How to Make a Wi-Fi QR Code Guests Can Scan
Gizke Team · Published · Reading time: 1 minute
Open the QR code generator, switch to Create, and type this into the content box, with your own network name and password:
On this page
WIFI:T:WPA;S:YourNetworkName;P:YourPassword;;
The code appears as you type. Download the PNG, print it, and guests join by pointing their camera at it. Nothing you type is sent anywhere, which matters when the text is your Wi-Fi password.
What each part means
T:is the security type. UseWPAfor any modern router (WPA2 and WPA3 included),WEPfor very old ones, ornopassfor an open network.S:is the network name (SSID), exactly as your router spells it, capitals included.P:is the password.H:true;is optional. Add it only if your network is hidden.- The line ends with two semicolons.
This format started in the ZXing barcode project and is documented in its wiki; phone cameras on iOS and Android understand it.
The characters that break it
If your network name or password contains \ ; , : or ", put a backslash in front of each one. A password like cafe;2026 becomes P:cafe\;2026;. Forgetting this is the most common reason a code shows the network but fails to connect.
Print it so it scans
- Size: at least 3 × 3 cm for a table card, 5 cm or more on a wall people scan from a distance.
- Error correction: pick Medium or Quartile. A slightly denser code survives scratches, coffee rings and lamination glare.
- Leave white space around the code. Don't trim it to the edge.
- Test it with two different phones before you laminate anything.
A quicker way on Android
Android phones can already show a QR code for the network they're connected to: open Wi-Fi settings, tap the network and choose Share, as Google's help page describes. That's handy for a one-off. For a printed sign, making your own code lets you use a guest network and control the size.