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BarcodeRecognize[image]

recognizes a barcode in image and returns it as a string.

BarcodeRecognize[image,"prop"]

returns the specified property of the barcode.

BarcodeRecognize[image,"prop",format]

recognizes barcodes of the specified format only.

BarcodeRecognize[video,…]

recognizes barcodes in frames of video.

Details
Details and Options Details and Options
Examples  
Basic Examples  
Scope  
Data  
Formats  
Properties  
Applications  
Properties & Relations  
Possible Issues  
Neat Examples  
See Also
Related Guides
Related Links
History
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BarcodeRecognize

BarcodeRecognize[image]

recognizes a barcode in image and returns it as a string.

BarcodeRecognize[image,"prop"]

returns the specified property of the barcode.

BarcodeRecognize[image,"prop",format]

recognizes barcodes of the specified format only.

BarcodeRecognize[video,…]

recognizes barcodes in frames of video.

Details

  • BarcodeRecognize works with arbitrary grayscale and multichannel images, operating on the intensity value of each pixel.
  • If multiple barcodes exist in the image, a list of decoded barcodes is returned.
  • The following properties "prop" are supported:
  • "Data"recognized barcode data
    "Format"recognized format for the barcode
    "BoundingBox"approximate bounding box for the barcode as a Rectangle
    "Orientation"orientation used for recognizing the barcode
    {prop1,prop2,…}a list of properties
  • To extract a list of available properties and their values use:
  • "Properties"the list of available properties
    "PropertyAssociation"an association of all properties and their values
  • With BarcodeRecognize[image,"prop",{format1,format2,…}], a list of formats to include in barcode recognition can be specified.
  • BarcodeRecognize works with different types of one- and two-dimensional barcodes.
  • The following 1D barcode formats can be used for format:
  • "UPC"UPC-A12 numerical digits
    "UPCE"UPC-E8 numerical digits
    "EAN8"EAN-88 numerical digits
    "EAN13"EAN-1313 numerical digits
    "Code39"Code 39up to 43 characters of uppercase letters, numeric digits, special characters -, ., $, /, +, %, and space
    "Code93"Code 93uppercase letters, numeric digits, special characters -, ., $, /, +, %, and space
    "Code128"Code 128up to 80 ASCII characters
    "ITF"ITFup to 80 numerical digits of an even length
    "Codabar"Codabarnumerical digits and special characters :, /, +, .
    "GS1"GS1 DataBar (or RSS)14 numerical digits
    "ExpandedGS1"GS1 Expanded and Expanded Stacked74 digits or 41 alphanumeric characters in a single row or up to 11 stacked rows (GS1 DataBar Expanded Stacked)
  • The following 2D barcode formats can be used for format:
  • "QR"QR variable-length ASCII characters
    "PDF417"PDF417variable-length ASCII characters
    "Aztec"Aztec codevariable-length ASCII characters
    "DataMatrix"Data Matrix codevariable-length ASCII characters
    "MaxiCode"MaxiCodeup to 93 ASCII characters
    "MicroQR"MicroQRvariable-length ASCII characters

Examples

open all close all

Basic Examples  (2)

Recognize a UPC-A barcode:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

Recognize a QR barcode:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

Scope  (23)

Data  (2)

Recognize barcode in an image:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

Recognize barcodes in frames of a video:

Wolfram Language code: ts = BarcodeRecognize[\!\(\*VideoBox["![Embedded Video Player](video://content-uxjhu)"]\)]
Wolfram Language code: DeleteDuplicates[Flatten@ts["Values"]]

Formats  (17)

Recognize a UPC barcode:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image], {"Data", "Format"}]

Recognize a UPC-E barcode:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

Recognize an EAN-8 barcode:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

Recognize an EAN-13 barcode:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

Recognize a Code 39 barcode:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

Recognize a Code 93 barcode:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

Recognize a Code 128 barcode:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

Recognize an ITF barcode:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

Recognize a Codabar barcode:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

Generate a GS1 barcode:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

Recognize a GS1 (Expanded) barcode:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

Recognize a QR barcode:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

Recognize a MicroQR barcode:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

Recognize a PDF417 barcode:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

Recognize an Aztec barcode:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

Recognize a Data Matrix barcode:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

Recognize a MaxiCode barcode:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

Properties  (4)

List all available properties:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image], "Properties"]

Extract all properties for a QR code:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image], "PropertyAssociation"]

Return the decoded barcode:

Wolfram Language code: i = [image];
Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[i]

Barcode format:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[i, "Format"]

Compute and visualize the bounding box:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[i, "BoundingBox"]
Wolfram Language code: HighlightImage[i, {"Boundary", %}]

Recognize bounding box of multiple barcodes:

Wolfram Language code: img = [image];
Wolfram Language code: bbox = BarcodeRecognize[img, "BoundingBox"]

Highlight barcode bounding boxes:

Wolfram Language code: HighlightImage[img, {"Boundary", bbox}]

Recognize and highlight bounding boxes only for QR and PDF417 formats:

Wolfram Language code: bbox2 = BarcodeRecognize[img, "BoundingBox", {"QR", "PDF417"}]
Wolfram Language code: HighlightImage[img, {"Boundary", bbox2}]

Get the format with the error correction level:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image], "Format"]

Applications  (4)

Read an ISBN from a scan of a book:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

ISBN is an EAN-13 barcode:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image], "Format"]

Use Hyperlink to get a link from a QR code:

Wolfram Language code: Hyperlink[BarcodeRecognize[[image]]]

Decode a QR code:

Wolfram Language code: i = [image]; BarcodeRecognize[i]

Highlight the bounding box of the QR code:

Wolfram Language code: HighlightImage[i, BarcodeRecognize[#, "BoundingBox"]&]

Recognize and annotate a recognized barcode:

Wolfram Language code: img = [image]; res = BarcodeRecognize[img, {"BoundingBox", "Data", "Format"}]
Wolfram Language code: Show[SetAlphaChannel[img, 0.4], Graphics[{EdgeForm[{Thick, Purple}], FaceForm[], #[[1]], Inset[Style[#[[2]] <> " " <> If[ListQ[#[[3]]], First[#[[3]]], #[[3]]], Bold, Purple, FontSize -> 16], RegionCentroid[#[[1]]]]}], ImageSize -> 300]&[res]

Properties & Relations  (4)

Recognize a noisy PDF417 code:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

Recognize a damaged QR code:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

Recognize a damaged UPC code:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]

Use BarcodeImage to generate a barcode image:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeImage["123456789", "QR"]
Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[%]

Possible Issues  (1)

Book ISBNs typically have a price barcode that may be recognized with the main code:

Wolfram Language code: i = [image];
Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[i]

Computed bounding box may not be accurate:

Wolfram Language code: HighlightImage[i, {"Boundary", BarcodeRecognize[i, "BoundingBox"]}]

Neat Examples  (2)

Recognize and speak the text stored in a barcode:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]//Speak

Recognize and evaluate an expression:

Wolfram Language code: BarcodeRecognize[[image]]
Wolfram Language code: ToExpression[%]
Wolfram Research (2014), BarcodeRecognize, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/BarcodeRecognize.html (updated 2025).

Text

Wolfram Research (2014), BarcodeRecognize, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/BarcodeRecognize.html (updated 2025).

CMS

Wolfram Language. 2014. "BarcodeRecognize." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2025. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/BarcodeRecognize.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (2014). BarcodeRecognize. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/BarcodeRecognize.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_barcoderecognize, author="Wolfram Research", title="{BarcodeRecognize}", year="2025", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/BarcodeRecognize.html}", note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_barcoderecognize, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={BarcodeRecognize}, year={2025}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/BarcodeRecognize.html}, note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}