How to Share Your Wi-Fi Password With a QR Code
If you’ve ever spelled out a Wi-Fi password letter by letter for a guest (“that’s a lowercase L, not a one”), a Wi-Fi QR code solves the problem. Scan it with a phone camera, and the phone connects automatically — no typing required.
How it works
A Wi-Fi QR code does not link to a website. It encodes the network name, password and security type directly in a special text format that phones recognize. When a camera app scans it, the phone offers to join that network immediately, using the embedded credentials. Nothing is sent anywhere — the code works even with no internet connection, which is exactly the situation it’s solving.
Creating one
- Open the QR code generator and choose the Wi-Fi tab.
- Enter your network name (SSID) exactly as it appears when you search for networks — it’s case-sensitive.
- Choose the security type. Almost all home and office networks use WPA/WPA2; older routers occasionally use WEP, and open networks with no password use None.
- Enter the password, then download the code as PNG (for printing or sharing as an image) or SVG (if you want to resize it without blurring, for example for a large printed sign).
Where to put it
- Printed and taped near the router — useful for a home office or a small business where the same network is shared often.
- On a welcome sign for guests — a short-term rental, café, or waiting room.
- In a digital house manual or PDF — works just as well scanned from a screen as from paper.
A few things to know before you print one
- Anyone who scans the code can join your network. Treat a Wi-Fi QR code the same way you’d treat the written password — don’t post it somewhere the public can see it unless that’s intentional (for example, a café explicitly offering free Wi-Fi).
- If you change the Wi-Fi password, the old QR code stops working. You’ll need to generate and reprint a new one.
- It only works for the network you encoded. A code made for your home Wi-Fi won’t help a guest join a different network, even if they’re standing right next to your router.
Beyond Wi-Fi
The same generator also makes QR codes for plain links and text — useful for sharing a URL on a printed flyer, a business card, or a presentation slide without anyone having to type it in. See the QR code generator for all three modes.
Ready to try it? Open QR Code Generator →