How to share Wi-Fi with a QR code

The QR image contains reusable credentials

The common WIFI payload stores fields such as the network name, security label and password. Anyone who can decode a copy may read those details. Hiding the password as printed text does not make the QR image confidential. Do not put a business’s main network credentials into a public sign simply because the sign looks neat.

Consider a guest network configured for your visitors. Whether it isolates other devices depends on the router’s actual settings: a network named “Guest” is not proof of isolation. Ask the network administrator to confirm the intended access rules.

Create and test the code

1. Copy the current SSID, security type and password from authorised router settings. A factory sticker can be outdated if the settings changed.
2. Enter those values in the Wi-Fi generator. Preserve case and meaningful spaces; the form handles supported payload punctuation.
3. Use the matching supported security option. The form offers WPA/WPA2, WEP and no encryption; it has no hidden-network flag or dedicated WPA3-only option. Do not change a managed network’s security just to fit the form.
4. Wait for the image-check result. It confirms the rendered data, not authentication against the router.
5. Use a permitted test device that has not already saved the network. Test within wireless range, then check the intended network name, connectivity and any portal. Avoid forgetting a network on someone else’s device without their agreement.

Prepare a useful sign and replacement plan

Use Printable signs to edit the title and description and export A4. The template does not automatically print the password as text, but the image still contains it. Add a network name or a way to ask staff for assistance, as appropriate for the venue.

Select a trial width in Print assistant and print at Actual size. Its width includes the clear border. Test the mounted sign under real lighting and at the position visitors will use; avoid guaranteeing that one centimetre value suits every table or wall.

Record the network and where signs are displayed. When credentials change, generate a replacement and remove old signs, saved PDFs and public copies you control. Replacing the sign does not itself revoke a password; the router configuration controls that.

For a one-off share, check the phone’s own options

On supported iPhones, Apple documents a Show Network QR Code option for a saved Wi-Fi network in Passwords, alongside its nearby password-sharing feature. Availability and steps depend on the software version. See Apple’s Wi-Fi sharing instructions.

Android sharing menus vary by manufacturer and version. Look in the connected network’s details for an available sharing or QR option and follow the phone’s own guidance. Do not promise that every model exposes the same controls or supports the same network security modes.

Troubleshoot joining separately from internet access

• No join action: try a supported Wi-Fi reader or manual entry; basic QR recognition does not imply support for every payload.
• Authentication rejected: compare current SSID, password and security configuration. Check hidden, enterprise or WPA3-only requirements with the administrator.
• Connected without internet: inspect the guest service, required sign-in and upstream connection. The QR code does not bypass a captive portal or access restrictions.
• Only one device works: compare device support and saved credentials. Do not assume the successful device used the newly encoded password.
• Slow service: investigate coverage, congestion and the network connection after establishing that joining succeeded.

Common questions