WiFi QR Code Generator

How this works

A WiFi QR code stores your network name, password, and security type in a standard format every modern phone understands. When someone scans it with their camera, the phone offers to join the network. No typing, no reading the password aloud, no spelling "capital W, lowercase e" across a counter.

The code is generated entirely in your browser on this page. The password goes into the image pattern and nowhere else: no server receives it, and nothing about your network is stored. Once you print or share the image, it works forever, because the details live in the pattern itself rather than on a service that could shut down. Curious what those black and white squares actually encode? The guide to how QR codes work breaks it down.

Which security type to pick

Almost every home and business network today uses WPA2 or WPA3, and the first option covers all of them. Pick WEP only if you know the router is genuinely old; most routers from the last decade aren't. Choose "None" for open networks like a café hotspot with no password, and the code will simply join people to the network. The hidden-network checkbox matters only if you've turned off SSID broadcast on your router; leave it unchecked otherwise, because setting it wrongly makes some phones fail to join.

Printing a code people can actually scan

Download SVG for anything going to print: it scales from a sticker to a poster without going blurry. PNG is right for screens and shared images. Print at least 2cm by 2cm (about 0.8 inches) for arm's-length scanning, keep the code black on white, and leave a white margin around it. That margin is called the quiet zone, and scanners need it.

Before printing a batch, scan the printed proof with two different phones. Glossy paper, lamination glare, and low light all change scan behavior in ways a screen preview won't show. Add a two-or-three-word label like "Scan for WiFi" so nobody wonders what the code does. Table tents, counter cards, framed prints by the door, and sticker paper on a router shelf all work; pick the spot where guests actually pause. The WiFi QR code guide covers placement for cafés, rentals, offices, and homes in more depth.

When the code scans but the phone won't join

The scan and the join are separate steps, and the join can fail for reasons that have nothing to do with the QR code. The usual causes, in order of how often they turn up:

• A typo in the password when the code was created. Scan your own code and join the network once before printing anything.
• The network broadcasts on 5GHz or 6GHz only, and an older device can't see it. Enable the 2.4GHz band for guest access if older phones matter.
• "Hidden network" set wrong in either direction. The checkbox here must match the router's actual broadcast setting.
• A captive portal. If the network needs a login page after joining (hotels, some guest networks), the QR code joins the phone but the portal still appears. That's the network's behavior, not the code's.
• WEP on a recent phone. Some newer devices refuse WEP networks entirely; upgrading the router security fixes more than the code ever could.

On iPhone, the native Camera app reads WiFi codes and shows a "Join Network" banner; there's nothing to install. On Android, the camera or Google Lens does the same. Phones older than about 2018 may need a QR scanner app, which then shows the password rather than joining automatically.

Common questions

Does the code expire? No. The network details are stored in the image itself, so the code works for as long as the network name and password stay the same. There is no subscription behind it and nothing that can lapse.

What happens if I change my WiFi password? The printed code keeps encoding the old password, so you'll need to generate and print a new one. Two minutes on this page. If you change passwords often, a guest network with a stable password is the practical fix.

Can StackQR see my password? No. The code is built by JavaScript running on your device. You can load this page, disconnect from the internet, and it still generates: nothing is sent anywhere.

Is it free for my business? Yes, with no attribution or license. Print it on menus, table tents, or room cards. Restaurant owners and hosts are exactly who this is for; the restaurant menu guide and the small business guide show how WiFi codes fit alongside menu and review codes.

Should I share my main network this way? Prefer a guest network where your router offers one. A QR code makes joining effortless, and that convenience should point at a network you're comfortable handing to strangers.

Fill in the network name and password above, generate, and scan it yourself before it goes anywhere near a printer. New to the tool? The tutorial covers downloading formats and fixing typos inline.