---
title: "Activate barcode scanning using the scan button on the terminal"
description: "Use the barcode scanning button on the terminal to activate the scanner."
url: "https://docs.adyen.com/point-of-sale/android-terminals/scan-barcode/button-scan"
source_url: "https://docs.adyen.com/point-of-sale/android-terminals/scan-barcode/button-scan.md"
canonical: "https://docs.adyen.com/point-of-sale/android-terminals/scan-barcode/button-scan"
last_modified: "2025-02-06T16:35:00+01:00"
language: "en"
---

# Activate barcode scanning using the scan button on the terminal

Use the barcode scanning button on the terminal to activate the scanner.

[View source](/point-of-sale/android-terminals/scan-barcode/button-scan.md)

On Android payment terminals [S1E Barcode](/point-of-sale/user-manuals/s1e-user-manual), [S1E2L](/point-of-sale/user-manuals/s1e2l-user-manual), [S1F2L](/point-of-sale/user-manuals/s1f2-user-manual), and [S1U2](/point-of-sale/user-manuals/s1u2-user-manual) you can make use of the barcode scanner button. When this feature is enabled in your Customer Area, you press the button to activate the scanner. If it scans a barcode, the terminal pastes the barcode content into an Android app with an input box installed on the terminal. You can also enable the software keyboard feature where the terminal simulates typing the barcode content as individual characters. For this to work, your app needs to listen for software keyboard events.

## Requirements

Before you begin, take into account the following requirements, limitations, and preparations.

| Requirement                                    | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| ---------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Integration type**                           | A [Terminal API integration](/point-of-sale/get-started) with payment terminals or a [Standalone \<solution](/point-of-sale/standalone).                                                                                                                                                        |
| **[Customer Area roles](/account/user-roles)** | To enable the barcode scanner button on the terminal, you need the following [roles](/account/user-roles/#pos): - **Merchant POS Terminal Management Admin** for configurations at any level.
- **Merchant POS Terminal Management** for configurations at merchant level (and lower).          |
| **Hardware**                                   | Android payment terminal models [S1E Barcode](/point-of-sale/user-manuals/s1e-user-manual), [S1E2L](/point-of-sale/user-manuals/s1e2l-user-manual), [S1F2L](/point-of-sale/user-manuals/s1f2-user-manual), or [S1U2](/point-of-sale/user-manuals/s1u2-user-manual) that have a barcode scanner. |
| **Limitations**                                | To process the scanned content, you need to have an Android barcode scanner app with an input text field installed on the terminal.                                                                                                                                                             |

## Enable button activation

You can enable barcode scanning per company, merchant accounts, store or terminal level:

1. Log in to your [Customer Area](https://ca-test.adyen.com/).

2. Go to **Terminal Settings** > **Hardware** > **Barcode scanner**.

3. Under **Enable barcode scanner button**, select **Enabled**.

4. To play a sound after a successful scan, under **Play a beep** select **Enabled**.

5. To place a separator after each scan, under **Separator** choose one of the following options:

   * **New line**: passes the content of each scanned barcode in a new line. This option is set by default.
   * **Custom**: in the **Custom character** field, specify the character that you want to use as a separator.

6. Select **Save**.

Additionally, you can contact our [Support Team](https://ca-test.adyen.com/ca/ca/contactUs/support.shtml?form=other) to enable:

* Adding a **prefix** to scanned barcodes. You need to provide the characters you want added in front of every scanned barcode content.
* **Software keyboard feature**, where the barcode content is typed into your Android app as individual keyboard events. With this integration, your app needs to listen for software keyboard events.

## See also

* [Multiple barcode scans with Terminal API](/point-of-sale/android-terminals/scan-barcode/batch-session)
* [Single barcode scan with Terminal API](/point-of-sale/android-terminals/scan-barcode/single-session)