WiFi QR Code Generator
A scan-to-join code for your network — generated locally, password never sent.
What to encode
How this processes your file
Phones recognise a specific text format for network credentials: the type of security, the network name, the password, and a flag for hidden networks. The tool builds that string and encodes it as a QR code on a canvas in this page. The part that is easy to get wrong is escaping: backslash, semicolon, comma, colon and quote are all delimiters in the format, and a password containing any of them has to be escaped or the code encodes cleanly and fails to connect. That escaping is handled here and tested, because the failure is discovered by a guest standing in a hallway, not by the person who made the code.
What the results mean
- Payload bytes
- The encoded length in UTF-8 bytes. Accented characters and emoji in a network name cost two to four bytes each, not one.
- Density
- How tightly packed the code is. Comfortable codes scan instantly from a card; dense ones need a larger print and better light.
- Hidden network
- Set this only if the network does not broadcast its name. On a normal network it makes phones search for a network that is already visible, which is slower and sometimes fails.
- Security type
- WPA covers WPA, WPA2 and WPA3 — the phone negotiates the rest. WEP exists for equipment old enough that this is the least of its problems.
Common problems and fixes
- The code scans but the phone will not join
- Almost always the password. Check it character by character, especially any punctuation, and test with a phone that has never been on the network — one that has saved credentials will connect regardless and hide the fault.
- Nothing happens when I scan it
- Some Android builds need the code opened in the camera app rather than a QR reader, and most laptops do not act on Wi-Fi codes at all. Test on the kind of device your guests will use.
- The network name has an emoji and it fails
- Emoji are several bytes each and some phones handle them poorly in this format. A plain ASCII network name is the reliable choice for a printed code.
- I do not want guests on my main network
- Enable the guest network on your router and make the code for that instead. A printed code is a permanently visible password.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a QR code for my Wi-Fi?
Enter the network name exactly as it appears when you connect, choose WPA unless the network is genuinely open or ancient, and type the password. The code appears immediately. Test it with a phone that is not already on the network before printing it — a phone with saved credentials joins regardless and would hide a mistake.
Is it safe to put a Wi-Fi QR code on the wall?
It is exactly as safe as writing the password on the wall, because that is what it is — anyone who can photograph the code has the password, from across a room, without asking. For a home or a business, put guests on the guest network and print that code instead. Then a photographed code costs you nothing but bandwidth.
Why does my Wi-Fi QR code not work?
Three causes, in order of likelihood. The password contains a character the format uses as a delimiter and was not escaped — this tool handles that, many do not. The network name does not match exactly, including capitalisation. Or the "hidden" flag is set on a network that is broadcasting normally, which makes phones search for something already in front of them.
Is my password sent anywhere?
No. The code is built and drawn by your browser, and the page has no endpoint to send anything to. The payload shown on screen masks the password so a screenshot of this page does not leak it.