other creatable formats include Code 128, Code 39, Code 93, Codabar, ITF-14, Interleaved 2 of 5, Data Matrix, PDF417, and Aztec. Different formats have different rules for digits, letters, and symbols. If the content does not fit, MeCode asks you to revise it.

Batch Generate is for creating many records at once. You can paste multiple lines, paste data from a spreadsheet app, or import a CSV file. MeCode first shows valid, invalid, and duplicate counts. After review, you can generate images, export a compressed package, or import the records into History. Multiple lines are automatically treated as links or text. Tables and CSV files are better when each row needs its own title, alias, type, format, and content. You can also provide GS1 columns such as gtin, batch, lot, expiration_date, serial, production_date, best_before_date, count, and net_weight_kg. MeCode validates those values on your device. MeCode does not generate GS1 Data Matrix images, so rows that match that format are reported as unavailable.

QR codes can use templates, colors, shapes, and logos. Styling applies only to QR codes. The style editor warns about contrast, margins, logo size, background brightness, and related risks. You can still export when a style is marked risky, but it is better to test-scan it on another device, especially before printing or using it on a poster. Product codes and other barcodes always use a high-contrast white background to protect recognition.

You can change the app accent color in Preferences. The accent color only affects interface buttons, selected states, and a few prompts. It does not change code images, exported files, link colors, or risk colors.

Organize Records

History keeps records from camera scans, photo recognition, PDF recognition, creation, system sharing, and batch imports. You can filter by source and search by title, alias, or content.

Favorites are for codes you use often. Favorites can be filtered by links, Wi-Fi, contacts, products, text, and more. Search runs inside the current filter.

When you need to organize many records, you can select codes in History or Favorites and then favorite, unfavorite, add to collections, set tags, delete, export selected records, or edit aliases in bulk. If search or filters change, the selection keeps only records that still match the current view.

Collections group related codes, such as common Wi-Fi, social profiles, travel tickets, or product backups. A code can belong to more than one collection. Deleting a collection only removes the organization link. It does not delete the codes inside it.

Tags mark codes across collections. You can add several tags to one code, or set tags for many records from History or Favorites. Deleting a tag does not delete any codes.

Smart Collections group records automatically, such as recent activity, imports, scans, generated codes, links, products, contacts, QR codes, barcodes, and Needs Review. Needs Review only means the link structure is worth checking before opening. It is not a safety verdict.

Deleted codes go to Trash. When you restore a code, its original favorites, collections, and tags are kept. When you delete it permanently, those links are removed too. MeCode may clean up old History records that are not favorited and not in a collection. Favorited codes and codes in collections are not cleaned up automatically.

Export and Share

QR codes can be saved as images and shared as code files. Basic QR codes support PNG, PDF, and SVG. QR codes with styles or logos support PNG and PDF. SVG is only for basic QR codes.

Product codes and other creatable formats support PNG and PDF. Recognize-only formats cannot be exported as code images, but their content can be copied or shared.

If you need a backup or a record list, use the data export page in More to filter records by time, favorite state, source, content type, and format, then export CSV, TXT, or JSON. The exported file includes record information only. It does not create code images, PDF code files, SVG files, or compressed packages. When common GS1 fields are recognized, the export also includes those fields and any parsing warnings. If History protection is on, you need to pass device authentication before exporting.

When you share text or a link from another app to MeCode, you can quickly create a QR code and save it to History. When you share images to MeCode, it recognizes codes in those images. When you share a PDF to MeCode, it starts the PDF recognition flow. MeCode only processes content you intentionally share.

Sync, Privacy, and Permissions

MeCode does not use ads, third-party tracking, or unnecessary analytics. Scanning, creating, favorites, organization, and History management happen on your device.

The camera is used only for scanning codes. Photo access is used only for the images you choose. MeCode asks to write to Photos only when you save an image. System share entries only handle the text, links, images, or PDF files you intentionally send to MeCode. PDF files are handed to MeCode’s recognition flow.

When iCloud Sync is on, code records, favorite state, collections, tags, deletion state, and organization links sync across devices using the same Apple ID. When sync is off, data stays on the current device.

Quick Entries and Widgets

MeCode supports Shortcuts, Control Center, Lock Screen, and Action Button entries. These entries only open the matching MeCode page, such as Scan, Photo Recognition, PDF Recognition, Create, Batch Generate, Search, or Settings. Camera permission, photo picking, file picking, App Lock, saving, and exporting still happen inside MeCode.

Lock Screen widgets provide the same fixed entries as Control Center, including Scan, Create, Photo Recognition, PDF Recognition, Batch Generate, common code creation entries, History, Favorites, Collections, Settings, and Scan Settings. They do not show your record content.

Desktop widgets can show QR codes on the Home Screen or StandBy, or provide common entries. First add QR codes by widget size in More > Settings > Desktop Widgets, then choose one when adding or editing a Code on Display widget in system settings. You can place multiple widgets of the same size and show different QR codes. Desktop widgets only display QR codes. They do not display product codes or other barcodes, and they do not create or export code images directly.

Troubleshooting

A code is not recognized

Check lighting, distance, and glare. Damaged, blurry, very small, or low-contrast codes may fail to scan. Codabar cannot be recognized by the camera, but it can be recognized from photos.

Photo or PDF recognition fails

Make sure the code is clear and visible. Avoid heavy tilt, cropping, glare, or low page resolution. If a PDF page has no recognizable code, the review page shows it as failed.

A link will not open

Only http and https links can be opened. You can also check the link opening option in Scan Settings.

A record is missing

Search History first, then check the source filter and Trash. If a record was permanently deleted, it cannot be restored from Trash.

Sync is not working

Make sure you are signed in to Apple ID in system settings, and that iCloud and MeCode sync permissions are on. Sync may take some time. When offline, changes stay on the current device first.