Bing Vision, built into Windows Phone from the beginning, was a serviceable QR and barcode scanner, but no more than that. Moreover many code types weren't handled, you had no idea where the link was taking you and with Cortana taking over the WP search control, you now have to jump through hoops to even get to Bing Vision. Step forwards a third party replacement on steroids. I've been really impressed by QR Scanner+, which should be part of every Windows Phone fan's inventory going forwards.

From the Store description, some of the main features are:

• Continuous scanning, with touch override
• Focus light (individually adjustable for touch and camera button)
• Scan area Limitation
• QR code Reader (from images)
• Neat catalogue with filters, for saved scan results

And QR Scanner+ can recognise:

• Calendar event (vEvent)
• Contact (vCard, meCard, bizCard)
• eMail address and eMail message
• GeoLocation (Nokia Here apps integration)
• Link (differentiation: WPstore, YouTube, Amazon, ...)
• Phone number
• SMS
• Text
• WiFi

Plus, in horizontal (landscape) mode, the ability to scan 2D product barcodes, something which works very well, as you'll see below.

Scanning its own QR code! QR Scanner+'s party piece is that it tries to show you what the code being scanned is. In this case a Windows Phone application in the Store; (right) the trial version is fully working, but you do get this nag screen inserted in the workflow - a nice way to keep nudging the users to buy without stopping the primary function.

Again demoing QR Scanner+'s main trick - previewing where a code will lead - in this case to a web site - both HTML-fetched title and URL are clearly shown; (right) experimenting with a 2D barcode (the phone actually in landscape/horizontal mode here) - the standard EAN is shown, but no more than this.

Tapping through searches the web (in Bing) for matches for that EAN, in this case bringing up the correct product, albeit on a German shopping site!

Trying again with a commercial PC game - nailed again, with multiple matches for following up etc.

QR Scanner+ is developing apace, with version 2.0 being demonstrated above. As items/codes are scanned, you can save any into a 'Catalog', for re-use later on. A terrific tool that's earned its place on the Start screen of my WP 8.1 Update 1 (i.e. Cortana-ed!) Lumia 1520.

Grab it here in the Windows Phone Store.

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PS. Supported 2D code formats include:

• AZTEC CODE
• DATA MATRIX
• QR CODE

Supported bar code formats include:

• CODABAR
• CODE_128
• CODE_39
• CODE_93
• EAN_13
• EAN_8
• ITF
• MSI
• PDF_417
• PLESSEY
• RSS_14
• RSS_EXPANDED
• UPC_A
• UPC_E
• UPC_EAN_EXTENSION