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Barcode & QR scanners

A hardware scanner is the fastest way to get things into Cobblr. Scan a barcode and the item lands in your scan inbox with a toast that jumps you there. There is nothing to install and no screen you have to be on: Cobblr listens for a scan on every page.

How it works​

Almost every USB scanner is a keyboard wedge: to the computer it looks like a keyboard that types the code and presses Enter. Cobblr catches that anywhere in the app and stages the item, so a scan from the dashboard, an inventory list, or a machine page all work the same. (On the Scan page itself the scanner feeds the capture flow directly.) No driver, no pairing with Cobblr, no setup.

What to buy​

  • Get a 2D imager, not a laser 1D model. A 2D scanner reads QR codes as well as barcodes, so one device captures items and reads your location labels to drive the filing funnel. A laser scanner only does 1D barcodes and can't read your QR labels.
  • Wired USB or a 2.4GHz dongle is plug-and-play. Both present as a keyboard by default. Bluetooth models work too but are fussier to pair and keep connected, so pick one only if you need the range.
  • Handheld vs hands-free. A handheld trigger suits walking the shelves; a presentation (hands-free) stand suits a fixed bench station where you pass items in front of it.
  • Any scanner that lists USB HID / keyboard emulation works. Most default to it; a few ship in a different mode you switch by scanning a setup barcode from the manual once.

Your phone as a scanner​

No hardware scanner, or want to walk around? On a desktop, hit Pair phone: the desktop shows a QR code, you scan it with your phone, and the phone is signed in to that workspace on the spot, no password typed. From then on the phone's camera is the scanner, and everything it reads lands in the same inbox. Details in Scanning.