QR Code to Import Settings Will Not Scan

[crdennett]

Checklist

• I have used the search function to see if someone else has already submitted the same bug report.
• I will describe the problem with as much detail as possible.

App

Thunderbird for Android

App version

8.0

Where did you get the app from?

Google Play

Android version

15

Device model

Pixel 8 Pro

Steps to reproduce

1. On desktop, export to mobile to get QR code screen
2. Open app on phone
3. Click on import settings on splash screen
4. Camera turns on
5. Aim camera at Q code on desktop screen
6. Nothing happens.

Expected behavior

At step 6 I would expect the camera to lock onto the QR code and either automatically import the settings or give me a button to do that.

Actual behavior

Nothing happens when the phone camera is aimed at the QR code. I tried the built in QR code scanner in the phone and it locks in right away. It gives me the option to copy the test embedded in the QR code but I can't use that in the app.

Logs

No response

[mnassAN]

Same behaviour on Andoid 14 - Galaxy A53 - OneUI 6.1 - App version 8 - Thunderbird-Desktop: 128.4.0esr (64-bit) manjaro-stable - With same behavior I mean when trying to scan the code with the Thunderbird-Android app as the original poster did ...

[kewisch]

The QR code embeds text only, so a third party app won't do anything special with it. You need to use Thunderbird for Android's account setup camera instead. Was there something about the explanation we could make more clear to users they can't use the a normal QR code scanner app?

Based on the devices you mention it doesn't sound like the camera is lacking, so I'm surprised there is no function. Are you using dark mode or a special color scheme?

[crdennett]

I didn't use the QR scanner app at first. As I noted I clicked the Import Settings button and it immediately turned on the camera. I pointed the camera at the QR code but it did not lock on nor was there any button to read the code. I just tried a QR scanner app to see if the QR code could be read by it. It was. I am not using dark mode. I did see some other bug report about that. I also tried varying the brightness of my monitor and also switched to a different monitor. Nothing worked, So, I simply configured it manually. Since I also have the K9 Mail app installed, it was easy to go through the process and get it working. I figure it's probably something with the phone itself.

[crdennett]

Well, I don't think it's the camera. Just went to a website where I generated a QR code for my website. Turned on the camera and pointed it at the code and it locked on and read the code,

[curzon01]

I can confirm the issue also using TB for Android 8.0 on a Motorola g84 (Android 14):

• Thunderbird for Android has permission to access the camera, can display the TB Desktop QR Code picture but cannot scan the TB (also any) QR code
  It doesn't matter on which of 3 different monitors I display the TB Desktop QR code, even using different monitor presets or desktop dark/light mode doesn't matter.
• The mobile camera app, on the other hand, does not have any problem with any of the QR Codes displayed on the same different monitors with same different settings (monitor presets, desktop dark or light), scans in and shows me the configuration text correctly.

Extracting the configuration text with the mobile camera app and re-encoding the QR codes (with my desktop app QtQR) with different settings including shortening the content (less complex QR code) does not lead to a different result: TB does not scan any of the codes while the mobile camera app has no problems scanning them.

I suspect the cause is somehow the Android api call to the camera, because

• another Android app (Authenticator) has the same behaviour like TB for Android (displays the QR Code but does not scan any QR code)
• while my bank app does not have the issue.

Edit: Add infos...

[Nionor]

Same problem here with Pixel 7 on Android 15

[nchevsky]

On a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra on OneUI 6.1 (Android 14), scanning only works if I export exactly one account without a password—the moment I add either (b) a password for that one account or (b) additional accounts (with or without passwords), scanning does nothing.

In other words, scanning succeeds with "small"/low-res QR codes and fails with "large"/high-res QR codes that contain more data.

[leubeem]

On a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra on OneUI 6.1 (Android 14), scanning only works if I export exactly one account without a password—the moment I add either (b) a password for that one account or (b) additional accounts (with or without passwords), scanning does nothing.

In other words, scanning succeeds with "small"/low-res QR codes and fails with "large"/high-res QR codes that contain more data.

Same here with Galaxy S23, OneUI 6.1 (Android 14) and 1.) Thunderbird Mobile Beta v8.0b5 and also 2.) Thunderbird Mobile v8.0

[jnzd]

I've had the same issue with Android 15 on a Google Pixel 8 and Thunderbird Desktop set to the default dark theme. I was able to scan all QR codes by changing the theme to light. This seems to be an issue with the QR scanner not working properly with different colors and/or contrast ratios (not that with the light theme it is black on white, but with the dark theme it is white on dark blue or grey).

[nchevsky]

(…) and Thunderbird Desktop set to the default dark theme. I was able to scan all QR codes by changing the theme to light.

Success at last! 🎉 Switching to the light theme alone wasn't enough for me, though; I had to also move my phone considerably farther away from the screen, so that more of the surroundings were in view. This is counterintuitive at best, as the scanner instructions say to "align the QR code"—implying one should get just the code, and nothing else, within the frame.

As an experiment, I then tried again from the same longer distance with the dark theme, and it still wouldn't work—so dark theme scanning is definitely broken (with large/high-res QR codes).

[mnassAN]

Can confirm, scanning far away from the display works for me. Light screen was set all the time for my tries.

[Nionor]

Switching to the light theme alone wasn't enough for me, though; I had to also move my phone considerably farther away from the screen, so that more of the surroundings were in view.

Worked for me too!

[curzon01]

In the meantime, I can confirm the experiences here, but it's very tricky.
Technically it works, but only works for me within a very narrow distance range.
Just wondering why the camera app has no problems at all with dark/light or the distances.

[SimonZoro02]

Switching to the light theme alone wasn't enough for me, though; I had to also move my phone considerably farther away from the screen, so that more of the surroundings were in view.

Worked for me too!

Same for me, it's quite bizarre but it worked!! :)

[batty-h]

It's not always the camera. Thunderbird for Android seems to have a problem with special Email-account-names. In my case, the QR-code-scan didn't work with an POP3-Gmail-Account I used in the "recent mode" ("recent:my name@gmail.com"). After deleting the "recent:" from the account-name and the server-settings on my desktop, the new QR-code became readable (the settings for 7 accounts were imported without any problems)

[umgpy]

I had the similar issue and had to follow a similarly step as mentioned above

I had to also move my phone considerably farther away from the screen, so that more of the surroundings were in view.

However, my code was not automatically detected, I just simply pressed Done and it grabbed the information. So it seems more of a detection issue than camera reading the QR.

[gitrazorhub]

Same issue for me on Android.

-Desktop TB version 128.4.1esr (64-bit) Ubuntu Mate.
-Android 14
-Pixel 5

After the step 'Select Import settings' the camera opens and a DONE button is shown but pressing it does nothing but move to the next page without any settings transferred.

[Christopher-Hayes]

Multiple accounts was the problem for me too. If I only import one account at a time, it works.

[haubourg]

Hi, I just did a screenshot and changed contrast settings in a photo editor software. QR code were read immediately. Just using a darker black color instead of this light gray will solve the problem. Is there any reason such a light gray is used when generating the QRcode image ?

[nielbock]

I have the same issue with that phone. QR code scanning has never been an issue before. Just this one. I only realizead that the QR Code is unsually complex.

I tried a few fixes reported here. None of them worked. I tried to scan the code simply with my smartphone camera and it was recognized immediately. Just not via the import functionality.

[nielbock]

I had the similar issue and had to follow a similarly step as mentioned above

I had to also move my phone considerably farther away from the screen, so that more of the surroundings were in view.

However, my code was not automatically detected, I just simply pressed Done and it grabbed the information. So it seems more of a detection issue than camera reading the QR.

That worked for me, too. Interesting.

[SKelem]

The TB app does not read the second QR code (2 of 2).

I was able to have the Android Thunderbird read the first QR code (3 accounts), but it was not able to read the second QR code.

I set my TB theme to Auto/Light, and that allowed me to read the first QR code.

TB app (version 8.1) on Android 14, Samsung Galaxy A53 5G.

[SzZ-gh]

The problem I had with 2 accounts was that the Authentication method was not specified under Server Settings. It was empty. Selecting the Password transmitted, insecurely option, QR code regeneration worked. (without this settings, it passed a NULL value in one of the properties, which is why QR reading did not work)

[manikandancode]

Yes not working. fix this. thanks