Wi-Fi QR Code Generator — let guests join without typing the password

How to use it

Enter the network name exactly as it appears in your phone's Wi-Fi list — including capitals, spaces and any stray punctuation — pick the security type, and type the passphrase. Generate, then print the code and put it where guests will see it.

To join, an iPhone or iPad on iOS 11 or later points the built-in Camera app at the code and taps the banner that appears. Android 10 and later does the same through the camera or Google Lens. Older Android phones may need the code opened in a QR scanner app, and some very old devices won't support it at all.

Almost every failure here comes down to the network name. Home WiFi and Home Wifi are different networks as far as the code is concerned. Copy it from a device already connected rather than typing it from memory.

What the code actually contains

Your passphrase, in plain text. A Wi-Fi QR code is not encrypted and is not a token — it is a short string in the form WIFI:T:WPA;S:NetworkName;P:passphrase;; that any scanner can read.

So treat the printed code exactly as you would treat the passphrase written out on a card. Anyone who photographs it from across the room has your network. That is fine for a café or a guest network, and a poor idea for the network your home devices sit on. If your router supports a separate guest network, point the code at that one.

Because the passphrase is in the code, changing the passphrase means reprinting it. There is no way to update a printed code after the fact.

If the code doesn't work

Check the special characters. Semicolons, colons, commas, quotes and backslashes are structural in the Wi-Fi format and have to be escaped. This page does that for you, which is not true of every generator — if a code from somewhere else fails on a passphrase containing punctuation, that is usually why.

Tick “hidden” if the network doesn't broadcast. A phone won't find a hidden network from the code alone unless the code says it is hidden.

Check which band you named. Routers that publish separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks give them slightly different names, and a code for one will not join the other.

WPA3-only networks can be awkward. The format predates WPA3; phones generally cope, but a device that only speaks WPA2 will fail to join regardless of the code. Leave the setting on WPA/WPA2/WPA3 — it is the right choice for all of them.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Wi-Fi QR code safe to put on the wall?

It is exactly as safe as writing the passphrase on the wall, because that is effectively what it does. The code contains the passphrase in plain text and anyone who can photograph it can join. For a café or an office guest network that is the point. For your main home network, put the code on a guest network instead.

Does it work on iPhone?

Yes, from iOS 11 onwards, using the standard Camera app — no separate scanner needed. Point the camera at the code and tap the notification that slides down.

Does it work on Android?

On Android 10 and later, yes, through the camera or Google Lens. Some manufacturers put it behind the Wi-Fi settings screen instead. Older versions generally need a dedicated QR scanner app.

My passphrase has a semicolon in it. Will that break the code?

Not here. Semicolons, colons, commas, quotes and backslashes are escaped automatically. This is a common bug in other generators, which produce a code that either joins nothing or truncates the passphrase at the punctuation.

Can I change the password without reprinting the code?

No. The passphrase is encoded in the pattern itself, so a new passphrase means a new code. This is the trade-off for a code that has no server behind it and cannot be switched off.

Why does the code get bigger when I add a longer passphrase?

More characters means more modules, which means a denser grid. A long random passphrase can noticeably increase the size. Print it larger to compensate — the rule of thumb is a code about a tenth as wide as the distance people scan it from.