How to make a Wi-Fi QR code so guests can join without typing the password

Updated 29 October 2026

A Wi-Fi QR code holds your network name, security type and password. When a guest scans it with the camera on an iPhone or an Android phone, the phone offers to join the network, with nothing to type. You can make one for free in our QR code generator: choose Wi-Fi network, enter the network name exactly as it appears, pick the security type and type the password. The password is stored in the code as plain text, so anyone who scans it can read it. Share the code only with people you would give the password to, and use a separate guest network if your router has one.

Open the QR code generator

What the code contains

The code is a short line of text that phones recognize. For a network called Example Home with the password sample;pass42, it reads:

WIFI:T:WPA;S:Example Home;P:sample\;pass42;;

Here T is the security type, S the network name and P the password. The format is documented by the open-source ZXing barcode project, and the Wi-Fi Alliance defined a compatible version in its WPA3 specification, as its IANA registration notes. Characters such as ; , : " and \ must be escaped with a backslash. Our generator does this for you, so type the name and password exactly as they are.

How to make one, step by step

Open the QR code generator and, under What should the code contain?, choose Wi-Fi network.
In Network name (SSID), type the name exactly as it appears in your phone's list of Wi-Fi networks. Capital letters and spaces count: Example Home and example home are different networks.
Under Security, choose the type your router uses:
- WPA, WPA2 or WPA3 for almost every home network today.
- WEP only for a very old router that offers nothing else.
- No password for an open network.
The type is in your router's settings, usually on a page called Wireless or Wi-Fi security. If no one changed the router's Wi-Fi settings, the default network name and password are often printed on a label on the router.
In Password, type the Wi-Fi password. Select Show password to check it for typos.
Select Hidden network only if your network does not appear in the list of networks on its own.
Scan the preview with your own phone and confirm it joins. Then choose Download PNG or Download SVG.

All of this happens in your browser. The page's security policy blocks every network connection, so the password never leaves your device, and the image description that screen readers announce names the network but not the password.

How guests scan it

iPhone: open the Camera app, point it at the code and tap the prompt that appears to join. Apple's guide to scanning a QR code also describes a Scan Code control in Control Center.
Android: on most phones the built-in camera app, or a scanner such as Google Lens, recognizes the code and offers to connect. The exact steps vary by phone maker.

Phones can also show a code for the network they are on. On Android, Google's help page on connecting to Wi-Fi explains how: Settings, Network & internet, Internet, your network, then Share. On an iPhone, Apple's guide to sharing your Wi-Fi password describes Show Network QR Code in the Passwords app. That suits a friend on the couch; a printed code suits the wall or the fridge.

Security: what to know before you print it

The code is the password. Anyone who scans it, or photographs it and scans the photo later, can read the password. A printed code is as private as a note with the password on it.
Use a guest network if you can. The Federal Trade Commission notes that many routers let you set up a guest network with its own name and password, which keeps a guest's infected device off your main network. Make the code for the guest network.
Keep it out of public view. Do not put a home or office code in a window, on a door facing the street or in a photo you post online.
Avoid WEP. The FTC calls WEP and the original WPA outdated and not secure, and recommends WPA3 Personal or WPA2 Personal.
WPA3 and older devices. Apple's recommended router settings are WPA3 Personal for better security, or WPA2/WPA3 Transitional so that older devices can still connect with WPA2. The same page notes that hiding the network name does not secure it.
A new password means a new code. When you change the Wi-Fi password, every printed code stops working. Print a new one and remove the old copies.

Printing and placement

Size and contrast: print the code at least 2 cm (about 0.8 inches) wide, dark on a light background. For print, download the SVG, or the PNG at the size Print, about 2048 pixels.
Margin: keep at least the standard margin of 4 modules (a module is one square of the code), and do not let text or a frame touch it.
Error correction: Medium suits a code kept indoors. Choose a higher level if it may get dirty or scratched, and print it a little larger.
Text next to it: write the network name under the code, and the password too if you are comfortable with that, for anyone who cannot scan.
Protect it: laminate it or put it in a frame.
Check it from time to time. In a shared space, someone could stick a different code on top that leads to a scam page. Our guide to fake QR codes explains what to look for.

If the code does not work

Common problems with Wi-Fi QR codes, their likely cause and the fix
Problem	Likely cause	Fix
The network is not found	A typo, a different capital letter or an extra space in the network name	Copy the name exactly from your phone's Wi-Fi list
The network is not found, though the name is right	The network is hidden and Hidden network was not selected	Select Hidden network
The phone finds the network but cannot join	A wrong password or security type	Check the password with Show password, and choose WPA, WPA2 or WPA3 unless the router really uses WEP
The code worked before and stopped	The password, network name or router changed	Make a new code with the current details
Newer phones join, an older device does not	The router is set to WPA3 only	Switch the router to WPA2/WPA3 Transitional
The camera does not react	The code is too small or too light, has no margin, or reflects light	Print it larger, dark on light, with its margin, on matte paper

When you scan codes yourself, our Android app SafeScan QR never shows the password of a Wi-Fi code on screen, and copies only the network name.

Questions and answers

Is a Wi-Fi QR code safe?

It is as safe as the place you put it. The code holds your password in plain text, so treat it like the password itself, and ideally make it for a guest network.

Can someone see my password from the code?

Yes. Many scanning apps display the full contents of the code, password included.

Does it work on iPhone and Android?

Yes. The camera on iPhones and on most Android phones recognizes Wi-Fi codes and offers to join.

What happens when I change the Wi-Fi password?

The old code stops working, because the old password is written into it. Make a new code and replace every printed copy.

Can I make a Wi-Fi QR code without an app?

Yes. Our QR code generator runs in the browser, is free and needs no account.

Does a Wi-Fi QR code expire?

No. The details are written into the code itself, so it works as long as the network name, password and security type stay the same.