WiFi QR Code Generator

How to create a WiFi QR code

1. Type the network name (SSID) exactly as it appears in the Wi-Fi list on your phone, including capital letters and spaces.
2. Enter the password. Choose WPA / WPA2 for almost every home and office network, or None for an open network (the password box is then disabled).
3. Tick Hidden network only if your router does not broadcast its name.
4. Adjust the colors or size if you want, keeping a dark code on a light background.
5. Test it: on a phone that has never joined the network (or after choosing "Forget this network"), scan the preview and check that it connects.
6. Download the PNG or SVG and print it where guests will see it.

How it works

A WiFi QR code contains a short text string in a format first documented by the open-source ZXing barcode project and now understood by the built-in camera apps of current iPhones and Android phones. For a WPA network called CafeGuest with the password espresso2026, QR Hut encodes:

WIFI:T:WPA;S:CafeGuest;P:espresso2026;;

• T: is the security type: WPA, WEP or nopass for an open network.
• S: is the network name (SSID).
• P: is the password. It is left out for open networks.
• H:true is added only when you tick "Hidden network".
• The string ends with two semicolons.

Because semicolons and colons separate the fields, QR Hut puts a backslash in front of any backslash, semicolon, comma, colon or double quote in the name or password, as the format requires. Open Show encoded text under the preview to see exactly what goes into the code. The example above becomes a version 3 code (29 × 29 modules) at the default error correction level M.

When someone scans the code, the phone reads these fields and offers to join the network. It then connects directly to your router, so the code works even where there is no mobile signal. The code is generated in your browser: the network name and password are never sent to QR Hut.

Security and printing tips

• Assume the password is public. The code is a readable copy of it. Only display it where you would be comfortable writing the password on a card.
• Use a guest network. Many routers can run a separate guest network that keeps visitors away from your own computers, printers and cameras. Put that network on the code.
• Reprint after changes. A new password or network name means a new code. Remove old printouts so guests do not get stuck.
• Add a label. Print "Scan to join the Wi-Fi" above the code, and the network name and password below it for laptops and older devices.
• Size and finish. A code 4 to 5 cm wide on a table card or fridge magnet is easy to scan from arm's length. Matte lamination avoids glare under ceiling lights.

Where WiFi codes help

• Homes and holiday rentals: a card in the welcome folder saves reading out a password to every visitor.
• Cafés, restaurants and bars: a code on the table tent or the counter.
• Offices and co-working spaces: a visitor network code at reception or in meeting rooms.
• Events, workshops and classrooms: a code on the first slide or on the door.
• Waiting rooms in clinics, salons and garages.

Limitations

• No enterprise networks. WPA2-Enterprise or 802.1X networks that need a username or certificate are not supported; the extra fields they need are not generated here.
• No separate WPA3 option. Many phones join mixed WPA2/WPA3 networks from a WPA code, but behavior with WPA3-only networks varies by device, so test it.
• Login pages still appear. If a network shows a sign-in or terms page after connecting (common in hotels), the code only gets people onto the network; the page still appears.
• Laptops. Most laptops have no built-in way to join a network from a QR code, so print the password as well.
• One network per code. If your 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands have different names, make a code for each.

Scanning a WiFi code from someone else? A public code can point to a network set up by a stranger. Our QR code safety guide explains what to look out for.