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Data Encryption With Quick Response (QR) Codes in Android

Data Encryption With Quick Response (QR) Codes in Android

Quick response (QR) codes are a type of barcode, or scannable series, that can store a range of data, including web links, credit card info, contact information, and even freebies. QR codes are used to encode information in a format that only machines can understand. <!--more--> In this tutorial, we will learn how to generate QR codes to store simple text format data in an Android application.

Why use Quick Response Codes?

QR codes have the following advantages:

  1. They are not subject to the same security risks as traditional barcodes.
  2. QR codes hold large amounts of data; over 2500 characters.
  3. They minimize processing errors since they are difficult to tamper with.
  4. Unlike the traditional barcode, QR codes stores data in 2D (both vertically and horizontally).

Prerequisites

To follow along with this tutorial, you'll need to be conversant with:

Creating an Android project

Run Android Studio and build a new Empty Activity project named QR Code.

New Android project

Setting up the project

Before we get into coding, let's first enrich our project in the following ways.

Add camera permission

Android OS prohibits the use of the camera without authorization. Since we'll need it when scanning a QR code, add the following permission in the manifest file.

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="com.demo.qrcode">

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA" />

</manifest>

Add required dependencies and repositories

ZXing Library

ZXing (an acronym for "Zebra Crossing") is an open-source, multi-format 1D/2D barcode image processing tool built with Java and is compatible with other programming languages.

implementation 'com.google.zxing:core:3.4.0'
implementation 'com.journeyapps:zxing-android-embedded:4.1.0'

Budiyev Code Scanner

This library offers an easy-to-use API that has a ready-made code scanner with additional control buttons.

implementation 'com.github.yuriy-budiyev:code-scanner:2.1.0'

JitPack repository

Due to jcenter() deprecation, Budiyev code scanner developers recommend using jitpack.io repository as they plan to migrate to mavenCentral().

// in the top-level build.gradle file
repositories {
    ...

    maven { url 'https://jitpack.io' }
}

ViewBinding

Easily access views in the UI in a safer way.

android{
    ...

     buildFeatures{
        viewBinding true
    }
}

System requirements

ZXing creators recommend using Android API-24 as the minimum SDK version. Otherwise, the app won't compile.

android {
    ...

    defaultConfig {
        ...

        minSdk 24

    }
}

Data encoding/encryption

To illustrate how QR code decoding works, we are going to create one activity named GenerateQR and its corresponding XML layout file named activity_generate_qr. You can also rename the default MainActivity.kt and its XML file.

activity_generate_qr.xml 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:padding="16dp">

    <com.google.android.material.textfield.TextInputLayout
        android:id="@+id/textInputLayout"
        style="@style/Widget.MaterialComponents.TextInputLayout.OutlinedBox"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginVertical="50dp"
        app:counterEnabled="true"
        app:counterMaxLength="50"
        app:helperText="Enter text to be encoded"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent">

        <com.google.android.material.textfield.TextInputEditText
            android:id="@+id/inputText"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:hint="Type something"
            tools:text="Hello Android" />
    </com.google.android.material.textfield.TextInputLayout>

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/btnGenerateQRCode"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginVertical="16dp"
        android:text="Generate"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="@+id/textInputLayout"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="@+id/textInputLayout"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/textInputLayout" />

    <ImageView
        android:id="@+id/ivOutput"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="0dp"
        android:layout_marginVertical="16dp"
        android:adjustViewBounds="true"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toTopOf="@+id/btnScan"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/btnGenerateQRCode"
        tools:src="@tools:sample/avatars" />

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/btnScan"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Scan"
        app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent" />
</androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>

In the code above, we have created a text input field, two buttons, and an ImageView that will display the QR code once it is generated.

Preview:

Generate QR Code preview image

GenerateQR.kt

This is where the logic to generate a QR code is applied. This class aims to encode the input (text) into a BitMap and display it in the ImageView.

Set click listener using ViewBinding

private var _genQRBinding: ActivityGenerateQrBinding? = null
private val genQRBinding get() = _genQRBinding!!

override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
    _genQRBinding = ActivityGenerateQrBinding.inflate(layoutInflater)
    setContentView(genQRBinding.root)

    // Handle button clicks
    genQRBinding.btnGenerateQRCode.setOnClickListener {
        val input = genQRBinding.inputText.text!!.toString().trim()
        genQRBinding.ivOutput.setImageBitmap(generateQRCode(input))
    }

    genQRBinding.btnScan.setOnClickListener {
        // This activity will be created later
        startActivity(Intent(this, ScanQR::class.java))
    }
}

Generate QR code

private fun generateQRCode(inputText: String?): Bitmap? {
    val writer = MultiFormatWriter()
    var bitmap: Bitmap? = null

    if (!inputText.isNullOrEmpty()) {
        try {
            // init bit matrix
            val matrix = writer.encode(inputText, BarcodeFormat.QR_CODE, 350, 350)
            // init barcode encoder
            val encoder = BarcodeEncoder()
            // generate bitmap
            bitmap = encoder.createBitmap(matrix)
        } catch (e: WriterException) {
            // log error here
            Log.e("GENERATE QR CODE ACTIVITY", e.toString())
        }
    } else {
        genQRBinding.textInputLayout.error = "* required"
    }
    return bitmap
}

Explanation:

In the code above, we have captured the text entered by the user and encoded it into a square BitMap.

If the input is not empty, the function returns a BitMap, otherwise it returns null and an error message is displayed in the textField.

In case an error occurs during the encoding process, the exception is displayed on the logcat for easy debugging.

Data matrix - A matrix is a two-dimensional code made up of black and white cells organized in a square arrangement (rectangular ones also exist). The number of columns and rows grows in proportion to the quantity of data stored in the code.

The matrix is converted into a BitMap using the encoder provided by ZXing.

Upon running the app, you should see something similar to this:

QR Code example

That's all about generating QR codes from texts (Strings).

Data decoding/decryption

Moving on, let's look at how we can scan an already existing QR Code. This is the reverse of encoding.

NOTE: You can scan any QR code including the ones generated by other systems. The decoding algorithm will always produce the same result.

Create one more activity named ScanQR, and its corresponding XML layout file named activity_scan_qr.

activity_scan_qr.xml 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent">

    <com.budiyev.android.codescanner.CodeScannerView
        android:id="@+id/codeScannerView"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        app:autoFocusButtonColor="@android:color/white"
        app:autoFocusButtonVisible="true"
        app:flashButtonColor="@android:color/white"
        app:flashButtonVisible="true"
        app:frameAspectRatioHeight="1"
        app:frameAspectRatioWidth="1"
        app:frameColor="@android:color/white"
        app:frameCornersRadius="8dp"
        app:frameCornersSize="60dp"
        app:frameSize="0.75"
        app:frameThickness="2dp"
        app:maskColor="#75000000" />

</androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>

The above code generates a code scanner used to capture a picture when correctly aligned with the frame. This code scanner provides two action buttons; the focus button and the flashlight button.

The two can be enabled by altering the respective values in the attributes or using the scanner properties.

preview:

Code Scanner preview

ScanQR.kt file

Unlike when generating a QR code, scanning involves several stages discussed below.

i) Set up ViewBinding and CodeScanner

Inflate the UI and define code scanner variable.

private lateinit var scanBinding: ActivityScanQrBinding
private var codeScanner: CodeScanner? = null

override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
    scanBinding = ActivityScanQrBinding.inflate(layoutInflater)
    setContentView(scanBinding.root)

    checkPermissions()
}

ii) Check permissions

As mentioned earlier, we need to request permission from the system to use the camera.

private fun checkPermissions() {
    if (ContextCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, android.Manifest.permission.CAMERA) ==
        PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED
    ) {
        initiateScan()
    } else {
        // request for Camera permission
        ActivityCompat.requestPermissions(this, arrayOf(android.Manifest.permission.CAMERA), 1)
    }
}

iii) Handle permission callback

This is called immediately the permission dialog is dismissed. If the user grants the requested permission, the scanner is activated, otherwise, it stays inactive.

override fun onRequestPermissionsResult(
    requestCode: Int,
    permissions: Array<out String>,
    grantResults: IntArray
) {
    super.onRequestPermissionsResult(requestCode, permissions, grantResults)
    if (requestCode == 1) {
        if (grantResults[0] == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
            Toast.makeText(this, "Permission granted", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show()
            initiateScan()
        } else {
            Toast.makeText(this, "Permission denied", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show()
        }
    }
}

iv) Initialize a scan process

Assign scanner

This involves instantiating the CodeScanner class by passing the context and the code scanner view. This object is used all through the scanning process and each process has a new object except when the app is not fully killed.

val scannerView = scanBinding.codeScannerView
codeScanner = CodeScanner(this, scannerView)

Default scanner values

The following are the default values that the code scanner takes. You can use the dot (.) notation to see the available options/values.

codeScanner?.camera = CodeScanner.CAMERA_BACK
codeScanner?.formats = CodeScanner.ALL_FORMATS

codeScanner?.apply {
    isAutoFocusEnabled = true
    isFlashEnabled = false
    autoFocusMode = AutoFocusMode.SAFE
    scanMode = ScanMode.SINGLE
}

Decode callback (results)

The following code is called after a code is captured. Note that to capture a QR code successfully, it must be aligned in the scanner flame.

💡 TIP: The orientation does not matter 😎

codeScanner!!.decodeCallback = DecodeCallback {
    runOnUiThread {
        Snackbar.make(scannerView, "Scan result: ${it.text}", 5000).show()
    }
}

The result is displayed in a Snackbar that lasts for five seconds. Likewise, you can handle the result in your desired approach.

Handle decryption error(s)

codeScanner?.errorCallback = ErrorCallback {
    runOnUiThread {
        Toast.makeText(
            this, "Camera initialization error: ${it.message}",
            Toast.LENGTH_LONG
        ).show()
    }
}

This runs whenever an error occurs when decoding. In most cases, if the QR code is not decode-able, the scanner tends to ignore it. This way, you'll rarely get exceptions.

Restart scan when the scanner is tapped

scannerView.setOnClickListener {
    codeScanner!!.startPreview()
}

Combine the sections above into one function 

private fun initiateScan() {
    val scannerView = scanBinding.codeScannerView
    codeScanner = CodeScanner(this, scannerView)

    // The default values
    codeScanner?.camera = CodeScanner.CAMERA_BACK
    codeScanner?.formats = CodeScanner.ALL_FORMATS

    codeScanner?.apply {
        isAutoFocusEnabled = true
        isFlashEnabled = false
        autoFocusMode = AutoFocusMode.SAFE
        scanMode = ScanMode.SINGLE
    }

    // Decode Callback (Results)
    codeScanner!!.decodeCallback = DecodeCallback {
        runOnUiThread {
            Snackbar.make(scannerView, "Scan result: ${it.text}", 5000).show()
        }
    }
    // Error CallBack
    codeScanner?.errorCallback = ErrorCallback {
        runOnUiThread {
            Toast.makeText(
                this, "Camera initialization error: ${it.message}",
                Toast.LENGTH_LONG
            ).show()
        }
    }

    scannerView.setOnClickListener {
        codeScanner!!.startPreview()
    }
}

Handle Android lifecycle callbacks 

// When the app resumes
override fun onResume() {
    super.onResume()
    codeScanner?.startPreview()
}

// just before the app is paused
override fun onPause() {
    codeScanner?.releaseResources()
    super.onPause()
}

Run the app

Upon running the app, navigate to ScanQR activity and you should expect to see a QR code scanner similar to the one below:

Scan QR Code

Scan QR Code

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we've covered the fundamentals of how to encode data using quick response (QR) codes in an Android app. We've also learned how to use a CodeScanner to scan/decode QR codes.

The knowledge gained in this tutorial can be applied to other scenarios where QR codes are applicable.

The source code for the project in this tutorial can be found in this GitHub repository.

Happy coding!

Peer Review Contributions by: Eric Gacoki

Published on: Sep 15, 2021
Updated on: Jul 15, 2024
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