Xiaomi Scanner: A Complete Guide to Scanning App on Xiaomi Smartphones

If you own a Xiaomi smartphone, you've probably noticed the mysterious Xiaomi Scanner on the pre-installed app list, which many users mistakenly believe is just another junk service that only takes up space in memory. QR-codes, barcodes, documents, and even solutions to mathematical equations all in one application.

In this article, we will discuss in detail what Xiaomi Scanner is, what features it hides, how to use it correctly and why it can replace several third-party applications at once, pay special attention to hidden features that are not even written about in the official documentation, and compare it with analogues from other manufacturers.

What is Xiaomi Scanner and why is it necessary?

Xiaomi Scanner is a proprietary application from Xiaomi, designed to scan various types of codes and documents using the camera of a smartphone. MIUI It is installed by default on all modern devices of the brand, starting with the Redmi Note 8 and Mi 9. The application works on the basis of computer vision technologies and is optimized specifically for Xiaomi hardware, which provides high recognition speed.

The main tasks that Xiaomi Scanner solves are:

• 📱 Quick reading QR-codes (links, Wi-Fi, payments, contacts)
• 📄 Scanning documents with automatic alignment and quality improvement
• 🔢 Recognition of barcodes of goods (including EAN-13, UPC-A, Code 128)
• 🧮 Solving mathematical equations and examples through a camera
• 🔍 Search for product information by barcode (integrate with Taobao, JD.com and other platforms)

It is important to note that Xiaomi Scanner is not just a wrapper over the standard one. API Android scans codes. It uses its own image processing algorithms, which allows you to recognize codes even in low light or at an angle. QR-The code from the screen of another smartphone at a brightness of 30%, while the standard Android scanner refused to work.

How to Find and How to Launch Xiaomi Scanner

Xiaomi Scanner app is preinstalled on all smartphones with MIUI 11 and newer. You can find it in a number of ways:

1. Through the menu of all apps, look for an icon with the scanner symbol (usually blue or green).
2. Through the Quick Settings Panel: Swipe down from the top edge of the screen and find the Scanner icon (you may need to add it manually through the panel editing).
3. Through System Search: Swipe down the home screen and type “Scanner” in the search bar.

If the app is missing for some reason, it can be installed manually from Google Play (available under the name "Mi Scanner") or through the app. APK-file from official sources, however, note that some models (e.g, POCO F3 or Redmi K40) The app can be called “Scanner” without the prefix Xiaomi.

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On smartphones with MIUI 13+ You can add a Xiaomi Scanner widget to the home screen for quick access. → Widgets → Find Scanner and drag it to your desktop.

When you first start, the application will request permissions to:

• 📸 Camera use (required for scanning)
• 📁 Access to files (to save scanned documents)
• 🌐 Internet (to search for barcode information and update databases)

⚠️ Note: If you refuse access to the camera, the app will not work. Unlike many analogues, Xiaomi Scanner does not offer an alternative way to enter codes (for example, through photos from the gallery) - only live scanning.

The main functions of Xiaomi Scanner: from QR-pre-mathematical

Xiaomi Scanner combines several tools that usually require the installation of individual applications.

1. Scanning. QR-codes and barcodes

This is a basic feature that works as fast as possible. The application supports more than 20 code formats, including:

• 🔹 QR Code (standard and coloured)
• 🔹 Data Matrix (used in logistics)
• 🔹 PDF417 (It is used in air tickets and documents)
• 🔹 Aztec Code (used in rail tickets)

After recognizing the code, the application automatically determines its type and suggests the appropriate action:

• 🌐 For links - opening in the browser
• 📞 For contacts - save in the phone book
• 💳 For payments – go to the Mi Pay or Google Pay app
• 📶 For Wi-Fi – Connect to the network without entering a password

Document scanning

The Document function in Xiaomi Scanner allows you to create digital copies of paper documents with automatic:

• 📏 Aligning perspective (removes distortion from the "curve" image)
• 🎨 Improved contrast and sharpness
• 🖼️ Pruning the extra fields
• 📄 Preservation in formats PDF or JPG

The scanning quality is comparable to that of apps like CamScanner, but without watermarks or page limits, such as the Xiaomi Scanner, which was able to correctly recognize text when shooting at an angle of 45 when testing a passport.°, The standard camera was highly distorted.

3. Solving mathematical equations

A little-known but extremely useful feature is scanning mathematical examples with a solution.

• 🧮 Linear and square equations
• 📐 Trigonometric functions (sin, cos, tg)
• 📉 Logarithms and exhibitors
• 🔢 Systems of Equations (up to 3 variables)

And after scanning, the app not only gives you an answer, but it also shows you a step-by-step solution with explanations, which makes it a great tool for students and schoolchildren, for example, when scanning an equation. 3x² + 2x – 5 = 0 appendix gives out roots x₁ = 1 and x₂ = -5/3 Discriminantly deployed.

4. Search for information on barcodes

When scanning a product barcode, Xiaomi Scanner automatically searches the Internet for information about it, depending on the region, it can be:

• 🛒 Taobao, JD.com (for China)
• 🛍️ Amazon, eBay (for Europe and the United States)
• 🏪 Local shops (for example, Wildberries or Ozon for Russia)

It doesn't work perfectly, sometimes it displays products from other regions or outdated prices, but it does find relevant information in 70 percent of cases, such as scanning the barcode of a Coca-Cola bottle, and showing the current prices in nearby supermarkets and customer reviews.

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Xiaomi Scanner is not just a code scanner, but a multifunctional tool that can replace the code scanner. 3-4 individual annexes: QR-codes, documents, mathematics and product search.

Xiaomi Scanner’s Hidden Features: What’s Not In The Instruction

Beyond the obvious features, Xiaomi Scanner hides a few “chips” that few users know about.

1. Scan multiple codes at a time

If there are several on the screen or a piece of paper QR-And if you have codes or barcodes, the app can recognize them all at once:

1. Open Xiaomi Scanner and select Multiple Scan (three-square icon) mode.
2. Point the camera to the surface with the codes.
3. The application will scan all codes sequentially and show the results in a list.

This feature is convenient, for example, when working with inventory lists or when you need to quickly add several contacts from business cards.

Generation 2. QR-code

Xiaomi Scanner can not only read, but also create QR-That's what codes are for:

1. Click on the icon. + lower-right.
2. Select the data type: Text, Link, Contact or Wi-Fi.
3. Enter information (e.g. text of the message or SSID network).
4. Click Generate – ready-made code can be saved or shared.

Generated codes support color printing and can be stored in high resolution (up to a maximum of three times). 1080p), What is convenient for printing on business cards or posters.

3. Night scan mode

If you're trying to scan code in low light, turn on Night Mode in the app settings.

• 🌙 Increases the exposure of the camera
• 🔦 The screen is illuminated in white (like a flashlight)
• 📈 Increases contrast for better recognition

In tests, this mode allowed to successfully scan QR-codes from the screen of another smartphone with a brightness of only 10%, while the standard mode refused to work.

4.Integration with Mi Home

If you have Xiaomi Smart Home devices (like Yeelight light bulbs or Mi Robot robot vacuum cleaner), Xiaomi Scanner can be used to set them up quickly. QR-code from the device body application automatically:

• 🔗 Redirects to Mi Home for binding
• 📋 Fills in device data (model, serial number)
• 🔄 Checks compatibility with your version MIUI

This eliminates the need to manually enter data into the Mi Home, which is especially handy when configuring multiple devices at once.

Xiaomi Scanner comparison with analogues: who is better?

To see how good Xiaomi Scanner is, compare it to popular alternatives: standard Android scanner, Google Lens and CamScanner. To test used the Xiaomi 12 Pro smartphone with the help of the smartphone. MIUI 14.

Xiaomi Scanner wins over competitors in recognition speed QR-The number of codes and functions in one application, but inferior to CamScanner as a scan of documents. However, for most users, the difference is not critical - Xiaomi Scanner copes with tasks on the Internet. 80-90% It is as good as specialized applications.

⚠️ Note: If you need a professional scan of documents OCR (Text recognition, better to use CamScanner or Adobe Scan. Xiaomi Scanner does not know how to convert scanned text to editable format.

Problems and mistakes Xiaomi Scanner: how to fix

Despite the optimization, the Xiaomi Scanner sometimes doesn't work properly, and here are the most common problems and solutions:

1.The application does not recognize QR-code

If the scanner can't see the code, try:

• 🔦 Increase lighting (turn on flashlight or use night mode).
• 📱 Clean the camera lens of dirt or fingerprints.
• 🔄 Restart the application or smartphone.
• 📋 Ensure that the code is not damaged (e.g. blurred or partially erased).

If the problem persists, check the camera settings in Settings → Annexes → Scanner → Permissions – Access to the camera must be allowed.

2. Documents are kept in low quality

To improve the quality of the scan:

Make sure the document is on a flat surface.

Use good lighting (avoid shadows)

Enable High Quality Mode in Settings

Save it in format. PDF instead JPG

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3.The application crashes or does not open

This is most often related to:

• 📱 Conflict with other applications that use the camera (e.g. TikTok or Snapchat).
• 🔄 An outdated version MIUI (upgrade the system).
• 🧹 Clogged cache (clear application data in settings).

If nothing helps, try:

1. Remove application updates (in the application settings).
2. Reinstall it through Google Play.
3. Reset the camera settings to factory (Settings) → System system → Resetting settings → Reset the camera settings).

4. Barcode search is not working

This function depends on the Internet connection and regional settings. If the search does not work:

• 🌐 Check your network connection (better use Wi-Fi).
• 📍 Make sure the phone settings indicate the correct region (Settings) → Additionally. → Region).
• 🔄 Update the barcode database in the app settings.

If you are in Russia or Europe, search may perform worse than in China, due to restrictions on access to Chinese trading platforms (Taobao, JD.com).

Xiaomi Scanner Security: Can You Trust It?

One of the most common questions is how safe is it to use Xiaomi Scanner, especially for scanning payment services. QR-I'll go through the codes or personal documents.

1. Access to data

The application requests a minimum set of permissions:

• 📸 Camera - necessary for scanning.
• 📁 Storage – to save scanned documents.
• 🌐 Internet - only for barcode search (you can turn off in the settings).

Unlike many Chinese apps, Xiaomi Scanner does not have access to:

• 📞 Contact
• 📍 Geolocations
• 💳 The bank card details.
• 📞 Call log.

Data transmission

According to Xiaomi’s privacy policy, Xiaomi Scanner:

• ✅ Does not send scanned documents to the company’s servers.
• ✅ Does not store scan history in the cloud (all data is stored locally).
• ⚠️ Transmits anonymous usage statistics (can be turned off in settings).
• ⚠️ When searching by barcodes, it sends only the code itself (not a photo) to the servers of partners (Taobao, Amazon, etc.).

For additional security:

• 🔒 Turn off the transfer of statistics in the application settings.
• 🚫 Don't scan the payment. QR-codes from unreliable sources (risk of phishing).
• 📱 Clean your scan history regularly (Settings) → Clear history).

3. Protection against fraud

Xiaomi Scanner has built-in protection against fake QR-code:

• 🛡️ Warns if the code leads to a suspicious site (for example, with a certificate inconsistency) HTTPS).
• 🔍 Checks payment codes for compliance with standards (for example, Alipay or WeChat Pay).
• 🚨 Blocks clicking on short links (such as bit.ly) if they lead to phishing resources.

But no application can guarantee 100% fraud protection. Always check where it leads. QR-code before confirming payment or entering personal data.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions about Xiaomi Scanner