diff --git a/app/app/index.tsx b/app/app/index.tsx
index 324d545..851d9c7 100644
--- a/app/app/index.tsx
+++ b/app/app/index.tsx
@@ -186,6 +186,31 @@ export default function ScannerScreen() {
         ))}
       </View>
 
+      {mode === "banquet" && (phase === "scanning" || phase === "banquet") && (
+        // Kept above the scanner (near the top) so the on-screen keyboard,
+        // which covers the bottom of the screen, never hides this input.
+        <View style={styles.emailBar}>
+          <TextInput
+            style={styles.emailInput}
+            placeholder="Look up an email"
+            placeholderTextColor={theme.textDim}
+            value={manualEmail}
+            onChangeText={setManualEmail}
+            autoCapitalize="none"
+            autoCorrect={false}
+            keyboardType="email-address"
+            returnKeyType="search"
+            onSubmitEditing={() => manualEmail.trim() && runBanquet({ email: manualEmail.trim() })}
+          />
+          <Pressable
+            style={styles.emailBtn}
+            onPress={() => manualEmail.trim() && runBanquet({ email: manualEmail.trim() })}
+          >
+            <Text style={styles.emailBtnText}>Look up</Text>
+          </Pressable>
+        </View>
+      )}
+
       <View style={styles.scannerArea}>
         <QRScanner onScan={handleScan} active={phase === "scanning"} />
         {phase === "scanning" && (
@@ -264,29 +289,6 @@ export default function ScannerScreen() {
           </View>
         )}
       </View>
-
-      {mode === "banquet" && (phase === "scanning" || phase === "banquet") && (
-        <View style={styles.emailBar}>
-          <TextInput
-            style={styles.emailInput}
-            placeholder="Or look up an email manually"
-            placeholderTextColor={theme.textDim}
-            value={manualEmail}
-            onChangeText={setManualEmail}
-            autoCapitalize="none"
-            autoCorrect={false}
-            keyboardType="email-address"
-            returnKeyType="search"
-            onSubmitEditing={() => manualEmail.trim() && runBanquet({ email: manualEmail.trim() })}
-          />
-          <Pressable
-            style={styles.emailBtn}
-            onPress={() => manualEmail.trim() && runBanquet({ email: manualEmail.trim() })}
-          >
-            <Text style={styles.emailBtnText}>Look up</Text>
-          </Pressable>
-        </View>
-      )}
     </SafeAreaView>
   );
 }
diff --git a/app/components/QRScanner.tsx b/app/components/QRScanner.tsx
index 56f40b8..c2b9b1c 100644
--- a/app/components/QRScanner.tsx
+++ b/app/components/QRScanner.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { useRef } from "react";
-import { StyleSheet, View, Text, Pressable } from "react-native";
-import { CameraView, useCameraPermissions } from "expo-camera";
+import { StyleSheet, View, Text, Pressable, type LayoutChangeEvent } from "react-native";
+import { CameraView, useCameraPermissions, type BarcodeScanningResult } from "expo-camera";
 import { theme } from "../lib/theme";
 
 export interface QRScannerProps {
@@ -8,10 +8,48 @@ export interface QRScannerProps {
   active: boolean;
 }
 
-/** Native (Android/iOS) scanner using expo-camera. */
+// Side of the accept square, matching the visible reticle (index.tsx uses 240),
+// with a little tolerance so a code aimed inside the box always registers.
+const RETICLE = 260;
+
+/** Native (Android/iOS) scanner using expo-camera. Only accepts codes whose
+ * position falls within the centered reticle square. */
 export default function QRScanner({ onScan, active }: QRScannerProps) {
   const [permission, requestPermission] = useCameraPermissions();
   const lastScan = useRef<{ code: string; at: number }>({ code: "", at: 0 });
+  const layout = useRef({ w: 0, h: 0 });
+
+  const onLayout = (e: LayoutChangeEvent) => {
+    layout.current = { w: e.nativeEvent.layout.width, h: e.nativeEvent.layout.height };
+  };
+
+  // True if the scanned code sits inside the centered reticle. Fails OPEN when
+  // geometry is missing/unknown so scanning never silently breaks.
+  const inReticle = (res: BarcodeScanningResult): boolean => {
+    const { w, h } = layout.current;
+    if (!w || !h) return true;
+    const pts = res.cornerPoints as { x: number; y: number }[] | undefined;
+    let cx: number | undefined;
+    let cy: number | undefined;
+    if (pts && pts.length) {
+      cx = pts.reduce((s, p) => s + p.x, 0) / pts.length;
+      cy = pts.reduce((s, p) => s + p.y, 0) / pts.length;
+    } else {
+      const b: any = (res as any).bounds;
+      if (b?.origin && b?.size) {
+        cx = b.origin.x + b.size.width / 2;
+        cy = b.origin.y + b.size.height / 2;
+      }
+    }
+    if (cx === undefined || cy === undefined) return true;
+    // Some platforms report normalized [0,1] coords — scale to view size.
+    if (cx <= 1 && cy <= 1) {
+      cx *= w;
+      cy *= h;
+    }
+    const half = RETICLE / 2;
+    return Math.abs(cx - w / 2) <= half && Math.abs(cy - h / 2) <= half;
+  };
 
   if (!permission) {
     return <View style={styles.fill} />;
@@ -31,10 +69,13 @@ export default function QRScanner({ onScan, active }: QRScannerProps) {
     <CameraView
       style={styles.fill}
       facing="back"
+      onLayout={onLayout}
       barcodeScannerSettings={{ barcodeTypes: ["qr"] }}
       onBarcodeScanned={
         active
-          ? ({ data }) => {
+          ? (res) => {
+              if (!inReticle(res)) return; // ignore codes outside the square
+              const data = res.data;
               const now = Date.now();
               // Debounce repeated frames of the same code.
               if (data === lastScan.current.code && now - lastScan.current.at < 3000) return;
diff --git a/app/components/QRScanner.web.tsx b/app/components/QRScanner.web.tsx
index db5f1d6..82d4cbb 100644
--- a/app/components/QRScanner.web.tsx
+++ b/app/components/QRScanner.web.tsx
@@ -56,6 +56,10 @@ export default function QRScanner({ onScan, active }: QRScannerProps) {
         video.play().catch(() => {});
       }
       const detector = new BarcodeDetector({ formats: ["qr_code"] });
+      // Offscreen canvas holding just the centered reticle crop — we only run
+      // detection on this region so QR codes elsewhere in view are ignored.
+      const canvas = document.createElement("canvas");
+      const cctx = canvas.getContext("2d", { willReadFrequently: true });
       let busy = false;
       const tick = async () => {
         rafRef.current = requestAnimationFrame(tick);
@@ -68,7 +72,21 @@ export default function QRScanner({ onScan, active }: QRScannerProps) {
         if (busy || !activeRef.current) return;
         busy = true;
         try {
-          const codes = await detector.detect(v);
+          // Crop the central square of the frame (matches the on-screen
+          // reticle) and detect only within it.
+          const vw = v.videoWidth;
+          const vh = v.videoHeight;
+          let target: HTMLVideoElement | HTMLCanvasElement = v;
+          if (cctx && vw && vh) {
+            const side = Math.round(Math.min(vw, vh) * 0.62);
+            const sx = Math.round((vw - side) / 2);
+            const sy = Math.round((vh - side) / 2);
+            canvas.width = side;
+            canvas.height = side;
+            cctx.drawImage(v, sx, sy, side, side, 0, 0, side, side);
+            target = canvas;
+          }
+          const codes = await detector.detect(target);
           if (codes && codes.length) {
             const data = codes[0].rawValue;
             const now = Date.now();