Wi-Fi QR Code Generator
Let guests join your Wi-Fi by scanning a QR code.
What is a Wi-Fi QR code?
A Wi-Fi QR code stores your network name, password and security type in a standard format. When a guest scans it, their phone offers to join the network automatically — no dictating passwords or typing on a tiny keyboard.
How to create one
Enter the exact network name (SSID), the password, and the encryption type (WPA/WPA2/WPA3 for most modern routers, WEP for older ones, or "No password" for open networks). Toggle Hidden network if your SSID isn't broadcast. Special characters such as ; , : \ are escaped for you, following the standard WIFI: format.
Wi-Fi security basics
The SSID identifies your network; the password protects it; the encryption type tells devices how to connect. WPA2 and WPA3 are secure; WEP is outdated and easily broken — upgrade if you can. A Wi-Fi QR code is only as private as the paper or screen it's printed on.
Where to use it
Cafés, hotels, offices, rentals and homes use Wi-Fi QR codes on table tents, welcome cards and reception signs. Print it where trusted guests can see it — not on a public-facing window.
Privacy and security
Your password stays on your device: it is encoded in your browser, never uploaded, and never saved to this site's local storage. When you reset the form, the fields are cleared completely.
Limitations
Anyone who can see the code can join the network, so treat it like a written-down password. A few older phones need a third-party scanner to read Wi-Fi codes.
Which security type to choose
The security type has to match what the router is actually running. A mismatch produces a code that scans, shows the network name, and then fails to connect — which looks like a broken QR code but is not one.
| Router setting | Choose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| WPA2-Personal (AES) | WPA | The common case. The Wi-Fi QR format has one token covering WPA and WPA2. |
| WPA2/WPA3 mixed mode | WPA | Works on current phones. This is the safest setting for a code that guests with older devices will scan. |
| WPA3-Personal only | WPA | The format has no separate WPA3 token. Modern devices handle it; a device too old for WPA3 could not join by typing the password either. |
| WEP | WEP | Only for legacy equipment. WEP is broken and should be replaced, not shared more conveniently. |
| Open / no password | None | Leave the password field empty. A password on an open network makes the code fail. |
| WPA2-Enterprise (802.1X) | Not supported | Enterprise networks need a username, certificate or profile. No Wi-Fi QR code can carry that. |
Passwords with special characters
The Wi-Fi QR format is a delimited string — WIFI:T:WPA;S:MyNetwork;P:MyPassword;; — so four characters have structural meaning and must be escaped with a backslash when they appear in your SSID or password:
\ (backslash) · ; (semicolon) · , (comma) · : (colon) · " (double quote)
This tool escapes them for you — type the password exactly as it is on the router and do not add backslashes yourself, or they will end up in the encoded password. A password of Café;2026 is encoded as Café\;2026 and the phone receives Café;2026, which is what you wanted.
Two more things worth knowing. Leading and trailing spaces are preserved, and they are invisible in the field — if a code will not connect and everything looks right, check for a trailing space. And a password made only of hexadecimal digits can be ambiguous: some implementations read it as a raw WEP key rather than a passphrase.
Hidden networks
If the SSID is not broadcast, tick Hidden network. That sets H:true in the encoded string, which tells the phone to probe for the network by name instead of waiting to see it in a scan. Leave it off for a normal network — setting it unnecessarily makes some devices slower to connect.
Hiding an SSID is not a security measure. The name is still broadcast by every device that has connected to it, and it makes joining harder for guests rather than harder for an attacker.
Before you put this code on a wall
A Wi-Fi QR code is a plaintext password on a poster. Anyone who can photograph it has the password, permanently, including through a window or from a photo somebody else posts.
- Use the guest network. Most routers can run one. It gives internet access without exposing printers, network storage, cameras or anything else on the main network. This is the single most useful thing on this page.
- Turn on client isolation on the guest network if the router offers it, so guests cannot see each other's devices.
- Do not post the code where it is visible from outside — a window-facing table tent is readable from the pavement.
- Plan to change the password. Printing a code commits you to that password until you reprint. For a rental or an event, pick a password you are willing to retire on a schedule.
- Never encode the router's admin password. This encodes the Wi-Fi passphrase only; they are different things and on many routers the admin one is still the factory default.
Phone support and what to expect
Scanning a Wi-Fi code does not silently join the network. Every current platform shows a confirmation first.
- iPhone (iOS 11+): the built-in Camera app recognises the code and offers a "Join network" banner. Nothing happens if the banner is ignored.
- Android 10+: the camera or Google Lens offers to connect; Android can also generate a code for a saved network from Wi-Fi settings, which is a quick way to check your code against the phone's own.
- Older Android: often needs a dedicated QR app, and support for the
WIFI:scheme varies. - Laptops: generally do not act on Wi-Fi QR codes at all. Print the network name and password as text alongside the code — this tool's label output does that for you.
Test with one phone of each platform before printing a batch. If the code scans but will not connect, the security type is the first thing to re-check, then a stray space in the password.
Frequently asked questions
Is my Wi-Fi password uploaded anywhere?
No. The password is encoded locally in your browser and is never sent to a server or saved in local storage.
Which encryption should I choose?
Pick WPA/WPA2/WPA3 for modern routers. Use WEP only for old hardware, and "No password" for open networks.
Does it work with hidden networks?
Yes. Enable the "Hidden network" option so devices know to search for a non-broadcast SSID.
Why do special characters look escaped?
The Wi-Fi standard requires characters like semicolons and backslashes to be escaped so the SSID and password are read correctly.
My phone scans the code but will not join the network. Why?
Almost always the security type or a stray character. Check that the type matches the router exactly — a WPA2 network encoded as Open, or an open network given a password, both produce this. Then check for a leading or trailing space in the password, which is invisible in the field. Enterprise (802.1X) networks cannot be encoded at all.
Can I use one code for a WPA2 and WPA3 network?
Yes. Choose WPA — the format has a single token covering WPA, WPA2 and WPA3, and mixed-mode routers work normally. A device too old for WPA3 could not join by typing the password either.
Is it safe to print a Wi-Fi QR code and put it on the wall?
It is a plaintext password on a poster: anyone who photographs it has permanent access. For a café, office or rental, encode the guest network rather than the main one, so visitors get internet without reaching your printers, storage or cameras.
Does the password get sent anywhere when I generate the code?
No. The string is assembled and the code drawn in your browser. There is no upload endpoint on this site to receive it, and the password is not written to storage or included in analytics.
Curious how we build and check these codes? Read our methodology.