Scanner troubleshooting

#329

A collection of typical situations when the QR scanner does not work as expected, and what to do in each. If none of these help, contact the firm administrator or support with the exact message string and your device model.

The scanner button is missing in the header

The button should be visible on every portal page. If it is not there:

  • Portal scripts may still be loading — wait 1–2 seconds.
  • If the internet is very slow — some scripts may have failed to load. Reload the page.
  • A very old browser (Internet Explorer, old Android up to 5.x) — the portal may not work at all. Use a recent version of Chrome or Safari.

The scanner window opens but video does not show up

  • Check HTTPS: the address bar should start with a lock. More details in "Camera access".
  • The browser blocked the camera: change the permission in the site settings (see the same article).
  • On iOS: you must tap the button itself, not the background — Safari starts the camera only from a real tap.
  • Another app is using the camera: close competing apps (camera, Skype, video calls) and try again.

The modal window shows "No camera found"

  • The device has no physical camera (some tablet models, desktop PCs without a webcam).
  • The camera is disabled in the device system settings (for privacy).
  • The camera driver is conflicting or damaged (common for Windows laptops — try updating the driver).

In this case use the alternative: manual ID input — in every portal section there is a text field next to the scanner where you can type the identifier from the label.

Video is on but the code is not recognised (10+ seconds, nothing)

  • Too dark — turn on the room light. In a typical warehouse light is often saved exactly in barcode-handling zones.
  • Too far or too close — the optimum is 10–30 cm. Too close (3–5 cm) — the code does not fit in frame or does not catch focus.
  • The label is worn or creased — try smoothing it or holding it at another angle. If the print is heavily damaged, the label has to be reprinted (see the label articles in "Warehouse" and "Orders and pallets").
  • The camera will not focus — tap the screen to force focus on the QR.
  • Glossy packaging / glare — turn the label or the phone so that the lamp light does not reflect directly into the camera.

The code is recognised but "nothing happens"

The scanner closed but there is no visible reaction. Possible reasons:

  • The code does not match the page context. For example, you scanned a personal worker QR while on the inventory section — the portal does not know what to do with it. Open the scanner from the home page to log in.
  • The QR points to a deleted entity. For example, you scanned a pallet QR for a pallet that was recently deleted — the portal gets a non-existing ID. Check the main CRM for what happened to this pallet.
  • No rights for the action. For example, you scanned an offcut that belongs to another firm — the portal silently ignores. Check that you are on the right account.
  • The QR leads to a different format of link. For example, an advertising QR or a link to a third-party site — the portal does not open external URLs, only its own.

The camera works but the image is upside down or mirrored

Standard behaviour: the rear camera shows "as is", the front one — mirrored (selfie style). It does not affect recognition — the portal can read a QR in any orientation. If the image is inconvenient for aiming, turn the phone 90° or 180°.

On Android the scanner is slow or the phone heats up

QR recognition is a computationally expensive operation. On older phones and during prolonged continuous scanning (10+ minutes) the phone can heat up. Recommendations:

  • Close the scanner window right after recognition, do not leave it open "just in case".
  • Close other apps in the background.
  • If you use it for a long inventory session — take breaks every 15 minutes.

Full list of issues that cannot be solved via the interface

If the scanner does not start even after a browser restart, permission checks and switching to another phone — these can be infrastructure problems, contact the firm administrator:

  • The portal's SSL certificate has expired — the browser blocks the camera.
  • A corporate proxy cuts the mediaDevices API.
  • Mobile Device Management (MDM) on corporate phones disables the camera.