How to Create a QR Code for Your Wi-Fi Network
Published
Typing a long Wi-Fi password on a phone is tedious and error-prone. A Wi-Fi QR code lets guests connect by pointing their camera at it. Here is how to make one in a minute, and what to keep in mind before you print it.
What you need
You only need three details from your router, usually printed on a label underneath it or shown in its settings page:
- The network name (SSID), exactly as it appears, including capital letters and spaces.
- The password (also called the network key).
- The security type. Almost every modern router uses WPA2 or WPA3; choose WPA in the generator for both. Only very old equipment still uses WEP.
Step-by-step
- Open the QR Code Generator and choose Wi-Fi.
- Type the network name and the password, and select the security type.
- If your network doesn't broadcast its name, tick Hidden network.
- Check the preview, then download the code as PNG to share it on screen or as SVG to print it at any size.
- Test it: open your phone's camera, point it at the code and confirm that it offers to join the network.
How a Wi-Fi QR code works
The code contains a short piece of text in a standard format, for example WIFI:T:WPA;S:HomeNetwork;P:mypassword;; — T is the security type, S the network name and P the password. Special characters such as semicolons are escaped automatically so the code is read correctly.
Recent versions of iOS and Android recognize this format in the camera app or in Google Lens and offer to join the network. Nothing is stored online: the details are inside the image itself, so the code keeps working as long as the network name and password don't change.
Keep your network safe
A printed Wi-Fi code is as sensitive as the password written on paper. Anyone who can scan it can join your network.
- Use a guest network if your router offers one, so visitors can't reach your computers, printers or smart devices.
- Don't place the code where people outside your home or business can photograph it, such as a shop window.
- If you change the password, create a new code and replace the printed copies.
- Choose a long password. The Password Generator can create one; excluding ambiguous characters makes it easier for anyone who still needs to type it.
Tips for a code that scans first time
- Keep dark modules on a light background, with strong contrast.
- Leave the white margin around the code; four modules is the standard.
- Print it at least 3 × 3 cm (about 1.2 inches) for scanning from a short distance, and larger if it will be on a wall.