Wi-Fi QR Code Generator

Reading out a Wi-Fi password is awkward and error-prone: "lowercase L, at sign, two esses...". The Wi-Fi QR Code solves it — the person points the camera, taps "connect", done. It works in receptions, cafés, clinics, meeting rooms and at home when guests come over. This page shows how to create yours and how to handle the cases that usually go wrong.

What exactly goes inside the code

Contrary to what many people assume, the QR Code does not "connect" the phone to the network. It carries only a piece of text in a standard format that the operating system knows how to interpret. The text looks like this:

WIFI:T:WPA;S:NetworkName;P:MyPassword123;H:false;;

• T is the security type: WPA (covers WPA, WPA2 and WPA3), WEP, or nopass for open networks.
• S is the SSID, the network name exactly as it appears in the list.
• P is the password.
• H indicates whether the network is hidden (does not show up in the list of available networks).

In other words: the password sits in the code, readable by anyone who can decode it. That matters, and we come back to it in the security section.

How to create yours

1. Type the network name (SSID) exactly as it is — uppercase, lowercase, spaces and accents all matter.
2. Choose the security type. WPA/WPA2 covers the overwhelming majority of modern routers.
3. Type the password carefully. It is the field that generates the most "it does not work" complaints.
4. Tick the hidden network option only if your network genuinely does not show up in a scan.
5. Download as PNG to send over messaging, or as SVG if you plan to print and frame it.

WPA2, WPA3, WEP or open network

• WPA2 is the standard on most home and business networks. Choose WPA.
• WPA3 is the newer standard. Also use the WPA option — the format field does not distinguish the two, and phones negotiate the version automatically.
• WEP is obsolete and insecure. If your router still uses WEP, the best advice is not to generate the QR Code: it is to switch the configuration to WPA2.
• Open network (no password) uses nopass. In that case the password field stays empty.

Passwords with special characters

This is the number one reason a Wi-Fi QR Code fails. The characters semicolon (;), comma (,), colon (:), double quote (") and backslash (\) have special meaning inside the format and must be escaped with a backslash in front.

We handle that escaping automatically — you type the password exactly as it is and we take care of the rest. It is worth knowing, because many generators out there do not handle this case, which is why a code made on another site can end up connecting with the wrong password.

One note: if your password consists only of digits, some older systems interpret it as a hexadecimal number. It is rare, but if it happens, the fix is to add a letter to the network password.

Hidden networks

If you disabled SSID broadcasting on the router, the network does not appear in the phone list. In that case you must tick the hidden network option — without it, the phone looks for a visible network with that name, fails to find it, and the connection silently fails.

iPhone and Android: what differs

• On iPhone (iOS 11 or later) just open the camera and point: a notification appears at the top to join the network. It works quite consistently.
• On Android the behaviour varies by manufacturer and version. On most recent phones the native camera handles it; on some you need the QR Code reader in quick settings or Google Lens.
• On older Androids (before version 10) support for automatic QR Code connection is patchy. It is worth keeping the password written somewhere as a fallback.

Where to put the code in practice

• Reception desk and service counter, in a small photo frame.
• Café and restaurant tables, next to the menu.
• Hotel and guesthouse rooms, on the wall or in the welcome folder.
• Meeting rooms and coworking spaces, near the power outlet or the TV.
• At home, on a cupboard door or behind the router itself, for when someone asks.

For table or counter use, print at least 3 cm on each side. For a reception wall, where people scan from a distance, go up to 10 cm or more.

Security: use the guest network

Because the password travels readable inside the code, anyone who photographs the QR Code takes the password with them — and still has it after they leave. For a business, that is acceptable as long as you follow one rule:

Generate the QR Code for the guest network, never for the main one. Practically every modern router can create a separate network, isolated from the one holding your computer, point-of-sale system, cameras and shared files. That way a visitor gets internet without getting access to your equipment.

And if the password leaks in a way that bothers you, the remedy is simple: change the guest network password and generate a new code. Nothing beyond the printed sign needs to change.

Other QR Code types

Each QR Code type stores information in a different way. See which one best fits your case:

• Link QR Code (URL) — opens a website in the browser.
• PIX QR Code — receives payments in the Brazilian standard.
• WhatsApp QR Code — opens the chat with a ready message.
• Contact QR Code (vCard) — saves your details to the address book.
• Email QR Code — opens the mail app with the subject filled in.
• SMS QR Code — opens the message with the text ready.
• Phone QR Code — opens the dialler with the number.
• Text QR Code — stores the information and works offline.
• App download QR Code — sends each phone to the right store.