How to make a QR code for Wi-Fi

Nobody enjoys reading a 20-character password off the back of a router. A Wi-Fi QR code lets guests point their camera at it and join your network with one tap. No app needed, and no typing.

How Wi-Fi QR codes work

A Wi-Fi QR code doesn't contain a link. It holds a short piece of text in a standard format that phone cameras recognize:

WIFI:T:WPA;S:CoffeeShop Guest;P:latte2026;;

• T is the security type: WPA (also used for WPA2 and WPA3), WEP, or nopass for an open network.
• S is the network name (SSID), exactly as it appears in your phone's Wi-Fi list.
• P is the password.
• H:true is optional. Add it only if your network is hidden.

The camera app on iPhone (iOS 11 and later) and most Android phones (Android 10 and later) reads this text and offers a "Join network" button. Nothing is sent over the internet. The phone just connects.

Build your Wi-Fi code

Fill in your network details below. Click Generate to preview and download your code without leaving this page. Special characters are escaped for you. Everything runs in your browser, so your password is never sent anywhere.

Step by step

1. Enter your Wi-Fi network name (SSID) and password above.
2. Choose your security type (usually WPA / WPA2 / WPA3). Check “Hidden network” only if appropriate.
3. Click Generate Wi-Fi QR Code to see the preview immediately on this page.
4. Click Download PNG for screens or Download SVG for printing.
5. Test it with a compatible iPhone or Android phone before displaying it.

Security tips

• Use a guest network. Most routers can run a separate guest network that can't see your printers, cameras, or computers. Put that one on the QR code, not your main network.
• Remember the code is the password. Anyone who photographs the code can read the password with a free app. Only display it where you'd be comfortable writing the password on the wall.
• Rotate it occasionally. For a business, changing the guest password every few months and reprinting a small card is cheap insurance.

Where to put it

• Cafés and restaurants: table tents, the counter, or the back of the menu.
• Airbnbs and rentals: a framed card by the door or on the fridge, next to the house rules.
• Offices and waiting rooms: the reception desk or meeting-room walls.
• At home: a small card on the fridge, which spares you from spelling out the password for every visitor.

Print it at least 2 cm (about 1 inch) wide for close-up scanning, and add a line like "Scan to join Wi-Fi" so people know what it is. It also helps to print the network name and password underneath for older phones and laptops that can't scan.

Troubleshooting

• The camera sees the code but doesn't offer to join: check the network name. It's case-sensitive and must match exactly, including spaces.
• It says the password is wrong: check the security type. Most modern routers use WPA2 or WPA3, which both count as "WPA" here.
• Nothing happens on an older Android phone: open Settings → Wi-Fi and look for a QR scan icon, or use Google Lens.
• It won't scan at all: increase contrast, shrink the logo, or print it bigger.

Wi-Fi codes, logos, colors, and SVG export are all free on the QRforLess generator, with no watermark and no sign-up.