I have just discovered a problem with scanning using an iPhone. I know that with Enketo it is not possible to scan the actual code; however, I have previously been able to scan the human-readable part of a barcode or QR code. I have just opened all of my old forms where scanning a code is required, and now even the option to scan the human readable is not available. Instructions in my form say “Tap the box below; tap again; tap the icon to the right; scan the code by using the camera window that opens up at the bottom of the screen.” So it wasn’t straightforward, but it was possible. Now I only get the option to Paste or to Autofill from contacts, password app, or credit card! this is not very useful - and I still have some of these forms deployed and enumerators are still collecting information via the Enketo versions of the forms.
Has something changed in the coding with Enketo, that has disabled this entirely? Please advise, so I know how to proceed with ongoing projects and well as with new ones.
Just to be clear, you are - or were - running Enketo on what sort of devices when it was allowing you do do OCR on the barcode text? iOS (if so what iOS version) and/or Android (again, what OS version)?
Correct - I have been running Enketo on an iPhone (13 mini). I deployed the first forms in 2024, and was able to scan the human-readable part of a code (barcode or QR code). I don’t unfortunately know the version of IOS where this worked, or when it stopped working. My current IOS version is 26.4.2, and I cannot even scan the human readable text. I have just noticed there is an update to IOS 26.5 - I have updated as I type. The problem has not resolved itself. I have tried using Safari, Edge, Chrome and DuckDuckGo as browsers.
I came across this issue when a colleague (in Spain) developing a simple form asked me in a meeting yesterday how I managed to scan codes using an iPhone, as he was unable to do so. He tried using several different browsers on his iPhone - I don’t know model or IOS. That prompted me to check all the forms on my phone, and that was how I discovered that I was now unable to do so as well.
Another colleague (same meeting yesterday) using an Android (again, sorry, unknown make or OS version; he’s in Poland) was able to use the Enketo form and scan but ONLY with his Android native browser - he was unable to scan if he used Chrome or Safari.
Thanks for the additional info. On the surface it sounds a bit like something may have changed wrt iOS permitting/enabling/affecting browsers’ ability to use the onboard camera to perform OCR. AFAIK we haven’t done anything in Enketo itself to explicitly disable or interfere with such functionality.
I’ll look into it and let you know what I can find. But it is probably not a quick fix [if at all, given Apple’s stranglehold on what iOS browsers can/not do… ]
Many thanks. I have also asked one of the field data collectors who uses an iPhone what she did on Monday - she was supposed to scan in 2 kinds of codes. I asked yesterday & haven’t yet had a response. Unfortunately, I am also aware that some iPhone (Enketo) users have a habit of typing in codes (we have tried to keep them short & simple - e.g., Trap 111) rather than scanning them….leaving us with other errors to fix down the track! Life is never straightforward!!
Well, thanks to my field person, I have a solution. If I select Autofill, I have to scroll down below the 1st 3 options (contacts, password app, or credit card), and hidden below is the option to Scan Text. Select this, and the camera opens up, allowing me to scan text; hence, I can now scan the human readable at the bottom of the QR or barcode. It just seems that Apple have changed their system, as @Xiphware suspected.
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