iPhone 6 and Socket Mobile 7ci Bluetooth Scanner

[LRF]

I found a similiar question on the forum but the poster did not say how/if he fixed his problem so .... this is my scenario:

1) I can pair my newly purchased Socket Mobile 7ci Bluetooth barcode reader to my IPad Air, open my Square App and scan product barcodes without any problem. Each item and its price get added to the transaction.

2) Having turned off Bluetooth on the aforementioned iPad and paired my Bluetooth barcode scanner with my iPhone 6, I scan the same barcodes and nothing happens within the Point of Sale app on the iPhone. The barcode scanner beeps; it reads the barcode, but the product  is not added to the transaction. If I open "Notes", a different iPhone app on the same phone, I can scan the barcode as text into that app without any problem.

Both the iPhone and iPad are running the very latest version of iOS. I have tried signing out and back into the Square app on my iPhone.

I've tried scanning the appropriate barcode to reset the scanner to factory default settings and scanning the iOS setup barcode with the scanner. No combination of any of the tips I can find online help me to get valid barcodes/SKU's (they work right with my iPad) scanned into a transaction on my iPhone.

As far as I know, the Socket Mobile 7ci should work the same way inside the Square app on either of my iOS devices as long as the scanner is paired to the device.

Any suggestions?

[Pyroneer]

I've successfully paired my Socket Mobile 7ci Barcode Scanner with my iPhone. I can scan a SKU and (assuming the SKU is in my item library), the library seach results are filtered to the item I've just scanned. However, I still have to manually select that item from the search results in order to add it to the sale.

Is there a way to simply scan an item's SKU and have it automatically added to the sale, just like you would at the grocery store?

Note that I've only tried this on the iPhone. Perhaps it would work as desired on the iPad? Is this barcode scanner only supported by the iPad and not the iPhone?

[EJ_]

Hi there. Sorry for the delay in response. 

The item should be added to the sale automatically when you scan the barcode of the item from the Point of Sale app on your iPad. 

Were you scanning the item from the Keypad screen and not the item library screen? 

[Pyroneer]

Hi! Everything works as it should on my iPad. The issue is with my iPhone.

When I scan an item on my iPad, the item is automatically added to the sale. However, when I scan an item while connected to my iPhone, the library search results are filtered to the item I've just scanned, but I still have to manually select the item to add it to the sale.

Any ideas? Is there some different functionality between the iPhone and iPad versions of the app? Thanks!

[Sean]

Thanks for the added information, @Pyroneer. Have you already had a chance to check for software updates on your iPhone? As EJ mentioned, as far as we know, the functionality should be identical. Have you also tried signing out of the app and then back in? 

[RudiO]

@Pyroneer did you ever get your iPhone to work with the SOCKET MOBILE 7CI BARCODE reader?

I read in another stream that it only works with the iPad, not the iPhone, which is rather inconvienet! 🙂

Thanks!

RudiO

[LRF]

UPDATE: At this point, I strongly suspect that my issue lies in the differences between an iPhone and an iPad, even though each is running the latest version of iOS and the Square POS app says it is installable on both the iPad and the iPhone (no seperate versions for each device).  It appears that the Square POS app sets itself up differently for each type of device. After failing to scan product prices into a transaction using the product barcode while runnning a transaction on my iPhone, I just used the same Square-approved Bluetooth barcode scanner with my iPad Mini (I had used my IPad Air 2 prior to this). I paired the scanner to my iPad Mini, opened up the Square POS app and received a notification that the Socket Mobile 7ci bluetooth scanner had been connected to the app. I went on to successfully scan items into a transaction.

It is interesting that in the Square POS app installed on an iPhone there is no mention of a barcode scanner under the Hardware category within the Settings menu.  If I go to Menu ->Settings on my iPhone, under the Hardware category, I see "Card Readers" and "Printers". Within my iPad's Square POS app (Menu->Settings) I see "Card Readers", "Square Stand", "Printers", "Cash Drawer" and "Bar Code Scanners"

I have found nothing online that says the Square POS app and the Socket Mobile 7ci bluetooth barcode scanner will not work together on an iPhone. You'd think the iPhone no bluetooth barcode scanner situation, if it is true, would have been made very obvious in the app documentation and how-to videos. Maybe i missed it during my research on compatible bluetooth barcode scanners. I sure wish I could get the devices to play nicely together.

BTW, when I pair the barcode scanner with my iPhone in HID/Keyboard mode, I can open up the "Notes" app on my iPhone and scan the barcode number (as text) into that app. So, the scanner is working with the iPhone just not within the Square POS app on the iPhone.

[EJ_]

Hi there and sorry for the late response. 

Your troubleshooting and testing led you to the correct conclusion.

The Socket Mobile 7ci is only compatible with the iPad version of the Square Point of Sale app. 

This is a pretty popular feature request that our Hardware and Product Teams are actively tracking, so if anything changes we'll be sure to announce it. 

[RudiO]

Dang. I just purchased the socket scanner to use with an iPhone, There wasn't any mention in Square's documentation nor on the Square site when I made the purchase that it is iPad only. 😞

Hopefully, the iPhone feature will be out soon!

[Chad]

Hello @RudiO, I will make sure to share your feedback with the product team as well. If there are any updates EJ and I will update this thread. 😀

[picodevelopment]

i am also trying to run my socket mobile scanner 7mi with my iphone. ive gone through all the steps but bottom line is the square app doesnt have scanner available in the hardware list. ive invested a bunch of money and time into this project to hit this deadend. im super frustrated. is this going to get fixed?

[Helen]

I'm very sorry for the frustration!

At this time the Socket Mobile 7ci is only compatible with the iPad version of the app. 

We're still tracking this feature request and I'll share your feedback with the Product Team. If this scanner is compatible with iPhones in future we'll update this thread!

[rdCPNHA]

I can’t find the option to pair Socket Mobile barcode scanner with IPhone SE?  On my IPad there is an option to add the scanner as hardware but on the iPhone that option is not there!  Please consider getting this option active.  I use the scanner to populate the sales for our small non profit at farmers' markets and several of our members do the sales. They need to be able to use their phones and the scanner.

[Chad]

Hello @rdCPNHA, we are still actively tracking this feature request! 

Currently only the iPad version of the app is compatible with this barcode scanner. I will make sure to flag your post for our product team, so we can add your voice to the discussion! 

If you have any other questions please let me know! 

[Valentina · Accepted solution]

Hi all! Just dropping in with a quick update ✨

Last month, we launched the ability to support Bluetooth scanners for iPhones - in addition to our current iPad support - for anyone using Square for Retail and Square Point of Sale. Learn more here!

Note: The Square Retail App is supported on iPads and iPhones running iOS 12.0 or higher.

[pickupmo]

7ci barcode scanner using with iphone8 and when I scan the barcode it doesn't load it. Scanner is Still connected. Worked last week 

[Helen]

@pickupmo Sorry for the frustration. At this time that specific scanner isn't compatible with iPhone, it's only compatible with iPads. If it can be used with iPhones in future we'll let everyone in this thread know. 

[Libreriaramos]

I'm  having problems connecting my scanner and printer. 

[vesdaille]

This reply was created from merging an existing thread: Bluetooth barcode scanner connectivity to iPhone is it possible?​​​​​​​

Is it possible to connect a Bluetooth barcode scanner to an iPhone or android

[Helen]

@vesdille Currently you can only use a bluetooth scanner if you're using Square on an iPad.

I'm adding your post to this thread where we're tracking interest in using a bluetooth scanner with an iPhone! 

[HealthyGourmetK]

We participate in multiple farmers markets and festivals and currently do inventory by hand counting. We're considering using square for inventory management but the $60/mo per location fee is a bit steep. We also don't have room for a stand so we'd like to connect the bar code reader to our iphone.

It says it's compatible with Android 5.0+ with USB adaptor but it doesn't specifically list iphone with USB adaptor.  Does anyone use a scanner with their iphone with USB adaptor?