Share your Wi-Fi with a QR code instead of spelling the password

A QR code on the wall ends the “capital M, lowercase k, two sevens” ritual. How the format works, what to check, and when not to print one.

Tools used in this guide

The job

Phones scan a Wi-Fi QR code and offer to join the network directly — no one types the password, and no one reads it back wrong. Useful at home, in a guest room, or on a shop counter.

Fill in the three fields

Network name (SSID) exactly as it appears on the router label, security type, and password. Almost everything made after 2004 uses WPA/WPA2/WPA3 — choose WPA. Pick “No password” only for genuinely open networks.

  • Worked example: SSID Cafe-Guest, password matcha-2026-latte produces the payload WIFI:T:WPA;S:Cafe-Guest;P:matcha-2026-latte;;
  • Special characters in the name or password ( ; : , \ " ) are escaped automatically.
  • Tick “hidden network” only if the router does not broadcast its SSID.

Verify before you print

Scan the code with a phone before printing ten copies. You can also drop the PNG into the QR code reader tool to check the payload it encodes.

Keep in mind

Anyone who can see the printed QR can read the password — the encoding is a convenience, not a lock. Use it for the guest network, not the main one. If the password changes, the printed code stops working and needs a reprint.

  • WPA passwords are 8–63 characters; the tool checks length before generating.
  • WEP needs a 5- or 13-character key (or 10/26 hex digits) — consider upgrading the router instead.