How to Share Your Wi-Fi Password With a QR Code
By Tooldesk team · · 3 min read
To share your Wi-Fi with a QR code, enter your network name and password into a Wi-Fi QR code generator, choose the security type (usually WPA), and download the code. Guests point their phone camera at it and tap Join. Nobody has to read out or type the password.
How a Wi-Fi QR code works
The QR code stores your network name, password and security type in a standard format that phones understand. It looks like this inside:
WIFI:T:WPA;S:MyHomeNetwork;P:my-password;;
When a phone camera reads that text, it offers to join the network. Nothing goes through a website or app, so the code keeps working forever, even if the site that made it disappears.
Make your Wi-Fi QR code
- Open the Wi-Fi QR code generator.
- Type your network name (SSID) exactly as it appears on your phone’s Wi-Fi list. It is case-sensitive.
- Type the password.
- Choose Security. Pick WPA/WPA2/WPA3 for almost every modern router, WEP only for very old ones, or None for an open network.
- Tick Hidden network if your network doesn’t broadcast its name.
- Download it as PNG for screens and documents, or SVG for sharp printing at any size.
The code is generated in your browser, and your password is not sent anywhere.
Find your network name and password
If you don’t remember them:
- Router sticker: most routers print the default network name and password on the bottom or back.
- Windows: open Settings → Network & Internet → Wi-Fi, select your network, then choose View Wi-Fi security key. Older versions keep it under Wireless Properties → Security → Show characters.
- Mac: open the Keychain Access app, search for your network name, double-click it, and tick Show password.
- iPhone (iOS 16 or later): go to Settings → Wi-Fi, tap the ⓘ next to your network, then tap Password.
- Android: go to Settings → Network → Wi-Fi, tap your network, then tap Share. Android shows its own QR code here, which is handy for a quick one-off share.
Test it before you print
Scan the code with two phones, ideally one iPhone and one Android:
- iPhone: open the Camera app, point it at the code, and tap the Join network banner.
- Android: open the Camera app or Google Lens. On older phones, try the QR scanner in Quick Settings.
If the phone joins, the code is good. If it says the password is wrong, check for extra spaces and capital letters, then make the code again.
Print it well
- Size: at least 3 × 3 cm (about 1.2 inches) for scanning from arm’s length. Go bigger for a wall poster.
- Contrast: use a dark code on a light background. Light-on-dark codes and pale colors often fail to scan.
- Label it: add the network name and a line like “Scan to join Wi-Fi” so people know what it is.
- Placement: a café table stand, a guest-room frame or the fridge works well. For a business, keep it away from street-facing windows.
Is a Wi-Fi QR code safe?
The code contains your password in plain text, and anyone who scans it can read it. So treat the printed code like the password itself:
- Use a guest network. Most routers can create a separate guest Wi-Fi that can’t reach your computers or smart devices. Put the QR code on that network, not your main one.
- Change the password when needed. If a lot of people have had the code, change the guest password and print a new code. The old one stops working at once.
- Keep it indoors. Don’t post it where people outside your home or shop can photograph it.
Questions people ask
Do Wi-Fi QR codes expire?
No. The details are stored in the code itself. It works until you change your network name or password.
Can I put my logo on it?
Yes, but use High error correction so the code still scans with part of it covered. Keep the logo under about a fifth of the code’s width, and test it before printing. Our QR code generator lets you set error correction.
Will it work on older phones?
iPhones running iOS 11 or later and most Android phones from 2018 onward scan Wi-Fi codes from the camera. Older phones may need a QR scanner app.