How to create a Wi-Fi QR code (so guests connect instantly)

A Wi-Fi QR code lets anyone join your network by scanning with their phone camera — no need to spell out the password. You can create one for free at oneclickqrcode.com in about 30 seconds. It works on both iPhone and Android, no app required.

Why use a Wi-Fi QR code?

Sharing your Wi-Fi password is one of those small annoyances that happens constantly. A guest arrives, asks for the Wi-Fi, and then you're either dictating "capital-B-lowercase-x-seven-hash-dollar" while they squint at their phone, or you're digging through router settings because you forgot the password yourself.

A QR code removes all of that friction. Here's why it's a better approach:

• No more dictating passwords — guests scan the code and they're connected. No spelling, no typos, no "was that a capital I or a lowercase L?"
• Works with complex passwords — the harder your password is to type, the more useful the QR code becomes. A 20-character random password that's great for security is terrible for sharing verbally, but trivial with a QR code
• No need to reveal the password — the password is encoded in the QR code, but it's not printed in plain text. Guests connect without ever seeing or knowing the actual password (though they could extract it with a QR code reader if they wanted to)
• Universal compatibility — every modern iPhone (iOS 11+) and Android phone can scan Wi-Fi QR codes natively with the built-in camera app. No third-party scanning app needed
• One-time setup — create the QR code once, print it, and it works indefinitely (until you change your password)

Common places where Wi-Fi QR codes shine

Cafés and restaurants

Print the QR code on the menu, on a table tent, or on a small card near the register. Customers scan and connect without having to ask the staff. This is especially valuable during busy hours when staff don't have time to repeat the password to every table.

Airbnbs, vacation rentals, and hotels

Place a framed QR code on the nightstand, on the welcome card, or near the TV. Guests arriving after a long trip want to get online fast. A QR code is faster than finding the laminated card with the password written in 8-point font.

Offices and coworking spaces

Put a QR code in the meeting room, the lobby, or the reception desk. When clients or visitors arrive, they can connect to the guest network without anyone at the front desk having to look up credentials.

Home

Stick a QR code on the fridge, near the router, or in the guest room. When friends or family visit, point them to the code instead of trying to remember whether the password has a zero or the letter O.

Events and conferences

Display a large QR code on a screen or banner. Hundreds of attendees can connect to the event Wi-Fi without anyone needing to distribute passwords or print network cards.

Retail stores

Offering free Wi-Fi? A QR code at the entrance or near the fitting room is a nice touch. Customers connect in seconds, which keeps them in your store longer (and more likely to browse your online presence while they're there).

How to create a Wi-Fi QR code (step by step)

1. Go to oneclickqrcode.com

Open oneclickqrcode.com in any browser — desktop, tablet, or phone. No account needed.

2. Switch to Wi-Fi mode

Click the small icon to the left of the input field. A dropdown menu appears with five options: Link, Text, Wi-Fi, Email, and Contact. Select Wi-Fi.

The input area changes to show Wi-Fi-specific fields.

3. Enter your network details

Fill in the following:

• Network name (SSID) — type your Wi-Fi network name exactly as it appears on your router. This is case-sensitive. If your network is called "MyHome_5G", don't type "myhome_5g"
• Password — enter your Wi-Fi password. The field is masked (dots instead of characters) for privacy if someone is looking over your shoulder

4. Select the encryption type

Below the password field, you'll see three options:

• WPA — this is what you want for most modern routers (WPA2 and WPA3 both use this setting). If you're not sure, WPA is almost certainly correct
• WEP — an older, less secure encryption standard. Only use this if you know your router uses WEP (it probably doesn't)
• None — for open networks with no password. The password field is ignored

5. See your QR code

As soon as you enter the network name, the QR code preview appears on the right side of the screen. It updates in real time as you type.

6. Customize (optional)

With your network details entered, the customization panel expands. You can:

• Change the foreground color — match your brand or décor. Navy, charcoal, or dark green work well for a professional look
• Change the background color — typically white for best scannability, but you can adjust to match your print material
• Pick a dot style — square (classic), dots (softer), or rounded (modern)
• Pick a corner style — square, dots, or rounded
• Add a logo — drag and drop your business logo or an icon (like a Wi-Fi symbol) into the center. See our full guide on how to add a logo to a QR code for tips on choosing the right file and format

If you customize the colors, keep an eye on the contrast warning. The tool alerts you when the foreground-to-background contrast ratio drops below 3:1, which means scanners may struggle to read the code.

7. Download

Choose your format:

• PNG — best for most printing needs. Available in 256px, 512px, 1024px, or 2048px
• SVG — vector format that scales perfectly to any size. Ideal for designers or large-format printing
• JPG — works, but doesn't support transparent backgrounds

For printing a small card or table tent, PNG at 1024px is more than enough. For a large poster or banner, use SVG or PNG at 2048px.

Toggle "No background" if you want a transparent QR code that can sit on a colored surface without a white rectangle around it (works with PNG and SVG, not JPG).

Click Download and you're done.

Printing and display tips

Size

A Wi-Fi QR code should be at least 2 × 2 cm (about 0.8 inches) for reliable close-range scanning. Bigger is always better:

Placement	Recommended size	Why
Menu or small card	2.5 × 2.5 cm	Held close to the phone
Table tent	4 × 4 cm	Scanned from across the table
Wall poster	8 × 8 cm	Scanned from 1-2 meters away
Conference display	15+ × 15+ cm	Scanned from 2-5 meters away

Use the 15:1 rule: divide the expected scanning distance by 15 to get the minimum QR code width. For a deep dive into sizing for every scenario, check out our QR code size guide.

Framing and context

Don't just print a QR code and expect people to know what it does. Always add context:

• A short label: "Scan for Wi-Fi" or "Scan to connect"
• The network name (SSID) printed underneath — so people can verify they're connecting to the right network
• Your business logo or branding — so it looks official, not suspicious

A bare QR code with no context looks like it could link to anything. People are (rightly) cautious about scanning unknown codes. Adding a label and your logo removes that hesitation.

Material and finish

• Matte paper or card — better for scanning because it doesn't reflect light. Glossy finishes can create glare that makes scanning harder
• Laminated cards — durable and easy to clean. Great for table tents and kitchen/bathroom placement
• Stickers — a small QR code sticker next to the router or on the wall works well for homes
• Acrylic stands — a step up from a laminated card. Many print shops offer acrylic table signs that hold up well and look professional

Where to place it

Think about where people naturally look when they want to connect:

• Eye level — don't put it on the ceiling or the floor
• Well-lit areas — scanners need decent lighting to read the code
• Near where people sit or stand — close enough to scan without walking across the room
• Visible but not blocking — it should be easy to find but not in the way

What the QR code actually contains

When you create a Wi-Fi QR code, the tool generates a text string in a standard format:

WIFI:T:WPA;S:YourNetworkName;P:YourPassword;;

This format is universally recognized by phone cameras. The three key pieces are:

• T — the encryption type (WPA, WEP, or nopass)
• S — the SSID (network name)
• P — the password

The phone reads this string and automatically fills in the Wi-Fi connection dialog. On most phones, it's one tap to confirm and connect.

Special characters in your network name or password (like semicolons, colons, backslashes, or commas) are automatically escaped by the tool, so you don't need to worry about them breaking the format.

Security considerations

Is it safe to share your Wi-Fi via QR code?

The password is encoded inside the QR code. This means:

• Anyone who scans the code can connect — that's the point
• The password isn't visible in plain text on the printed QR code itself, but it can be extracted by anyone with a QR code reader app (rather than just scanning with the camera)
• Treat the QR code like a written-down password — it's fine for a café or hotel (the password is meant to be shared), but think carefully about home networks

Tips for home networks

If you're creating a Wi-Fi QR code for your home:

• Use a guest network — most modern routers let you create a separate guest Wi-Fi network. This keeps visitors on an isolated network without access to your devices (printers, NAS, smart home, etc.)
• Set a simple guest password — it can be something easy since the QR code handles the sharing. "Guest2026" is fine for a guest network
• Keep your main network private — don't create a QR code for your primary network if you have smart home devices or sensitive data on it. Use the guest network for the QR code

Tips for businesses

• Change the password periodically — if you use the same QR code for months, former employees or anyone who photographed the code still has access. Change the password and generate a new QR code regularly
• Use a separate guest network — keep your business devices on a different network from the customer Wi-Fi
• Set bandwidth limits — most commercial routers let you cap bandwidth on the guest network so one person streaming Netflix doesn't slow down your point-of-sale system

Troubleshooting

The QR code scans but doesn't connect

• Check the network name — it must match exactly, including capitalization. "CoffeeShop_WiFi" and "coffeeshop_wifi" are different networks
• Check the password — re-enter it carefully. A single wrong character will cause the connection to fail
• Check the encryption type — if your router uses WPA2 or WPA3, select "WPA" in the tool. Only select WEP if your router specifically uses WEP

The QR code won't scan at all

• Print bigger — the most common issue. If the QR code is under 2 cm, try printing at least 2.5 cm
• Improve contrast — if you used custom colors, the foreground and background might be too similar. Stick with dark on light
• Clean the surface — if the printed QR code is behind glass or laminate, make sure there's no glare or fingerprint smudges
• Check lighting — phone cameras need reasonable light to focus and read the code

It works on iPhone but not on older Android (or vice versa)

Older phones may not support Wi-Fi QR codes natively. This is rare with phones from 2018 or later, but if someone has an older device, they may need a third-party QR code scanning app. There's not much you can do about this other than also printing the password in small text below the QR code as a fallback.

FAQ

Do Wi-Fi QR codes work on iPhone and Android?

Yes. iPhone (iOS 11 and later, released 2017) and Android phones natively scan Wi-Fi QR codes with the built-in camera app. When scanned, a prompt appears to join the network. No extra app needed.

Is it safe to share my Wi-Fi password this way?

The password is encoded inside the QR code. Anyone who scans it can connect to the network. For public Wi-Fi (cafés, offices, hotels), this is the intended use. For home networks, consider creating a separate guest network rather than sharing your main password.

Does the QR code expire?

No. The QR code works forever — or until you change your Wi-Fi password. It's not connected to any server or service. It's just an image with your network details encoded in it.

Can someone photograph the QR code and use it later?

Yes. A photo of the QR code works just as well as the original. This is fine for guest networks, but worth considering if you want to limit access to specific times or visits.

Does creating the QR code upload my password anywhere?

No. Everything at oneclickqrcode.com runs entirely in your browser. Your network name and password never leave your device. The QR code is generated locally.

What if I change my Wi-Fi password?

You'll need to create a new QR code and replace the old one. The password is baked into the QR code image — there's no way to update it remotely. This is another reason to use a simple guest password that you don't change often.

Can I create a QR code for a 5GHz network?

Yes. The QR code works with any Wi-Fi network regardless of frequency band (2.4GHz or 5GHz). Just enter the network name and password — the frequency doesn't affect the QR code format.

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Create your Wi-Fi QR code free at oneclickqrcode.com — no sign-up needed. Just enter your network name, password, and download.