About BarKey

Scanning and editing tools

• QR Code, Micro QR, rMQR, Data Matrix, Aztec, PDF417, MicroPDF417 and MaxiCode.
• UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8, EAN-13, Code 39, Code 93, Code 128, ITF and Codabar.
• GS1 DataBar (RSS-14) and GS1 DataBar Expanded (RSS Expanded), including Omni, Stacked, Stacked Omni, Limited and Expanded Stacked variants.
• Guarded Undo for up to 20 recent scans or Space insertions, repeating Backspace, Space, Left, Right, Tab and Enter controls.
• Optional Preview to choose among up to eight detected codes, Focus to restrict decoding to a large, movable and resizable area, and Single Scan to allow one successful insertion per recognised text field.
• Docked, resizable keyboard with portrait and landscape layouts and light and dark appearance.

Preview pauses automatic insertion until you select a detected value. Suggestions expire when codes are no longer detected and cannot be selected after their editor or scanner context changes. Focus starts with a large scan area, can be dragged and resized with its small see-through corner arrow, and can be reset by long-pressing Focus. Focus works with Preview or Single Scan; Preview and Single Scan cannot be used together. Focus decodes only inside the selected crop using the chosen scan mode. Keep the full code and a little clear space around it inside the region; enlarge the area if a code is missed. Single Scan allows one successful insertion and permits another scan when BarKey recognises a different field. Undoing a scan makes an otherwise empty field available again. Some apps do not expose enough information for BarKey to recognise every field change. Supported formats are configured in the app; camera behaviour and editor actions can vary by device and host application.

BarKey is designed for personal use on Android phones and tablets. It can also run on shared or managed Android devices, including devices enrolled in Microsoft Intune. The first-run terms limit use of the app to private purposes; work use needs written permission. Companies can request a commercial version or approval at barkey.support@hernow.net. Managed-device deployment is not a main project focus and has not been validated.

Why I built BarKey

BarKey started with a simple idea. I wanted to scan a barcode and have the result go straight into whatever text field I was already using, without switching between applications or copying and pasting.

I enjoy finding practical solutions to everyday problems, and this seemed like something that should be much simpler than it often is.

My goal with BarKey was to make a straightforward tool that does exactly what it needs to do, without unnecessary features getting in the way.

No registration, no subscriptions, no advertisements and no complicated setup beyond what Android requires to enable a keyboard.

Just open the keyboard, scan your code and carry on working.

Software shouldn’t always come with a subscription

I’m tired of seeing everyday software turn into yet another monthly payment. It sometimes feels as though every little tool now needs a subscription, an account or some kind of paid upgrade before you’re allowed to use it properly.

I understand that developing software takes time and resources, but I don’t believe that means every useful application needs to become a subscription service.

I want to do my part in pushing back against that culture.

That’s one of the reasons I create software people can use without recurring payments, advertisements or features hidden behind a paywall.

I also believe that privacy shouldn’t be a premium feature. People shouldn’t have to pay extra just to avoid being tracked or having their personal information collected unnecessarily.

Publishing source code is part of that philosophy. Anyone can inspect how an application works and, within its licence terms, make improvements or build upon it.

I don’t expect my projects to change the software industry, but I can at least contribute something different.

BarKey is free for private, personal use. Its source is available under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. Company or workplace use, commercial activity and paid redistribution need my written approval. Organisations should contact me before installing or testing BarKey for work or evaluation; there is no company trial or scan allowance. Request a commercial version or permission at barkey.support@hernow.net.

Local scanning, clear boundaries

BarKey’s source manifest removes Internet and network-state permissions. Camera frames and barcode decoding stay on the device. The app has no accounts, analytics, advertisements, tracking, or permanent scan history. Temporary scan values, Preview suggestions, duplicate-suppression state and up to 20 guarded Undo records are held in memory only as needed by the active input session.

Source, Licence & Credits

BarKey — developed by Amanda Hernow — is available under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. It permits non-commercial source use as defined by the licence. The app also requires acceptance of first-run terms limiting it to private use; work use, commercial activity and paid redistribution need my prior written approval. Companies should contact me before installing or testing BarKey for work or evaluation; the app has no company trial or scan allowance. Request permission or a commercial version at barkey.support@hernow.net. The source is public, but this is not an OSI-defined open-source licence because commercial use is restricted.

Barcode decoding runs locally with ZXing-C++ Android 3.1.1 as the primary decoder and ZXing Core 3.5.4 as a Java fallback. Both projects use Apache License 2.0.

AndroidX CameraX provides camera capture and preview; AndroidX Core and Lifecycle provide Android application support. Google Guava 33.7.2-android is a CameraX support dependency pinned by BarKey. These libraries use Apache License 2.0; CameraX camera-core artifact metadata also declares BSD-3-Clause material. The app’s test-only JUnit 4.13.2 dependency is licensed under Eclipse Public License 1.0.

See the project NOTICE for attribution information, and its LICENSE for the licence applying to BarKey.

Questions and feedback

For BarKey support or privacy questions, email me at barkey.support@hernow.net or use the BarKey GitHub issue tracker. Please do not include private barcode data in a public issue.