How to Share Your WiFi Password With a QR Code

Telling guests your WiFi password one character at a time is genuinely one of the minor annoyances of modern hospitality. A QR code that connects their phone automatically fixes this in about two minutes of setup.

How WiFi QR codes work

A WiFi QR code contains a specially formatted string with your network name (SSID), password, and encryption type. When a phone scans it, iOS or Android reads that string and offers to connect to the network automatically — no typing required. The password is embedded in the QR code itself, so the person scanning never actually sees it as text.

How to create one

Open the QR Code Generator and select the WiFi tab. Enter your network name (SSID) exactly as it appears — capitalization and spaces matter. Enter your password. Select your encryption type: WPA/WPA2 is correct for virtually all modern routers. WEP is an older, less secure format you'll rarely need.

Click Generate. Test it with your own phone before printing anything. The code should prompt "Join network [your network name]?" when scanned.

Where to put it

A framed card near the entrance or in a guest room works well at home. Cafes and co-working spaces often put it at the counter or on tables. If you're printing for a business, laminated cards outlast plain paper considerably.

One thing to keep in mind: the code contains your WiFi password in a machine-readable form. Anyone with the code can extract the password with the right tools. For guest networks, this is usually fine. For your main network with sensitive devices connected, you may want to share your guest network credentials instead.

What if someone's phone doesn't support it?

All modern iPhones and Android phones support WiFi QR codes natively — no app required. Older phones (pre-2018 roughly) may not. For those cases, having the password written somewhere nearby as a fallback is fine. Most of your guests will be able to scan it though.