How to make a WiFi QR code guests can scan to connect

To make a WiFi QR code, enter your network name (SSID), password and security type into a WiFi QR code generator, then download and print the code. The code stores those details in a standard text format, WIFI:T:WPA;S:NetworkName;P:password;;, and recent iPhone and Android cameras offer to join the network when they scan it. Nobody has to type the password.

How does a WiFi QR code work?

A WiFi QR code holds your network details as plain text in a format phones recognise, so the camera can offer to join the network. It starts with WIFI: and lists each setting as a letter, a colon and a value, with a semicolon after each one and a double semicolon at the end.

• T is the security type: WPA, WEP or nopass.
• S is the network name, exactly as it appears in the WiFi list, including capitals and spaces.
• P is the password. Leave it out for an open network.
• H is optional. Set it to true for a hidden network.

A full example for a café looks like this: WIFI:T:WPA;S:Corner Cafe Guest;P:flatwhite42;;

If your network name or password contains a backslash, semicolon, comma, colon or double quote, each one must be escaped with a backslash in front of it. A good generator does this for you. If you build the text by hand, a missing backslash is the most common reason a code scans but fails to connect.

WiFi codes are always static. The phone needs the real password to join, so the details live in the pattern itself and the code works without any internet connection. It also means a WiFi code never expires, and there is no reason to pay for one. You can make it with the free WiFi QR code generator, with no sign-up and no watermark.

Which security type should a WiFi QR code use?

Use the security type your router uses, which for most homes, cafés and small offices is WPA. If the type in the code does not match your router, the phone will fail to join. You can find it in your router's admin page or on the label of many routers.

• WPA covers WPA and WPA2 personal networks with a single shared password. This is the right choice for most homes, cafés and small offices.
• WPA3. Support for joining WPA3-only networks from a code varies between phones. Many routers offer a mixed WPA2/WPA3 mode, which tends to work well with a WPA code. Test with several phones.
• WEP is an old standard that is easy to break. If your router still uses it, switch to WPA2 or newer before you share the network.
• nopass is for open networks with no password at all.

Networks that ask each person for their own username and password, common in larger offices and universities, are not a good fit for this format.

Does a WiFi QR code work with a hidden network?

Yes, though phones handle it with varying success. A hidden network does not broadcast its name, so phones will not see it in the list. The format supports this with H:true, which tells the phone to look for the network even though it is not advertised. The EndureQR WiFi generator has a hidden-network switch that adds it for you. Test it on the devices your guests use.

Hiding a network adds very little security, because the name is still visible to anyone with the right tools. For a guest network, the simplest and most reliable choice is to broadcast the name and protect it with a strong password.

Use a separate guest network

A WiFi code puts your password in front of everyone who can see it. Anyone can photograph it, and some phones let a connected user share the network on. Plan for that.

• Create a guest network. Most modern routers can run one alongside your main network. Share only the guest details.
• Keep it separate. Turn on client or guest isolation if your router has it, so guest devices cannot see your computers, printers or payment systems.
• Use a strong password anyway. Long and random is fine, because nobody needs to type it.
• Change it from time to time. Changing the password means printing a new code, so pick a schedule you will keep, such as every few months or after a busy season.
• Never print your main network. Keep the code for your private network off walls, menus and listings.

Printing WiFi codes for cafés, rentals and offices

• Add a clear label. A frame with "Scan to join WiFi" tells people what the code does before they scan.
• Print the details as text too. Show the network name and password under the code for laptops and older phones that cannot scan.
• Pick a sensible size. A card on a counter or table needs a code about 3 to 5 cm wide. A sign on the wall needs more, roughly one tenth of the distance people stand from it.
• Put it where people need it. In a café, the counter, the menu or the table. In a holiday rental, the welcome book, near the router or by the front door. In an office, the reception desk and meeting rooms.
• Protect the print. Laminate cards that get handled, and choose a matte finish to avoid glare.
• Match your brand. Add your logo and colours, keeping dark modules on a light background so it still scans easily.

If you run a café or restaurant, the WiFi card often sits next to a menu code. See how other businesses use QR codes on our page for restaurants, or browse all free code types in the QR code generator.