To create a WiFi QR code, encode your network in the standard text format WIFI:T:WPA;S:network name;P:password;; and turn that text into a QR code. The fastest way: open our free QR code generator, choose Wi-Fi network, type the network name and password, and download the PNG or SVG. When a guest points an iPhone (iOS 11 or later) or a recent Android camera at it, the phone offers to join the network without anyone typing the password. The tool is free, needs no account and runs in your browser, so the password never reaches our server.
Everything below was tested on the live tool on November 1, 2026 in Chrome. We decoded every downloaded file with our own QR code reader and with the open-source zxing-cpp library (version 3.1.1) to confirm what a scanner actually sees. The outputs quoted here are the real ones.
How to create a WiFi QR code step by step
- Find the exact network name and password. Both are case-sensitive. Copy them from your router's label or admin page rather than typing from memory:
Casa-Lopez 5Gandcasa-lopez 5gare different networks to a phone. - Open the generator. Go to the QR code generator and set QR code type to Wi-Fi network.
- Fill in the fields. Enter the network name (SSID) and the password. Under Security, keep WPA / WPA2 / WPA3 for almost any router made in the last 15 years. Pick None (open network) only if the network has no password. Tick Hidden network only if your router doesn't broadcast its name.
- Check the text under the preview. The tool shows the exact string inside the code. It trims spaces at the start and end of the network name for you. Spaces in the password are kept, because they can be real, but a warning appears under the password box if it starts or ends with one.
- Download. Use Download PNG (pick 1024 × 1024 px for print) or Download SVG for a vector file that stays sharp at any size.
- Test before you print. Scan it with one iPhone and one Android phone, or upload the file to the QR code reader and compare the text with your settings.
Try it now: make your code in the free WiFi QR code generator. It takes about 30 seconds, and nothing you type leaves your device.
What is inside a WiFi QR code
A WiFi QR code holds no link and no app data. It is plain text in a format first documented by the ZXing barcode project, which phone cameras now understand natively. It is built from fields that each end with a semicolon:
T:the security type:WPA(covers WPA, WPA2 and WPA3 passwords),WEP, ornopassfor an open network.S:the network name (SSID).P:the password. It's left out for open networks.H:truemarks a hidden network.- A second semicolon closes the whole record.
Five characters have a special meaning in this format: \ ; , : ". If your network name or password contains one, it must be escaped with a backslash, otherwise the phone cuts the value at that character and the join fails. Our generator does this for you, and the test below shows it.
Worked examples (real outputs)
1. A normal home network
Input: name Casa-Lopez 5G, password naranja-limon-2026, WPA. Output text:
WIFI:T:WPA;S:Casa-Lopez 5G;P:naranja-limon-2026;;At the default Medium error correction this became a version 4 QR code (33 × 33 modules). The 512 px PNG was 8,953 bytes and the SVG 48,995 bytes. Both decoders returned the text exactly.
2. A café name with a semicolon and a password with symbols
Input: name Joe's Café; Guest, password Pa:ss,"word"\1. Output:
WIFI:T:WPA;S:Joe's Café\; Guest;P:Pa\:ss\,\"word\"\\1;;The semicolon, colon, comma, both double quotes and the backslash each got a backslash. The apostrophe and the é did not, and they don't need one. Many quick generators skip this escaping. Their code scans fine but joins nothing, because the phone reads the network name as Joe's Café and treats the rest as junk.
3. An open network
Input: name Library Free WiFi, security None, and we deliberately left ignored123 in the password box. Output: WIFI:T:nopass;S:Library Free WiFi;;. The tool correctly dropped the password, so a leftover value can't leak into a public code. The password box also disappears as soon as you pick None.
4. A hidden network
Input: name Office-IoT, password H1dd3n!Net, Hidden network ticked. Output: WIFI:T:WPA;S:Office-IoT;P:H1dd3n!Net;H:true;;. The H:true flag tells the phone to probe for the network even though it isn't on the visible list.
How big to print it
The denser the code, the bigger it needs to be. Density depends on how much text it holds and on the error correction level. Here's the same home-network text from example 1 at all four levels:
| Error correction | QR version | Modules (incl. 4-module border) | Module size if printed 3 cm wide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low (7%) | 3 | 29 (37) | 0.81 mm |
| Medium (15%), default | 4 | 33 (41) | 0.73 mm |
| Quartile (25%) | 5 | 37 (45) | 0.67 mm |
| High (30%) | 6 | 41 (49) | 0.61 mm |
A 63-character password at High jumped to version 9 (53 modules). For a table tent or a fridge card, Medium at 4 to 5 cm wide is a comfortable size. Use High for codes that live outdoors or in a kitchen where they'll get splashed. A common rule of thumb is that a code scans from about 10 times its width, so a 5 cm code works from about half a meter away. Download the SVG, or the 1024 px PNG, for anything printed. A 256 px PNG stretched onto a poster prints blurry.
Pitfalls we hit while testing
A blank password is now blocked
In our first test, WPA with an empty password box still produced a code, WIFI:T:WPA;S:Casa-Lopez 5G;P:;;, which no phone can join. We fixed that on November 1, 2026. With WPA or WEP selected and no password, the tool now makes no code and says: Enter the Wi-Fi password. If the network has no password, choose "None (open network)" under Security. The password box is marked in red. The tool also warns when a WPA password is shorter than 8 or longer than 63 characters, the limits of the standard.
Trailing spaces: trimmed in the name, flagged in the password
Paste Casa-Lopez 5G with a space at the end and the code now contains S:Casa-Lopez 5G;, because the tool trims the network name. (If your network name really ends with a space, which is rare, rename it in the router.) The password is never trimmed, since a space can be part of it. Type naranja-limon-2026 and the code keeps the space, but this warning appears under the password box: Heads up: the password starts or ends with a space. The space is kept in the QR code, so it must really be part of your router's password. If it isn't, delete it. A pasted stray space is the most common reason a copied password "doesn't work".
Pale colors and white-on-black
We made the same code in light blue #9fc5e8 on white (contrast ratio 1.81:1) and in white on black. The generator showed its low-contrast warning for both. At first our QR code reader returned No data found for both. After the November 1 update it retries with contrast-boosted and inverted copies of the image, and it read both, like zxing-cpp. Not every scanner app is that forgiving, though, so pale or inverted colors are still not a risk worth taking on a printed card. A dark navy #1f3a5f on white (11.48:1) decoded everywhere. If you want brand colors, use the color picker to grab a dark shade and keep the background light.
Changing the password kills every printed code
A WiFi QR code is static: the password is baked into the pattern. It never expires, but the day you change the password or replace the router (which often changes the name), every printed copy stops working. Plan to reprint.
Two edge cases with older settings
WEP is obsolete and many current phones refuse to join WEP networks, so a WEP code may not help. Separately, a WPA password made of exactly 64 hexadecimal characters is treated as a raw key rather than a passphrase. That is how WPA itself works, so type it exactly as your router shows it.
Is it safe to share your WiFi password as a QR code?
The password isn't hidden by the code, only made convenient. Anyone who photographs it can read it in plain text. Our QR code reader displays P:naranja-limon-2026 in full. So put the code on your guest network, not the one your laptops and smart-home hub use, and give that network a strong password. The password generator makes one in a click, and the password strength checker tells you how it holds up. For the other side of the problem, here's how to check if a QR code is safe before you scan it.
Already connected and just need to share? Android 10 and later can show a QR code for the current network in its Wi-Fi settings (open the network and tap Share). On an iPhone, iOS 18 added a Passwords app that can show a QR code for saved networks. For a code you'll print and keep, the generator gives you control over size, colors and file format.
Frequently asked questions
Do WiFi QR codes expire?
No. The network name and password are stored in the code itself, with no redirect service behind it. The code keeps working until you change the password or the network name.
Can an iPhone scan a WiFi QR code?
Yes. The built-in Camera app has recognized WiFi QR codes since iOS 11. Point it at the code and tap the Join Network prompt. On Android 10 and later, use the camera, Google Lens or the QR icon on the Wi-Fi settings screen.
Which security type should I choose for a WPA3 router?
Choose WPA / WPA2 / WPA3, which writes T:WPA into the code. That value means the network uses a password, and the phone negotiates the actual protocol with the router. Test with an older phone if your router runs in WPA3-only mode.
Can someone see my WiFi password from the QR code?
Yes. Any QR reader shows the full text, including the password. Use a guest network for codes you display in public.
What if my password has symbols like ; or :?
The generator escapes them automatically. Pa:ss,word becomes Pa\:ss\,word inside the code, and the phone removes the backslashes when it joins.
Is the WiFi QR code generator really free?
Yes. It's free, needs no account and runs in your browser. The code is drawn on your device, and our network log showed no request carrying the network name or password.
Make your WiFi QR code now
Open the free QR code generator, choose Wi-Fi network and download a code your guests can scan in a second. Then verify it with the QR code reader. If you're putting links on the same card, see how to create a WhatsApp link and how to create a mailto link, and pick a guest password with our guide on how to create a strong password.
