Android users could soon see an update coming that would allow them to scan QR codes from across the room, as Google are working on a new code scanner to automatically detect a QR code in the camera frame, zoom in, and read it.

So far, it’s not headed to devices, but is in the latest APIs Google are making available to developers.

The code-scanner API was updated with the ability working in Google’s QR Code Scanner system app, along with being implemented into other apps.

If the API is implemented by developers, users won’t need to grant camera permissions, leveraging Google’s on device machine learning, only outputting a Barcode object to the app, in an effort to maintain user privacy.

Android expert Mishaal Rahman, claimed the new auto zoom function is available in the bundled ML Kit Barcode Scanning API library version 17.2.0 (along with unbundled version 18.3.0), built into apps and included in version 16.1.0 of the code scanner alone.

He said it was possible the feature could become part of devices running Android 13 or later, and may already start rolling out through GMS, which is licensed by Google to select manufacturers.

Some are wondering how effective the feature will be, and whether it will appear on more devices, not just Google’s Pixels, if it does broadly arrive.