How to Set Up Your Phone as a Barcode Scanner for PC

Looking for how to use your phone as a barcode scanner for PC? You don't need a dedicated handheld unit. The iPhone or Android you already carry can read barcodes and send them wirelessly to your Windows PC or Mac — in plain language, under a minute.

How it actually works

The idea is simple. Your phone reads the barcode with its camera, and a small companion app on your computer receives that value over your local WiFi network. The decoded text is then "typed" into whatever field your cursor is in – just like a USB scanner, but wireless and using hardware you already own.

Because the connection is over your local network, there is no cloud account to set up and no internet dependency. The data travels from phone to PC and nowhere else.

How to use your phone as a barcode scanner for PC

1. Install the phone app. Download WiScanner from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android).
   Mobile app

   
2. Install the desktop client on your Windows PC or Mac and launch it.
   Desktop app

   Download PC client Download Mac client
3. Join the same WiFi. Make sure your phone and computer are on the same network.
4. Pair them with a QR code. The desktop app shows a code; scan it once with your phone to connect.
5. Click into any field – a spreadsheet cell, a form, your ERP – and scan. The value appears right there.

Connect your phone to your PC with a QR code

After both apps are open on the same WiFi, the desktop client shows a pairing QR code. Scan it once with the phone app to link the devices. From then on, every barcode you scan on the phone is sent straight to the PC — the same flow people mean by “scan QR from phone to computer,” but for ongoing barcode (and QR) input into your software.

Scan barcodes into Excel and any PC app

Because WiScanner types the decoded value at the cursor, it works wherever you can type: Excel or Google Sheets cells, browser forms, ERP and POS screens, inventory tools, and shipping software. Click the cell or field first, then scan — no import file and no special Excel add-in required. For the spreadsheet-focused walkthrough (including auto Enter), see how to scan barcodes into an Excel spreadsheet.

Android and iPhone: same setup

The steps above are the same on Android and iPhone. Install the mobile app for your phone, install the Windows or Mac desktop client, join the same WiFi, pair with the QR code, and start scanning. You do not need two different workflows or a Bluetooth dongle.

Useful settings to know

• Auto Enter / key input: automatically press Enter or Tab after each scan to move to the next cell or field.
• Sound & vibration: get instant feedback on every successful scan so you can keep your eyes on the products.
• Quantity mode: attach a count to each scanned code for stock and picking.
• Prefix / suffix & regex: automatically clean up or format codes as they arrive.
• Multi-scan: scan several items quickly with an adjustable delay between reads.

Who is this for?

Anyone who needs to get barcodes into software without buying hardware: small shops doing inventory, warehouses receiving stock, offices auditing equipment, couriers logging parcels, or a single person managing a side business. If your task is "scan, then record," your phone is ready for the job.

Want the product overview? See how to use your phone as a barcode scanner for PC, or compare it with a dedicated device on the wireless barcode scanner page.