WiFi QR Code Generator

The WIFI: payload, spelled out

A Wi-Fi QR code holds a short, well defined string that Android and iOS both understand. This page assembles it from your four inputs then hands it to the qrcode-generator library, which renders at medium error correction. Everything happens in your browser and nothing is uploaded to a server. The passphrase stays on your device.

That string opens with WIFI:, then T: for the security type, S: for the network name, P: for the password, and an optional H:true; when you tick Hidden network. It closes with a second semicolon. Each value is escaped first: backslash, semicolon, comma, colon and double quote are prefixed with a backslash, so a password containing a semicolon does not break the field boundaries. If you choose the open network option the P: field is left out entirely, and the form refuses to build a code without a network name, or without a password when a security type is selected.

A worked example

Enter Cafe Guest as the network name, leave encryption on WPA/WPA2, type flatwhite2024 as the password and leave Hidden unticked. The encoded string is exactly:

WIFI:T:WPA;S:Cafe Guest;P:flatwhite2024;;

Pressing Download PNG writes the canvas out to a file called wifi-qrcode.png. If the same network were hidden, the string would instead read WIFI:T:WPA;S:Cafe Guest;P:flatwhite2024;H:true;;, and a password of let;me;in would be written as P:let\;me\;in;.

The security trade-off you are making

This matters more than anything else on the page. The password sits inside the QR code as readable text. It is not encrypted, hashed or obscured in any way, because the format has no provision for that. Anyone who scans the printed code gets the password. So does anyone who photographs it from across the room, or who is sent a photo of it later, or who finds the PNG in a shared folder. A QR code is a convenience, not a lock.

Practical consequences. Treat a printed Wi-Fi code as though the password were written underneath it in plain letters, because functionally it is. Put guests on a separate guest network rather than your main one, so a leaked code does not expose printers, network drives or smart home devices. Rotate the guest password when staff leave or after a rental changeover, and print a fresh code. Do not post one to social media.

Enterprise networks that use WPA2-Enterprise with a username and certificate cannot be represented by this format at all. It only covers a shared passphrase.

Where these get printed

• A table tent or menu in a cafe, so staff stop reciting the passphrase all day.
• A welcome card in an Airbnb or holiday rental, beside the bin night and checkout instructions.
• A sign at reception in a clinic, salon or workshop where people wait.
• The inside of a kitchen cupboard door at home, for visiting family who never remember the password.

Scanning support and other gotchas

iPhones from iOS 11 onwards and Android 10 and later recognise these codes straight from the camera app and prompt to join. Older Android handsets often need a QR scanner app. Windows, macOS and Linux laptops generally do not support joining from a scan, so print the network name in readable text next to the code for anyone on a laptop.

The SSID must match your router exactly, including capitals and spaces, because Wi-Fi network names are case sensitive. Emoji and non Latin characters in an SSID are encoded but are handled inconsistently by scanners. Networks running on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz with the same name work fine. Print at 25 mm square or larger and test with a real phone before you laminate anything. The output is plain black on white, which scans most reliably; there is no colour or logo option, and no SVG export.

Other QR tools here

• Any ordinary URL or piece of text belongs in the general QR Code Generator instead.
• Passing on a phone number and email address is what the vCard QR Code tool does.
• Choosing a strong guest passphrase in the first place is easier with the Password Generator, and you can test an existing one with Password Strength Checker.
• To check whether a password has appeared in a known breach, see Password Breach Checker.
• Putting the printed code onto a sign or flyer is easy with Add Text to Image.

Making a code is free of charge. Should the stored credit here be exhausted, a rewarded advert of a few seconds runs first, and nothing else is asked of you.

FAQ

Can someone read my password from the QR code?

Yes. The password is stored as plain text inside the code, so anyone who scans or photographs it can recover it. Use a guest network and change the passphrase when circumstances change.

Is my password sent to a server when I generate the code?

No. The string is assembled and the image is drawn entirely on your device in JavaScript, so nothing you type is transmitted or saved.

Which devices can join by scanning?

iOS 11 and later and Android 10 and later handle it from the camera app. Older Android phones usually need a scanner app, and most desktop operating systems cannot join this way at all.

What do I choose for a network with no password?

Select None (open network) and leave the password box empty. The generated string omits the password field completely.

Does it work if my router hides the network name?

Tick Hidden network and the code includes a flag telling the scanning device to look for the SSID directly instead of waiting for it to be broadcast.