# Wi-Fi QR code generator

> Free Wi-Fi QR code generator. Guests scan and join automatically without typing a password. Works on iOS 11+ and Android 10+. Nothing is uploaded.

Source: https://qr-code-build.com/wifi-qr-code-generator/  
Last reviewed: 2026-08-24  
Publisher: QR Code Builder

## Summary
A Wi-Fi QR code encodes your network name, password and security type in a standard format that phones understand natively. Scanning it with the camera prompts a one-tap join, with no typing. It works on iOS 11 and later and Android 10 and later, no app required.

## What this actually exposes
Be clear-eyed about this: the password is stored in plain text inside the pattern. Anyone who photographs your printed code can decode it with a free tool and read the password in seconds. The code is a convenience, not a lock.

That is fine for a guest network and wrong for your main one. The setup that works:

- Put the code on a separate guest SSID, isolated from the network your card reader, till system and office machines sit on.

- Turn on client isolation (sometimes called AP isolation or guest mode) in the router so guests cannot see each other's devices.

- Rotate the guest password on a schedule you can live with — quarterly is realistic for a café, monthly for a co-working space. Reprint the card when you do.

- Never encode the password to the network that runs your point-of-sale.

## Which phones join automatically
| Device | Behaviour | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone, iOS 11+ | Camera shows a Join Network banner | Works from the stock camera, no app |
| Android 10+ | Camera or Google Lens offers to connect | Some skins need the Lens button |
| Android 7–9 | Usually needs a QR scanner app | Manufacturer-dependent |
| Windows 11 laptop | No native support | Print the password as text too |
| macOS | No native camera scan | Share from a nearby iPhone instead |

Always print the network name and password as readable text beneath the code. It costs you two lines and saves the one guest in ten whose phone will not cooperate.

## Characters that break Wi-Fi codes
The Wi-Fi payload uses semicolons and colons as separators, so a password containing those characters has to be escaped. The generator handles it, but if you are building the string by hand the format is:

```
WIFI:T:WPA;S:Cafe Guest;P:flatwhite2026;;
```

Escape `\`, `;`, `,`, `:` and `"` inside the SSID and password with a backslash. Two other traps:

- **SSID case matters.** `Cafe Guest` and `cafe guest` are different networks.

- **Hidden networks need the flag.** If the router does not broadcast its name, tick the hidden option or phones will search for a network they cannot see.

- **WPA3-only networks** are read as WPA by most phones and connect fine; leave the security set to WPA.

## Frequently asked questions
### Can someone steal my Wi-Fi password from the QR code?
Yes — anyone who can photograph the code can decode the password from it. Use this on a guest network only, and keep your main network on a password that is never printed.

### Does it work on iPhone without an app?
Yes. On iOS 11 and later, pointing the stock camera at the code shows a Join Network banner. Android 10 and later behaves the same way through the camera or Google Lens.

### Why does my code say the password is wrong?
Almost always a character escaping issue or a case mismatch in the network name. Copy the SSID exactly as the router broadcasts it, and check for a trailing space when you paste.

### Does the code still work after I change the password?
No. The password is inside the pattern, so changing it means generating and reprinting a new code. This is worth planning for before you order 500 laminated table cards.

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Licence: this page may be quoted with attribution to QR Code Builder (https://qr-code-build.com/wifi-qr-code-generator/).