How to Make a WiFi QR Code for Guests

A WiFi QR code lets a guest join your network by pointing their phone camera at it. No spelling out a password, no typos, no "is that a zero or an O?". It is one of the most useful things you can print for a cafe, salon, office or home.

What a WiFi QR code contains

The code stores three things: your network name (SSID), the security type and the password. Phones read those and offer to join. Because it is stored in the pattern itself, a WiFi code is a static code. It needs no internet connection to work and it never expires.

How to make one

1. Open the WiFi QR code generator.
2. Type your network name exactly as it appears on your phone, including capital letters.
3. Choose the security type. Most home and business routers use WPA2 or WPA3. Pick "WPA" for either. Choose "None" only for an open network.
4. Enter the password and, if your network is hidden, tick the hidden option.
5. Pick colours and a pattern, download the PNG or SVG, and print it.

Test before you print

Scan the finished code with an iPhone and an Android phone. If a phone cannot join, the usual causes are a mistyped password, the wrong security type or a network name with different capitals. Fix the entry and make the code again.

Where to put it

• Cafes and restaurants: on the table, the counter or the menu, with the words "Scan to join our WiFi".
• Offices: in the meeting rooms and reception, on a separate guest network.
• Home: on the fridge or a framed card in the hallway.
• Events: on the registration desk and the programme.

Always add a short line of text beside the code, so people know what it does before they scan.

Keep it safe

A WiFi code shows anyone who scans it your password. Put visitors on a guest network that is separate from your main one, and keep the code where only customers or guests see it. Do not print the code of a network that reaches your accounts system or office computers.

When the password changes

A static code cannot be edited. If you change the password, the printed code stops working and you need to print a new one. That is the main reason to use a guest network with a password you rarely change.

Ready to make one?

The WiFi QR code generator is free and works in your browser. For codes you may want to change later, see static vs dynamic QR codes.