How to share your Wi‑Fi with a QR code
A Wi‑Fi QR code lets guests join your network by pointing their camera at it, with no typing of long passwords. It is ideal for homes, offices, cafés and rental properties. Here is how it works and how to set one up safely.
QR codes · Published 2026-10-07
How a Wi‑Fi QR code works
A Wi‑Fi QR code contains your network name (SSID), the security type and the password in a standard format that phones recognise. When someone scans it, the phone offers to join the network. They tap once and they are connected.
It works with the built-in camera on iPhones running iOS 11 or later and on most Android phones from Android 10 onwards. Older Android devices may need the Google Lens app or a QR scanner app.
What you need
- The exact network name, including capital letters and spaces.
- The security type: almost always WPA/WPA2 (WPA3 networks are usually also listed as WPA in generators). Choose None only for open networks.
- The password, typed exactly. Passwords are case-sensitive.
- Whether the network is hidden. Most are not.
You can find these details on your router's sticker or in its settings page.
Use a guest network
Anyone who scans the code, or photographs it, gets your password. For anything beyond your own home, set up a guest network on your router and put that one in the QR code.
- Guests get internet access but cannot see your computers, printers or smart devices.
- You can change the guest password whenever you like without affecting your own devices.
- Many routers let you limit guest speed or set a schedule.
Remember that if you change the password, the old QR code stops working, so print a new one at the same time.
Where to put the code
Place it where people naturally look when they arrive: on a table tent in a café, inside a welcome folder in a rental property, on a meeting room wall or on the fridge at home. Add a short label such as Scan to join our Wi‑Fi, and print the network name underneath for people who would rather type.
For a code scanned at arm's length, about 3 to 5 cm wide is plenty. On a wall that people view from a metre or two, go larger.
Troubleshooting
- The phone says it cannot join: check the password and the network name spelling, including capitals.
- Nothing happens when scanning: make sure the phone's camera has QR scanning enabled, or try Google Lens.
- It joins but there is no internet: the problem is the network or router, not the QR code.
- The code stopped working: the password was probably changed. Generate a new code.
Making one with Zonlet
Zonlet's Wi‑Fi QR generator has fields for the network name, password and security type. The code is created in your browser, so your password is never sent to our servers. Add a caption such as Guest Wi‑Fi, then download it as PNG, SVG or a print-ready PDF.