I Got Tired of Lame QR Scanners, So I Built My Own for Brave 🦁

Anik — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 21:53:19 +0000

I have been using Brave as my primary browser for the past few years. Honestly, I cant go back. The ad-less experience, the speed, the privacy, it just clicks.
But there was always this one tiny thing that bugged me.

Brave didn't have a proper, good-looking QR scanner extension. I searched the store, tried a few and walked away disappointed. Most of the QR scanner extensions out there are either clunky, filled with trackers or just have a terrible UI that looks like it hasn't been updated since 2010.

And sure, I know the workaround. If I really need to scan a code, I could just copy the link and open Chrome, because Chrome has Google Lens built-in. But honestly? Using an entire AI-powered lens just to scan a plain QR code feels like using a flamethrower to light a candle. It's overkill. Plus, I am lazy enough that switching browsers for a simple scan feels like too much effort.

So, I did what any developer with a bit of frustration would do: I coded my own solution.

Introducing 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐐𝐑, a blazing-fast, privacy-first extension built specifically for the Brave ecosystem. I wanted it to feel like it belonged there.

I focused on three things:
𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐔𝐈/𝐔𝐗: I went with a sleek Glassmorphism design. It looks modern, clean and gets out of your way.
𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: It’s not just a camera scanner. It has a Full-page Deep Scan feature that can scan QR codes from images or canvas elements on your screen.
𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐲: Because it's Brave, it had to be private. Everything is 100% local. No data leakage, no servers, no tracking.

If you are a Brave user who has faced the same struggle, or just a dev who loves clean code, check it out.

Found a bug? Don't suffer in silence, raise an issue on GitHub.
Want a feature? Got an idea to make it even better? Open a ticket and let's build it together.
It's open source and I’d love to collaborate. 𝐏𝐑𝐬 are more than welcome! 👇

🔗 𝐆𝐢𝐭𝐇𝐮𝐛: https://lnkd.in/gyg2etT7

DEV Community: Anik

I Got Tired of Lame QR Scanners, So I Built My Own for Brave 🦁