Scanning Mode API
Fine-tune the camera scanning behavior of the QR and barcode scanner in WebViewGold for iOS.
If your web app presents information on the screen to be scanned (for example, a QR code), it can be helpful to turn the screen brightness up to 100% and to prevent the screen from sleeping. WebViewGold provides the Scanning Mode API to dynamically enable these optimal scanning conditions.
This API includes 3 commands:
- "auto" = turns on scanning mode and automatically turns it off on page redirect.
- "on" = turns on scanning mode, stays on after page redirects.
- "off" = turns off scanning mode.
Link to these kinds of URLs to use the Scanning Mode API:
<a href="scanningmode://auto">Enable Scanning Mode; will automatically disable on page redirect</a>
<a href="scanningmode://on">Enable Scanning Mode; will persist until manually disabled</a>
<a href="scanningmode://off">Disable Scanning Mode</a>
SDK-style implementation notes
Treat this feature as a native capability exposed to your web layer: keep your production website or PWA as the source of truth, then use the documented WebViewGold configuration flags, URL commands, and JavaScript bridge calls to opt in to native iOS behavior only where it adds value. This approach keeps your codebase maintainable because the same web application can serve browsers, WebViewGold for iOS, and the other WebViewGold platforms with minimal conditional logic.
For reliable results, prefer HTTPS endpoints, stable route names, explicit success/error states in your UI, and small JavaScript helper functions that wrap native calls. For example, a web app built with jQuery Mobile, Lovable, Base44, Bolt, WordPress, Bubble, a custom React/Vue/Angular stack, or static HTML can expose a single button or event handler that triggers the native WebViewGold API while still showing a graceful browser fallback.
- Recommended integration pattern: detect the app context, call the WebViewGold API, then update your web UI after the native callback or route change.
- Testing checklist: validate the feature on a real device or packaged build, verify permissions and store review text, and confirm that browser-only users still receive a useful fallback.
- SEO benefit: keep feature pages, route titles, and structured content indexable on your website while WebViewGold delivers the native app shell for iOS users.