How to find the minifigure you want - without opening the box!

Finding collectible Lego minifigs the easy way -

without breaking the box

Trying to get your hands on a certain series minifigure? Thankfully there’s a way to figure out which one you are getting without having to open the box. There are quite a few minifigure scanner apps available now and most work for series 25 and 26.

All you need is your phone! You will be looking for the QR code at the bottom of the box. Note that scanners only work with the larger QR codes and not the small ones (See below)

Tips: 

Make sure you are in a well lit room
Try and keep the barcode(the one with all the lines) out of the centre of the shot
Hold the camera about 10cm away from the box

*These apps work for the UK QR codes, i’m not sure if boxes from other countries will work.

I have listed my top 3 minifigure scanning apps with an honourable mention for Jays brick blog scanner, which can be used without downloading an app. 

Here’s a short guide for using minifigure scanning apps. I have tested 4 minifigure scanners and ranked them from most useful to least.

#1 omgbricks Minifig Scanner app

Available for android & IOS

I really like using this app. Not only is it super fast and accurate, you don’t have to click back to scan another box. You can just keep scanning and can even scan multiple boxes at once! 

1. Download and open the app
2. Click start scanning
3. Scan the QR code, a small picture of the minifigure will pop up.

Pros: 

• Fast and accurate.
• You don’t have to click back to scan another one.
• Simple app that has one purpose and does it well.
• Scans multiple boxes at once.
• Shows text and a picture of the minifigure.

Cons: 

• The app doesn’t have any other features.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

#2 Minifig Scan

Available for android & IOS

1. Download and open the app
2. Click the scan button at the bottom left
3. The name of the minifigure will pop up over the QR code

Pros: 

• Fast and accurate
• You don’t have to click back to scan another one.
• Scans multiple boxes at once
• Flashlight button within the app
• You can keep track of which minifigs you have as well as the quantity. At the bottom you can see the quantity you have in your inventory when scanning one box at a time. 

Cons: 

• It only shows text and not a picture of the minifigure
  
   

#3 The Brick search app 

Available for android & IOS

1. Download and open the app
2. Click the Camera icon and scan the QR code on the box
3. Brick search will show you which minifigure you have.
4. Click back to scan another

(The camera is at a funny angle so I could get a screenshot without it scanning but it still kept scanning the QR code!)

Pros: 

• Accurate
• Handily shows you where to buy with prices + links (mainly large stores)
• You can add minifigures and sets to your wishlist which you can then share.

Cons: 

• It’s a little slow.
• You have to click “back” to scan another & you can’t scan multiples

Notes: 

• Scanning the QR code will reveal the minifigure, while scanning the barcode will show you details of the whole set.
• It can be used for many other sets and Lego items, but can only be used to identify minifigures for series 25 and 26.

#4Jay’s Brick Blog Minifig Scanner. 

 No app download required, head to Jay’s brick blog minifig scanner via a quick google search.

1. Press “click here to start” and point your camera at the QR code.
2. Voila it’s as simple as that, now you know which minifig is inside. 
3. Click “scan again” to scan another 

                             (screenshot to show what the camera portal looks like)

Pros: 

• It’s accurate when it scans properly
• You don’t need to install an app

Cons: 

• It’s a little slow and glitchy, and often does not scan properly.
• It currently only works with series 26.

Notes: 

• It tries to read the QR code too fast before you can get it centred and in focus. You may need to refresh the page if it comes up blank.
• The error “cannot find minifigure” may appear a few times before it scans correctly, but this may be due to the barcode being too close to the centre of the shot.

Let me know in the comments below if I have missed any of the top minifigure scanners, or if you know an even better way to find the minifigure you want without opening the box!

Happy Lego hunting!