How to Make a WiFi QR Code for Guests

Updated: 2026-11-03 · 8 min read

Your guest is squinting at the sticker under the router, reading "l" or "1"? for the third time. A WiFi QR code ends that ritual. They point a camera, tap once, and they are online.

Why a QR code beats reading out the password

Long, random passwords are good security, but they are miserable to type on a phone keyboard. A QR code lets you keep a strong password and still make connecting effortless. It also avoids the awkward moment of writing your password on a scrap of paper that ends up who knows where.

A WiFi QR code is not magic. It simply stores a short line of text containing your network name, the security type and the password. Phone cameras recognise that pattern and offer to join the network. Nothing is sent over the internet when someone scans it, and the code works offline, forever, until you change the password or the network name.

What you need before you start

Gather three details. Getting any of them wrong is the number one reason a code fails.

• Network name (SSID): exactly as it appears in your WiFi list, including capital letters, spaces and symbols. "Home_WiFi" and "home_wifi" are different networks.
• Security type: almost every modern home router uses WPA2-Personal, WPA3-Personal, or a mixed WPA2/WPA3 mode. In a QR code all of these are written as WPA. Very old routers may use WEP, and open networks use no password.
• Password: the exact WiFi key, case-sensitive. If you are not sure what it is, check the router label, the router's admin page, or a device that is already connected (our guide on finding a saved WiFi password on Android shows how).

Tip: if you have a separate guest network, use that instead of your main one. We explain why and how in How to Set Up a Guest WiFi Network.

Method 1: Use your Android phone's built-in share

Android 10 and later can show a QR code for any saved network. The menu names vary slightly by brand, but the flow is similar:

1. Open Settings and go to Network & internet (or Connections on Samsung).
2. Tap Internet or Wi-Fi, then tap the gear icon or the name of the network you are connected to.
3. Tap Share (Pixel and stock Android) or the QR code button (Samsung).
4. Confirm with your PIN, pattern or fingerprint.
5. A QR code appears on screen, usually with the password written below it.

This is perfect for a guest standing right in front of you. To print it, take a screenshot, crop it to just the code, and print it. Do not post that screenshot anywhere online.

Method 2: Use an iPhone

iPhones can scan WiFi QR codes with the Camera app, but older iOS versions cannot create one. On iOS 18 and later, Apple's Passwords app has a Wi-Fi section where you can open a saved network and choose to show its network QR code. On earlier versions, you can view the password (iOS 16+: Settings > Wi-Fi > tap the info icon next to the network > Password) and then type it into a QR generator.

iPhones also have their own sharing trick: if a guest has an iPhone and you are in each other's contacts, your iPhone may pop up a "Share Password" card when they try to join. That only works Apple-to-Apple, which is why a printed QR code is still handy for mixed households.

Method 3: Use a WiFi QR generator app or website

A generator gives you a clean, printable code and lets you create codes for networks your phone is not currently connected to.

1. Choose a generator. Prefer one that builds the code on your device rather than uploading your password to a server.
2. Type the SSID exactly.
3. Select the security type (WPA/WPA2/WPA3, WEP, or None).
4. Type the password.
5. Tick Hidden network only if your router does not broadcast its name (see Hidden Network WiFi QR Code: How It Works).
6. Generate, then save or print the image.

On Android, Wifi QR Connect does this in one screen: you enter the SSID, choose the security type and type the password to create a WiFi QR code. The same app can also scan WiFi QR codes, share your hotspot with a QR code, run a download and upload speed test, and show your current connection info. Its scan history is stored locally on your device.

Method 4: Windows

Recent Windows 11 updates let you view the password of a saved network under Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks, and some builds also show a QR code there for sharing. If your version does not, you can reveal the key from Command Prompt with:

netsh wlan show profile name="YourNetworkName" key=clear

Look for the line "Key Content", then paste the details into a generator.

Test before you print

Never print a code you have not tested. Use two devices if you can:

• Android: open the camera or Google Lens, point at the code, and tap the "Connect to network" prompt.
• iPhone: open the Camera app, point at the code, and tap the "Join network" banner.

To test properly, first tell the test phone to forget the network, otherwise it will connect with its saved password and you will not know if the code is right. If it fails, check our 9 fixes for WiFi QR codes that don't work.

Printing and placing the code

A good guest card is simple and readable:

• Size: at least 3 x 3 cm (about 1.2 inches) for close-up scanning; 5 cm or more if it will be on a wall.
• Contrast: black code on a white background. Avoid placing it over photos or patterns.
• Quiet zone: leave white space around the code; do not crop right to the edge.
• Label it: "Scan to join WiFi" plus the network name, and optionally the password in small text for laptops without cameras.
• Finish: a matte finish or a plastic sleeve reduces glare. Glossy lamination under bright lights can make scanning slower.

Good spots inside a home are the fridge door, a frame on the entry table, a guest room nightstand or the inside of a kitchen cabinet. For design ideas, see Printable WiFi Sign Ideas for Home and Airbnb.

Keep it safe

A WiFi QR code is your password in a different format. Anyone who scans it, or anyone who photographs it, can join your network and can also read the password with a basic QR reader app.

• Keep the card indoors, not in a window, on a door facing the street, or in a social media photo.
• Prefer a guest network so visitors cannot see your printers, smart cameras or shared drives.
• If someone you do not trust has scanned it, change the password and print a new code (how to change your WiFi password and update QR codes).
• Never use WPS as an alternative; a QR code with a strong password is far safer than WPS push-button or PIN pairing.

There is more detail in Is It Safe to Share WiFi With a QR Code?.

A quick example

Imagine your network is called Sharma Home and the password is Mango#River42, using WPA2/WPA3. In the generator you enter exactly that name with the space, pick WPA, and type the password. The text inside the code becomes:

WIFI:T:WPA;S:Sharma Home;P:Mango#River42;;

If the name or password contains a semicolon, comma, colon, backslash or double quote, good generators add a backslash before it automatically. If you are curious how this works, read WiFi QR Code Format Explained.

Which method should you use?

• Guest is right next to you: Android's built-in Share screen or iOS 18 Passwords app. Fastest, nothing to print.
• Regular visitors, family gatherings: generate once, print a card, keep it in the house.
• Holiday rental or home office: a guest network plus a printed, labelled card, refreshed whenever you change the password.
• Laptops without cameras: keep the password printed small under the code, or share it by message to the guest directly.

FAQ

Do guests need an app to scan a WiFi QR code?

Usually not. iPhones on iOS 11 or later and most Android phones from the last several years can scan WiFi QR codes with the built-in camera or Google Lens. Older phones may need a QR scanner app.

Does the QR code still work if my internet is down?

The code still connects people to your WiFi, because it only contains the network details. Whether they get internet depends on your router's connection, not the code.

Will the QR code expire?

No. It keeps working until you change the network name, password or security type. After any of those changes you must create and print a new code.

Can I make a QR code for a WPA3 network?

Yes. Choose WPA in most generators; phones that support WPA3 will negotiate it automatically. Older devices that do not support WPA3 may fail to join a WPA3-only network, so mixed WPA2/WPA3 mode is the friendliest choice for guests.

Is it safe to print my WiFi password as a QR code?

It is as safe as a written password, so treat it the same way. Keep it inside your home, use a guest network where possible, and change the password if the card has been seen by people you do not want on your network.