TL;DR: To make a QR code for WiFi, enter your network name (SSID), password and security type, usually WPA/WPA2, into a free QR generator, then download and print the code. Guests point any phone camera at it and join in one tap. No website is needed either: Android and Windows 11 can display a code for a network you are already connected to.
Last checked: 13 October 2026. Steps below were verified against current Android, iOS and Windows 11 behaviour on this date.
Every host knows the ritual. A guest arrives, asks for the WiFi password, and you recite something like “capital K, lowercase x, seven, exclamation mark” while they mistype it three times. Cafes print passwords on menus where they get photographed and shared. There is a better way, and it takes about sixty seconds: a WiFi QR code that connects guests with a single scan. This guide covers the generator method, the built-in phone and Windows methods most guides skip, and how to print and place the code so it actually gets used.
What is a WiFi QR code, exactly?
It is an ordinary QR code carrying one line of plain text in a standard format: WIFI:T:WPA;S:YourNetworkName;P:YourPassword;; When a phone camera reads it, the phone recognises the format, extracts the network name, security type and password, and offers to join that network. Nothing is uploaded anywhere and no website sits in between, which is why connecting feels instant.
That simplicity cuts both ways. Because the password sits inside the code as readable text, anyone who scans or photographs the code can recover it. Treat a printed code exactly like a printed password: fine for guests you welcome, wrong for a network you need to keep private. The security section below shows how cafes and rentals solve that with a guest network.
How do you make a QR code for WiFi with a generator?
Use a free generator such as our QR code generator, which builds the code in your browser so your password never leaves your device. You need your exact network name and password, found on the router sticker, in the connected network’s details on your phone, or in the router admin page. Network names are case-sensitive, so copy them character for character rather than retyping from memory.
- Open the generator and choose the WiFi type, not URL or text.
- Enter the network name (SSID) exactly as it appears, including capital letters and spaces.
- Enter the password exactly. For a long password, paste it from your password manager instead of typing.
- Set the security type to WPA/WPA2, the default on virtually all modern routers. Change it only if you know yours differs.
- Generate, then test with your own phone before printing. If your phone joins, the code is correct.
- Download the image and print it at the sizes recommended below.
The skipped step is always the test. Thirty seconds of scanning your own code saves a reprint run and a queue of confused guests.
Which method should you use: generator, phone or Windows?
All four methods produce the same scannable code; they differ in the file you end up with. A generator gives you a clean, high-resolution image file, which is what printing needs. The built-in methods are quicker for sharing in person but only show the code on a screen, so a screenshot is the best copy you get. Match the method to the job using this table.
| Method | Works on | Output | Print quality | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online generator | Any device with a browser | Downloadable image file | High resolution | Signs, table cards, Airbnb frames |
| Android Share | Android 10 and later | On-screen code | Screenshot only, soft when enlarged | Sharing with a guest standing next to you |
| iPhone share | Recent iOS versions | On-screen code or share sheet | Not a print file | Apple households |
| Windows 11 | Windows 11 PCs | On-screen code | Screenshot only | Making one from a laptop on the network |
Can you make a WiFi QR code without a website?
Yes, three ways. On Android, open Settings, Network and internet, WiFi, tap your connected network and choose Share; after confirming with your fingerprint or PIN, the phone displays a QR code for that network. This has been built into Android since version 10. It is the fastest route when a guest is standing beside you and nobody needs a printed copy.
On iPhone, open Settings, WiFi, tap the information icon beside your network and look for the share or show-code option, confirming with Face ID; the exact wording varies between iOS versions, as Apple’s support page on sharing your Wi-Fi password explains. On Windows 11, open Settings, Network and internet, Wi-Fi, Manage known networks, open your network and choose Show next to the password; Microsoft added a generated QR code there, and its Windows support pages document the same screens. Google’s Pixel help pages cover the equivalent share flow on Pixel phones. Screenshot any of these if you need to keep them.
How do guests scan the code?
With the camera they already have. On iPhone, open the Camera app and point it at the code: a banner offers to join the named network, one tap confirms, and the phone connects. This works on iOS 11 and later, which covers every iPhone in realistic use. If the camera ignores codes entirely, enable Scan QR Codes under Settings, Camera.
On Android 9 and later, the camera app on most phones recognises the code and offers a join prompt; Samsung adds a QR scanner tile in the Quick Settings panel and Pixel phones handle it through the camera or Lens. The wording varies by manufacturer, but the flow is identical: scan, tap, connected. Keep the password printed in small text under the code for the rare guest whose phone is too old, a habit that also rescues you when a code gets damaged.
How big should you print it, and where should it go?
Print at least 3 by 3 centimetres for a code scanned at arm’s length, and 5 centimetres or more for one scanned from a cafe table. Keep the code black on white: coloured, transparent or heavily styled codes look smart and scan badly. Place it where people naturally look, which means table tents and counters in cafes, the welcome book and fridge door in rentals, and the meeting room wall near the door in offices.
Laminate the card. A laminated sign survives coffee spills and years of handling for about the cost of one coffee. Print the network name and password in small text beneath the code, and regenerate the code every time the password changes, because the old one fails silently. Hosts who do this once, properly, report that the password question simply stops being asked.
Is it safe to display your WiFi password as a QR code?
It is exactly as safe as telling guests the password, which is fine at home and careless for a business on its main network. The fix is a guest network: almost every router of the last decade can run a second network alongside your main one. Put the QR code on the guest network and guests get internet access without any path to your computers, printers or smart home devices.
Setting it up takes about ten minutes in your router’s settings or app: enable the guest network, give it a friendly name, set a strong password using our free password generator, and generate the QR code for that network instead. Treat a leaked code like a leaked password: change the password and reprint. The wider habits are in our beginner’s online privacy guide, and our free antivirus guide covers protecting the devices themselves.
Why is your WiFi QR code not working?
Work through the usual suspects in order. Most failures are a mistyped character, a stale code or a scanner setting, not a broken code. Regenerate from scratch rather than editing a saved image, because one wrong character fails silently and looks identical to a working code.
- Nothing happens when scanning: the scanner may be disabled (iPhone: Settings, Camera, Scan QR Codes), the lens is dirty, or the phone is very old. Brighten the screen or print, cut glare, and move closer.
- The phone tries to join but fails: a typo in the network name or password. Remember that SSIDs are case-sensitive; regenerate carefully.
- It worked last month but not now: the password has changed since the code was made. WiFi codes are static, so a new password always means a new code and a reprint.
- Works on some phones only: check the security type. Setting the code to WPA/WPA2 is the most compatible choice; some older Android phones are fussy about WPA3.
- Hidden networks: if your network name is not broadcast, many phones cannot join from a code at all. Unhiding it is simpler and barely reduces security.
More free utilities for jobs like this, from document tools to image tools, are gathered on our free tools hub.
Frequently asked questions
Does a WiFi QR code expire?
No, the code itself never expires, because it is just printed text. It stops working the moment you change the WiFi password or rename the network, since the old details are baked into the pattern. When that happens, generate a fresh code and reprint it; there is no way to update an existing print.
Do guests need an app to scan it?
No. iPhones from iOS 11 and Android phones from version 9 onward read WiFi codes with the built-in camera and offer a one-tap join. Only genuinely old phones need a separate scanner app, which is why printing the password in small text under the code remains a smart backup.
Can I make a QR code for a hidden network?
Sometimes. Some generators offer a hidden-network flag, and some phones honour it, but support is patchy and many phones simply ignore hidden networks presented by code. If guests must connect reliably, broadcasting the network name with a strong password is both simpler and, in practice, just as safe.
Does the generator see or store my WiFi password?
With the Savozi generator, no: the code is created locally in your browser, so your network name and password never leave your device. That is worth checking on any generator you use, because the honest ones run entirely on your device and the rest have no business knowing your password either.
Can I use the same code for my shop, rental and home?
Only if they share one network name and password, which they should not. Make a separate code per network, and for anywhere the public walks in, put the code on a guest network so a photographed code never becomes a route into your own devices, files or smart home kit.
The bottom line
Generate your code with the free QR generator, test it with your own phone, print it big and laminate it. Put business codes on a guest network, keep the password in small print underneath, and reprint whenever the password changes. Sixty seconds of setup, and you never have to spell your WiFi password out loud again.
