Reading a long, random WiFi password aloud to every guest gets old quickly. A WiFi QR code solves it: point a phone camera at the code and the phone offers to join the network. Modern iPhones (iOS 11 and later) and most Android phones (Android 10 and later, and many older ones via the camera or Google Lens) support it.
What's inside a WiFi QR code
The code is just text in a standard format. Scanning it hands that text to the phone's WiFi settings:
WIFI:T:WPA;S:MyNetwork;P:my-password;;
- T is the security type: WPA (which covers WPA2 and WPA3 personal networks), WEP, or nopass for an open network.
- S is the network name (SSID).
- P is the password.
- H:true marks a hidden network (omit it otherwise).
- Each field ends with a semicolon, and the whole string ends with two.
Special characters need escaping
If the network name or password contains a backslash, semicolon, comma, colon, or double quote, put a backslash in front of that character. A password like pa;ss:word becomes pa\;ss\:word. If a scan fails to connect, unescaped characters are the usual reason.
How to make one, step by step
- Open a WiFi QR code generator and enter your network name exactly as it appears, including capitalization.
- Choose the security type (WPA/WPA2/WPA3 for most home routers) and enter the password.
- Tick the hidden-network option only if your SSID is not broadcast.
- Generate the code and test it with your own phone before you print it.
- Download or print it at a decent size; a few centimetres square scans fine from arm's length.
Generate it privately
The code contains your password in plain text
Anyone who scans it, or who holds the image file, can read the password. Generate it with a tool that runs entirely in your browser so the password isn't sent to a server, and share the image only with people you'd trust with the password itself.
Best practices
- Put the code on a guest network, so visitors never share a network with your own devices.
- Print it and place it near the router, in a guest room, or at a rental property.
- Change the password (and reprint the code) if it's ever shared more widely than you intended.
- Use WPA2 or WPA3; avoid WEP, which is easily broken.
- Add the network name as text next to the code, for devices that can't scan.
Frequently asked questions
Do WiFi QR codes work on both iPhone and Android?
Yes. iPhones running iOS 11 or later and most Android phones can scan the code with the camera and join the network.
Is it safe to share a WiFi QR code?
The code contains the password in plain text, so it's as safe as sharing the password itself. Use a guest network and rotate the password if it spreads.
What security type should I choose?
Choose WPA for WPA, WPA2, and WPA3 personal networks. Use nopass only for open networks, and avoid WEP.
Why won't my WiFi QR code connect?
Check the SSID capitalization, the password, the security type, and escape any backslash, semicolon, comma, colon, or quote characters in the name or password.
Try it: WiFi QR Code Generator — free, runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded.
Originally published at ilovekit.app.
Top comments (0)