Does ALPR Vue work offline?
Does ALPR Vue work offline?
Yes. After the first time you open the app — which downloads the AI model files from the server — everything runs fully offline. You can close the browser, disconnect from the internet, and reopen the app later; detection still works without any network connection. The model files are cached by your browser automatically.
Do my images or camera feed get uploaded anywhere?
Do my images or camera feed get uploaded anywhere?
No. All processing happens entirely within your browser using WebAssembly. Your camera feed, uploaded photos, and uploaded videos never leave your device — they are not sent to any server. See how it works for a technical explanation of the local processing pipeline.
Which license plate formats are supported?
Which license plate formats are supported?
ALPR Vue is optimized for European license plates. The OCR model reads alphanumeric plates with 4 to 10 characters and handles common European formats best. Plates from other regions may be detected and read, but accuracy tends to be lower. The model specifically validates plates matching the pattern of 2–4 alphanumeric characters, an optional separator, and another 2–4 alphanumeric characters.
If you regularly work with plates from a specific region outside Europe and accuracy is poor, try lowering the Confidence Threshold in Settings to allow more detections through, and manually correct any misread characters.
Can I use it on my phone?
Can I use it on my phone?
Yes. ALPR Vue is designed with mobile devices in mind and works on modern iOS and Android browsers. On mobile you can:
- Tap Flip camera to switch between the front and rear cameras.
- Use the Zoom in / Zoom out buttons to adjust the view (hardware zoom when supported by your device, digital zoom otherwise).
- Add the app to your home screen from your browser menu for an app-like, full-screen experience.
Why does the app stop the camera automatically?
Why does the app stop the camera automatically?
By default, the camera stops as soon as it confirms a plate. This prevents the app from scanning the same vehicle repeatedly and saves battery life.The confirmation timing depends on how confident the model is:
- Standard mode: the same plate must appear continuously for 3 seconds before being confirmed.
- High-confidence mode: if the detection’s mean OCR confidence is 0.8 or higher, the camera stops after just 1 second.
Can I read plates from photos or videos I already have?
Can I read plates from photos or videos I already have?
Yes. Tap the Upload File button on the main screen and select any image or video file saved on your device. The app processes images immediately and scans videos frame by frame, extracting every plate that appears throughout the clip.You can also browse the built-in sample gallery, which includes 10 real car photos and 3 traffic video clips — useful for trying the app without needing a vehicle nearby.See uploading files for full instructions.
Why is the confidence score low for some characters?
Why is the confidence score low for some characters?
The OCR model assigns an individual confidence score to each character it reads. Several factors can cause low confidence on specific characters:
- Glare or reflection on the plate surface
- Dirt, damage, or fading on individual characters
- Motion blur from a moving vehicle or an unsteady camera
- Steep angle — plates read best when the camera faces them directly
- Partial occlusion — a character covered by a tow hitch, sticker, or shadow
What does 'Skip Duplicates' do?
What does 'Skip Duplicates' do?
When Skip Duplicates is enabled (the default), the app silently ignores any detection whose plate text already exists in your history. This prevents the same vehicle from appearing multiple times when you scan it more than once.Disable Skip Duplicates in Settings if you need to record every detection event individually — for example, if you are logging the same plate appearing at different times throughout a shift.You can find this toggle in Settings > Skip duplicate alerts. See detection settings for all detection-related options.
Is there a native mobile app?
Is there a native mobile app?
There is no native iOS or Android app. ALPR Vue is a progressive web app (PWA), which means you can add it to your home screen directly from your mobile browser for an app-like experience with a full-screen view and no browser chrome.To add it to your home screen:
- iOS (Safari): Tap the share icon, then tap Add to Home Screen.
- Android (Chrome): Tap the three-dot menu, then tap Add to Home Screen or Install app.
Can I self-host ALPR Vue?
Can I self-host ALPR Vue?
Yes. ALPR Vue is open source and you can host it yourself on any static web host. Build the project and serve the output folder from any static hosting service. The only hard requirement is that you serve it over HTTPS — camera access is blocked by browsers on plain HTTP.Visit the GitHub repository for the full source code and deployment instructions.
