Unable to scan barcode

[DeannaMaybe]

I am unable to scan barcodes with my Android App. It is always saying "Looking for Barcode" and "Still Looking"

Using Nexus 5x, Android 6.0.1

Fitbit App version 2.22

[JuanJoFitbit]

@DeannaMaybe A warm welcome to our Fitbit Community! So sorry to hear that your Fitbit app is not scanning barcodes. I recommend logging out of the app, turn off your Nexus and turn it back on. Once this has been done, open the app and try scanning another barcode for testing.

Keep me posted on the outcome my friend and I'll be around! 

[DeannaMaybe]

Thanks. Tried that, still unsuccessful.

Read in some other places that if it isn't the US Food Database it won't scan? I assume that is my issue, perhaps.

[MeylinP · Accepted solution]

Hey there @DeannaMaybe thanks for the update my friend! Yeah...please know that if you're using international food databases, the barcode scanning option is currently not available. For the time being, barcode scanning is only available for the US food database. Here are some tips for scanning food:

1. Ensure that your item's entire barcode is within the scanning area. 
2. If an item doesn't scan, tap the X to exit the scanner and then search for the food. If the food item doesn't appear, create a custom food by tapping Custom and then Add Custom Food. 

Have a great week! 

[JM6]

I just got a Nexus 5x with Android 6.0.1 and am having the same problem... barcodes were not being recognized.  After a bit of trial and error, I found that if I rotate the phone so it is perpendicular to the barcode, it scans correctly every time.  Very strange.  But at least it works.  I would be interested to hear if that works for anyone else.

[JuanJoFitbit]

@JM6 Thanks for joining us in this thread! Seems weird that you need to rotate your phone in order to scan a food. Make sure to follow the details that Meylin mentioned above. If the issue persists, try logging out of the app, turn off your phone and turn it back on. Once this has been done, open the app, log in and try to scan the barcode of a food again and check the behavior of the feature.

Let me know how it goes my friend! 

[khunPho]

got to try that , atmi just fill in what i asume is the same but its not correct

[hstn747]

Same phone; same problem; same solution. Thanks for the tip @JM6 - just rotate the phone 90degrees and scanner works instantly.

[Telkien]

Same here. Android 7.0 . I see this being marked as solved but it's obviously a bug. If we need to rotate to scan it's an issue. And please let's stop with the 3rd world tech support approach i.e. stop the app, turn your phone on and off. This issue is wide spread and pretty easy to reproduce.

[BubbaT]

Meylin I'm having the same issue.  It seams to have started since the app update.  I'm on the UK database.

Moderator edit: format

[Telkien]

This is still an issue and the only workaround is the one discovered above (scanning by flipping the phone 90%) so barcode and the box are perpendicular.

I don't understand why this is marked solved and abviously the forum "moderators" here did not put this ticket in.  Does anyone know a channel through which we can submit a bug to the team?

[pushkar1994]

Is the company looking forward to make the Database available for international Barcode? Do the food items having barcode in Australia accepted in the app?

If not, I know myfitnesspal app can scan the local food items with its barcode. So, is there any way of linking the two app. I can link the exercise, but the calories burnt in the fitbit app is not recorded in myfitness and the food scanned in myfitnesspal is recorded in fitbit. 

However, the step count is synced in both the apps.

[waboz]

Thanks so much! I also have a 5x and was getting really frustrated, but turning the phone works very quickly. It is strange, but not unreaasonable. The moderators response though are quite annoying. Multiple people have had the same problem and obviously turning off and on the phone isn't helping...

[LanuzaFitbit]

Hello everyone! 

@Telkien's workaround seems like a very good way to get the scan to work correctly. 

As for adding barcode support for other countries, we do have this suggestion post that you could vote for or comment on to show your support. 

Hope to see you all around.

[Timboh]

When do you intend to create a multinational database of foods and barcodes?

[khunPho]

i use the UK as a base, i add my own like duvel and it seems to be in the
base need to add once only
actually it's more correct as you know exactly what you put in it 🙂 i
hope others can use my add ons too.
that would be the solution. try duvel if you find it it's mine and correct
let me know 🙂

[LanuzaFitbit]

Hey @khunPho! Welcome to the Fitbit Forums @Timboh.

@khunPho That is certainly a good way to go about it, Thanks for sharing that!

@Timboh At this exact moment we do not have any details on the matter that I could share. Having said that, I'd definitely encourage you to visit the suggestion I mentioned above.

Let me know if there are any further questions

[kevinmcintyre09]

In the UK, and I would suggest this looks like the app is broken when you get to this point, and would be true for all non-USA versions.

The flow is:

• I have an icon to scan the barcode
• I scan the barcode
• I get the message 'Not found. Want to help out?' But I cannot help out, or am not informed that this is not supported in my region.
• It looks like the app is broken, as you cannot help out, and there are no options to go further.

At best this is a tease for non-USA users, at worst it looks like a bug. As you know which database I am using, why not hide the barcode scanning icon, or very simply when I try and scan, and fail, and I am an international database, just change the text to say this feature is not supported outside the USA. Surely changing some text can be done?

[ErickFitbit]

@kevinmcintyre09 Thanks for the feedback! I've made sure to pass it along to our Android team. I will update you if I hear of any changes in the future.

[DobbyDoris]

UK - I have just bought my first Fitbit, previously I had a Jawbone. I am amazed to find that not only can I not scan bar codes, but when adding manually (very tiresome and time consuming), it won't let me use a point for 0.5!!! I came onto this forum today thinking I'm missing a trick, but no, it's not useable and when manual, not accurate. I will be contacting Fitbit to ask for some money back to cover the cost of this nonexistent feature and time for adding manually sub par data. So disappointed. Thinking of going back to Jawbone, at least it all worked...I only didn't because they don't appear to be updating their app any more and may be stopping fitness trackers - shame!

Moderator edit: format