"Hover your camera app over this code to continue reading at TheStar.com" [?]
 

Okay, so I'm reading the Star Metro (a free daily, via the Toronto Star, put out in Toronto) in a cafe. There's the beginning of the article, and then this odd square-splotch (with three corner squares). Beside this splotch comes the instruction, "Hover your camera app over this code to continue reading at TheStar.com". Since I was connected to wifi in the cafe, I fired up my LineageOS phone's camera, and pointed it at the splotch. Nothing.

So, how do I get my camera to read these splotches that are found in some newspapers?

My phone is a Galaxy Nexus running LineageOS 13 (Android version 6.0.1). I prefer F-Droid to GooglePlay, but I will reluctantly install apps from there (via Yalp Store).

That sounds like a QR code and it most likely contains a URL that can be passed to your browser. You need an app to read QR codes (most such apps also read bar codes). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_code

I use something called pic2shop, which is less annoying than most of the competitors. I use it rarely, but it works nicely.

If you want to create a QR code (I put one on the back of business cards), there's a simple little program called qrencode. https://fukuchi.org/works/qrencode/

Check the permissions carefully before you select a QR code reader to install. Some of them are quite intrusive.

This article may help: https://www.digitalcitizen.life/5-be...ndroid-devices

there is at least one "renowned" QR code app on f-droid (or at least used to be). that's what you'd need to take the picture with?

if that fails i'd chalk it up to the things that don't work without Gapps.