QR code search for images

JackFruit

Reverse image search is a good feature implemented in Kagi, but it does not help when scanning QR codes. Many establishments and places resort to having to scan QR codes for linking to their websites (menu, shop site, forms, etc).

Kagi reverse image search (mainly mobile) can implement this feature and open the link using Kagi search. Currently users have to resort to other QR scanners (example : Google Lens) for scanning QR codes.

It'll be convenient to take a picture of a QR code and feed it into (reverse image search) using Kagi, to be directed to the link/page represented in the QR code. This will eliminate dependency on 3rd party apps for QR code scanning. Kagi Android/iOS apps will greatly benefit from this, if QR scanning is directly implemented.

Thibaultmol

An interesting idea for sure, I guess ideally the app first checks if it's a QR code before doing an actual image search, but not sure how quickly it could deteremine that. But worth exploring.

Btw, if you're looking for a fast, fully local privacy first qr code scanner without ads and stuff, I personally recommend:
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/de.markusfisch.android.binaryeye/
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.markusfisch.android.binaryeye
(not affiliated with them, just a personal recommendation for our privacy focused users)

JackFruit

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll give them a try !

RoxyRoxyRoxy

Would like some community input on this one- AFAIK QR scanners are pretty much universal in a camera app nowadays, is this something you'd like to see us implement anyway? Could be useful for desktop users regardless.

Boomkop3

RoxyRoxyRoxy I've had to Kagi "online qr code reader" a few times now. Which works fine. Kagi doing that would be redundant

JackFruit

Boomkop3 Online websites do have weird privacy statements if not chosen correctly. Other FOSS apps do work fine.

Boomkop3

JackFruit you're absolutely right. Tickets and such I still scan with my phone. But I don't trust Kagi like that either

JackFruit

Boomkop3 I agree with that statement, but some phones do not have inbuilt QR scanner with their camera app. The camera app in certain phones, links the searches through Google. Example of this is Nothing Phones, disabling the Google apps, bricks the QR scanning through the phone's native camera app. So rerouting this function through Kagi's default app would surely help, at least it is a better solution than Google.

Boomkop3

JackFruit Mine does not either, to be fair. But I don't think Kagi is a great option either when it comes to sensitive data. For non-sensitive data, I can just search for one

Dustin

With dozens of crummy FOSS QR code scanners available on F-Droid, why would this need to be something Kagi wastes resources on?

JackFruit

Since reverse image search already exists, it shouldn't be much of an issue for Kagi to waste its resource on. If that is not the case and if Kagi is indeed wasting resources, then I understand the reason to not implement it. I just need to extract QR codes from an image, that is the sole purpose. I already use other FOSS QR reader for the time being, that is not the issue.

Boomkop3

JackFruit to be fair, Kagi's reverse image search is riddled with bugs. They don't focus on it