QRNative

A native macOS QR utility for generating, recognizing, and keeping local QR history.

QRNative turns text, clipboard content, selected text, screenshots, and image files into a fast local QR workflow. It is built with SwiftUI, AppKit, Core Image, Vision, and JSON persistence; normal use does not require network access.

• Generate QR codes from typed text or clipboard text, with live preview and L/M/Q/H correction levels.
• Copy QR images, copy payload text, open URL payloads, and export crisp PNG files.
• Keep searchable local history, load previous entries, copy them, or delete them.
• Recognize QR codes from image files, dragged images, clipboard images, selected images, and screen regions.
• Handle multiple recognized QR codes in one image, then copy, open, or regenerate from the decoded payload.
• Use app shortcuts, configurable global shortcuts, and macOS Services for selected text and selected image workflows.

Grab the latest QRNative-macOS.dmg (or .zip) from the Releases page, open the DMG, and drag QRNative.app into /Applications.

The release build is ad-hoc signed but not notarized (no paid Apple Developer account), so the first launch is gated by Gatekeeper. This is a one-time step:

• System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down, and click Open Anyway next to QRNative, or

• run once in Terminal:

  xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/QRNative.app

If macOS reports the app as "damaged", you are on an older build that predates the sealed-signature fix — re-download the latest release.

• macOS 13 (Ventura) or newer — universal binary (Apple Silicon & Intel)
• Xcode command line tools
• Swift 6

swift build
swift test
swift run QRNative

Convenience targets are also available:

make test
make app
make release

Global shortcut registration is best effort. If macOS blocks clipboard registration, the app menu shortcut still works. Selected text can also use the macOS Service flow.

QRNative includes two Services in the app bundle:

• QRNative: Generate QR from Selected Text
• QRNative: Recognize QR in Selected Image

After installing and launching the app, enable them in:

System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Services

The QRNative > Settings... > Selection pane includes the same setup path and a button to open the relevant System Settings page.

Use QRNative > Settings... to configure default correction level, live preview, history saving policy, shortcut behavior, Services history, and local data management.

History is stored as JSON at:

~/Library/Application Support/QRNative/history.json

./scripts/build-app.sh
open .build/QRNative.app

./scripts/build-app.sh release
./scripts/build-dmg.sh
open .build/QRNative-macOS.dmg

The app bundle includes Resources/QRNative.icns. The DMG contains QRNative.app and an /Applications shortcut for drag-and-drop installation.

• Sources/QRNativeCore: QR generation, recognition, clipboard, models, and history services.
• Sources/QRNative: SwiftUI app, AppKit integration, settings, shortcuts, and Services.
• Tests/QRNativeCoreTests: Swift Testing coverage for core behavior.
• Assets/Brand: logo source and README image.
• Resources: app metadata and icon.
• docs: architecture, release, branding, and TODO notes.

• Logo source: Assets/Brand/qrnative-logo-source.png
• README logo: Assets/Brand/qrnative-logo.png
• App icon: Resources/QRNative.icns
• Brand guide: docs/BRANDING.md

Regenerate derived brand assets with:

./scripts/generate-brand-assets.swift

Contributions are welcome. Before opening a pull request, run:

swift test
swift build
./scripts/build-app.sh

See CONTRIBUTING.md, CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md, SECURITY.md, and docs/RELEASE.md for project process notes.

QRNative is released under the MIT License. See LICENSE.