How to Make a Wi-Fi QR Code So Guests Can Connect Instantly

How a Wi-Fi QR code works

A Wi-Fi QR code isn’t a link to a website. It contains a short piece of text in a standard format that phones recognize, along the lines of:

WIFI:T:WPA;S:MyHomeNetwork;P:my-password;;

T is the security type, S is the network name and P is the password. When a phone’s camera reads this, it offers to join the network. Because the details are stored in the code itself, it works offline and keeps working for as long as your network name and password stay the same.

Step 1: Find your network details

You need three things, and they must match your router exactly — including capital letters and spaces:

• Network name (SSID). It’s what appears in the Wi-Fi list on your phone. Many routers broadcast two networks (for example “Home” and “Home-5G”); pick the one you want guests on.
• Password. Often printed on a sticker on the router if you’ve never changed it. On Windows you can see the password of the network you’re connected to under the Wi-Fi network’s properties; on a Mac, look it up in Keychain Access or Wi-Fi settings; on iPhone and Android, the Wi-Fi settings let you view or share the current network’s password.
• Security type. Almost all home networks use WPA2 or WPA3. Very old routers may use WEP. Open networks (cafés, guest hotspots) have no password.

Step 2: Generate the code

1. Open the Wi-Fi QR Code Generator.
2. Type the network name and password. Use the show-password button to check for typos — a single wrong character means the code won’t connect.
3. Choose the security type: WPA / WPA2 for nearly all modern networks, WEP for very old ones, or No password for open networks.
4. Download the QR code image.

The code is generated in your browser — your Wi-Fi password isn’t sent to FaaTools or anyone else. That’s worth checking with any QR generator: some online tools create “dynamic” codes that route through their servers, which isn’t necessary for Wi-Fi and means a third party has your password.

Step 3: Test it before you print

Test on at least one phone that has never joined your network, or temporarily “forget” the network on your own phone first.

• iPhone: open the Camera app, point it at the code, and tap the Join Network banner.
• Android: open the Camera app (or Google Lens). On many phones you can also tap the QR icon in Wi-Fi settings to scan.

If it doesn’t connect, scan the code with the QR Code Reader to see exactly what’s stored in it. Nine times out of ten the cause is a typo in the password, the wrong capitalization in the network name, or the wrong security type.

Step 4: Print and display it

• Size: print the code at least 3 cm (about 1.25 in) across for a table card. For a code on a wall that people scan from a few steps away, go bigger — roughly 10 times smaller than the scanning distance is a reasonable rule.
• Contrast: dark code on a white background. Avoid placing it behind glossy plastic that reflects light.
• Quiet zone: leave a white margin around the code. Cropping right to the edge can make it harder to scan.
• Label it: add the network name and a line such as “Scan with your camera to join Wi-Fi”. Many people still don’t know their camera can do this.
• Include a fallback: print the network name and password in small text below for laptops, which usually can’t scan QR codes.

Keep your network secure

Anyone who can photograph the code can read your password, so treat a printed Wi-Fi QR code like the password itself.

• Put visitors on a guest network if your router offers one. It keeps them away from your computers, printers and smart-home devices.
• Use a strong password — the Password Generator can create one, and since guests scan instead of typing, it can be long.
• Don’t post the code where it’s visible from the street or in photos you share online.
• If you change the password, generate and print a new code; the old one will stop working.