Use the Amazon Shopping App to Scan Items for Comparing Prices
Edited by Jay
Amazon has been the number one place to shop online for several years. In fact, with each passing year, it seems to continue growing in popularity. It's no surprise, buying things online used to be a hassle back in the day but because of Amazon's size, they're able to provide both competitive prices and top-tier customer service. The convenience of being able to order products from your mobile device or computer, anytime or anywhere, is tough to beat. That said, Amazon's prices may not always be the lowest. In many instances, you'll find products cheaper at your local retail stores.
A great feature that we'll go over in this article is the app's built-in scanning option. This will allow you to either scan a product's barcode or, take a picture of the item while you're in a physical retail shop. You can then compare prices, as well as check out reviews from other users. Of course, you can still search for items the traditional way by entering keywords into Amazon's search engine. You can also shop by department or section via the app.
For this article, we performed a fresh install of the Amazon Shopping App on a Google Pixel, running Android Oreo. We also used an existing customer account during the demonstration. Although having an account isn't necessary to shop via the app, having one allows you to utilize all the available features. You'll also notice that we're shopping from Canada (amazon.ca). However, this can be changed to another country from settings.
Installing the Amazon Shopping App
- 1Access your device's app drawer and tap the "Play Store" icon.
- 2When the results populate, tap the first link.From inside the Play Store, search for "Amazon Shopping".
- 3On the app's info screen, tap the green "INSTALL" button.
- 4Once it has completed, tap "OPEN".The app will begin to download and install on your device.
- 5Here on the sign in screen, tap the yellow "Sign in" button.If you don't have an account, proceed to step 7.
- 6On the next screen, enter your password, then tap "Sign in".On the login screen, enter your email address and tap "Continue".
- 7Fill in all the required information in each field, then tap "Continue".If you're new to Amazon, tap "Create an account" from the initial screen.
Scan Products for Comparing Prices and Reviews
- 1To perform a product search, scan a barcode, or search from your photo library, tap the camera icon in the upper right corner.Once you've installed the app and signed in, you'll be redirected to the homepage.
- 2Tap "GET STARTED" on each to continue.If it's the first time using the camera/photo library feature, you'll see two introduction screens.
- 3To scan products or barcodes, you'll first need to allow the app access to your device's camera.
- 4To search for a product, position your device in front of the item until it's in focus, then tap the white circle to begin searching.
- 5If the product listed is incorrect, tap "TRY AGAIN" in the upper right corner.If successful, you'll get redirected to Amazon's listing of the product.To see reviews of the product, tap the item, then tap through to the reviews and ratings.
- 6To scan an item's barcode, swipe up from the product search screen, then tap "barcode scanner".
- 7Hold your device, so the barcode fixed on the screen is directly above the barcode on the product.
- 8If the product listed is wrong, tap "TRY AGAIN".Once you scan the product's barcode, you'll get redirected to Amazon's listing for that item.
- 9Tap "TYPE YOUR SEARCH" or "TRY AGAIN".If you're having issues scanning you will see the following screen.
- 10To lookup an item from your photo library, tap the image icon on the default product search screen.
- 11To continue, the app will request permission to access your photos, media, and files.
Shop by Department or the Search function
- 1The moment you begin typing, products will start to populate.To browse for items by keywords, type the name, model, or brand of what you're looking for into the search box on the main screen.
Account Settings and Country Selection
- 1To manage account settings, tap the three-dot menu in the upper left corner, then tap "Your Account".
- 2In the following steps, we'll discuss; Login & security, Manage payment options, and Country settings.Here you'll see multiple sections that can be edited or customized to your preference.
- 3Here you can edit your sign in credentials by tapping on the "Edit" or "Add" button next to each option.With the account settings menu open, tap "Login & security".
- 4To modify your payments, tap "Manage payment options" from the main account settings menu.
- 5Here on the manage payment options screen, you can; add or edit a credit or debit card, reload your balance, or redeem a gift card.
- 6Now, scroll down and tap "Settings" with the flag next to it.To change the country, tap the three-dot menu in the upper left corner to access the main options.
- 7When you locate the country of choice, tap the radio button next to it, followed by "DONE".On the Country & language screen, tap the country drop-down to view the list of available countries.
Tips, Tricks and Warnings
- When using the camera search and scanning feature, you may have to play around with how you position the device until you get the hang of it. Some barcodes are covered with plastic and can cause some glare. You also may need to utilize the flash to get additional lighting when scanning and searching.
- If you're scanning and searching to view user reviews, change the country to the United States (amazon.com). The .com version by far has the most reviews and ratings.
If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.
