It seems that Apple has started looking at India from a completely different perspective. With iOS 15, the company has introduced an India-exclusive feature that will simplify UPI payment flow for iPhone users. Apple now lets you scan UPI QR codes from the Camera app on your iPhone running iOS 15 and select up to 10 of your most recently used UPI apps for merchant payments. Well, if you’ve upgraded your iPhone to iOS 15 and want to learn how to use this new feature, we’ve got you covered. Let me teach you how to use the Camera app to scan UPI QR codes and make payments on iOS 15 in India.
Scan UPI QR Code Using iPhone Camera App in iOS 15 (2021)
It’s worth noting that Apple recently updated the iOS 15 features page to highlight this feature. Users can now select their most recently used UPI payment app inside the camera app while scanning the UPI QR code to complete the payment. So, if you are running the beta version of iOS 15, you will not get access to this feature. If you haven’t updated your device yet, go to Settings -> General -> Software Update and then download and install the official version of iOS 15. Once that is done, follow the steps below to use this nifty feature.
How to Scan UPI QR Code Using the iPhone Camera App on iOS 15
Before we look at the steps, make sure you have set up the UPI payment app that you frequently use on your device. Also, make sure that the Scan QR code toggle is enabled in the camera settings. These are the pre-requisites for using UPI payment through the Camera app feature in iOS 15.
- On your, iPhone goes to Settings -> Camera, and make sure the toggle next to Scan QR Code is on (green).
- Now, launch the Camera app on your iPhone.
- Next, point the camera at the UPI QR code you want to scan. When the camera app recognizes the QR code, your most recently used UPI payments app will appear in the viewfinder. Now, tap on the app link to proceed.
- after that, you will see a pop-up saying, “Want to open camera [UPI payment app name].” Tap on Open to continue. After that, go through the usual process to make the payment. For example, you need to enter the amount, add a message, and hit send to enter the UPI PIN and authorize the transaction.
Access Recently Used UPI Payment Apps in iOS 15 Camera App
- If you want to use another UPI payment app instead of the UPI payment app suggested by the camera app, tap on the QR code scanner icon in the lower right corner of the viewfinder. Now, a context menu with a list of all your recently used UPI payment apps will pop up.
- Next, select your preferred app from the list. Again, if you are using a specific UPI payment app for the first time from the Camera app, it will ask for your permission to open the app. After that, you can go through the usual process to pay the merchant securely. This is as straightforward as it can ever get!
While I’m pleased with this new India-exclusive feature in iOS 15, I think the user experience could be better. At first, it took me 10 to 15 minutes to figure out how to access all recently used UPI apps instead of all UPI apps suggested by the camera app. Second, the context menu doesn’t show all 10 recently used UPI payments apps, as claimed by Apple.
In my case, the context menu only showed 7 apps at a time. It would have been better if a pull-up tab or an iMessage-like bar above the camera options. This way, you can access all the recently used UPI apps and select your favorite app by swiping left/right.
UPI Apps That Support iPhone Camera QR Code Scanning Feature
Even though this is a new iOS 15 feature, most UPI payment apps support the UPI QR code scanning functionality through the iPhone camera. So, no matter which payment app you use, there are high chances that you will not run into any incompatibility issues. Here is a list of all the UPI payment apps (we tested most of them) that support the QR code scanning feature of iOS 15 in India.
- Phonepe
- Google pay
- Amazon pay
- Jio Pay
- BHIM (must also support all bank-specific BHIM apps)
- Paytm
- freecharge
- WhatsApp Payment
- MobiKwik
- Payzap
- Airtel UPI Pay
We have compiled a comprehensive roundup of the best UPI payment apps. So if you want to know more about these apps and know some handy tips and tricks, then visit the linked article.
Use iPhone Camera App to Scan UPI QR Code in India
So this is how you can use your iPhone camera to scan the UPI QR code while buying food or groceries at the local farmers market in India. Now, you don’t need to jump through many hoops to scan the QR code and complete the payments. Also, it’s great to see Apple syncing up with India’s popular UPI framework. The company has also recently added UPI, Rupay card, and net banking as supported payment methods on the App Store. So yes, you can use your iPhone to make UPI payments quickly in the future.
Also Read: What is Microsoft Azure And How Does it Work