WiFi QR Code Generator
Create a WiFi QR code containing your network name, security type, password and hidden-network setting so compatible devices can connect more easily.
This generator keeps the GS1 Digital Link URI directly inside the QR code. Premium QR dynamic redirects are not used for GS1 Digital Link codes.
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WiFi QR Code Generator
Quick answer: A WiFi QR code stores your network name and password as text in the WIFI: URI format. Scanning it joins the network without typing the password. iOS 11 and later and Android 10 and later read WiFi QR codes with the built-in camera.
How to create a WiFi QR code
- Enter your network name exactly as it appears, including capital letters and spaces. SSIDs are case-sensitive.
- Select your security type: WPA for WPA, WPA2 and WPA3 networks, WEP for legacy networks, or none for an open network.
- Type the network password. Leave this empty for an open network.
- Switch on the hidden-network option only if your router does not broadcast the SSID.
- Customise the pattern, eye style, colours and logo if you want, then download PNG, SVG, WEBP or JPG at up to 4096 px.
The code is generated in your browser as you type. Nothing you enter is uploaded.
What a WiFi QR code is
A WiFi QR code is a standard QR code whose payload is a WiFi configuration string rather than a web address. The QR symbol itself follows ISO/IEC 18004, the international standard that defines QR Code symbology. The WiFi payload format originated in the ZXing barcode library and was adopted broadly enough that phone operating systems now parse it natively.
Because the credentials are encoded directly into the pattern, the code is static. It contains no link, calls no server, and continues to work offline and after any website shuts down. It also means the code cannot be edited: if you change your WiFi password, the old code stops working and you generate a new one.
The WIFI: payload format
Syntax
The encoded string follows this structure:
WIFI:T:<auth>;S:<SSID>;P:<password>;H:<true|false>;;| Field | Meaning | Accepted values |
|---|---|---|
| T | Authentication type | WPA (covers WPA, WPA2 and WPA3), WEP, or nopass for open networks |
| S | Network name (SSID) | Exact case-sensitive string, including any spaces |
| P | Password | Omitted entirely for open networks |
| H | Hidden network flag | true if the SSID is not broadcast; omit or set false otherwise |
The string is terminated by a double semicolon.
Example for a café guest network:
WIFI:T:WPA;S:Cafe Guest;P:coffee\;time;H:false;;Escaping special characters
Five characters carry meaning inside the payload and must be prefixed with a backslash when they appear in an SSID or password: backslash, semicolon, comma, colon and double quote. In the example above the password is coffee;time, so the semicolon is written as \;. This generator applies the escaping automatically, which is the most common reason hand-written WiFi QR codes fail to connect.
Device support
| Platform | Native WiFi QR support since |
|---|---|
| iOS | iOS 11 (2017), Camera app |
| Android | Android 10 (2019), Camera or Google Lens |
| Older Android | Requires a QR reader app that supports the WIFI: scheme |
Phones older than these versions can still scan the image, but the operating system may show the raw WIFI: string instead of offering to join the network.
When to use a WiFi QR code
Guest networks in cafés and restaurants. A framed code on the table removes the password from the conversation and from the wall, and staff never have to read out a 20-character string.
Short-term rentals. A code in the welcome binder gets guests online in seconds without a support message at midnight, and works even when the guest has no data signal to look up your instructions.
Offices and meeting rooms. A code on the room card lets visitors join the guest network without an IT ticket, while the corporate network stays separate.
Events and conferences. Printing the code on the badge back or the lanyard insert reduces the single most common help-desk question at any venue.
Retail and waiting areas. A code at the counter converts a WiFi request into a self-service action.
Home use. A code inside a kitchen cupboard means you never hunt for the router sticker again when a relative visits.
Design and print requirements
Keep a clear margin of at least four modules on every side. This is the quiet zone specified in ISO/IEC 18004, and scanners need it to locate the symbol.
Print at 2 cm by 2 cm or larger for close-range scanning, such as a table tent or a card in the hand. Increase to 3 cm or more when the code will be read from roughly a metre away, and to 8 cm or more for a poster read across a room.
Maintain strong contrast between the modules and the background. Dark modules on a light background is the reliable combination. Inverted codes, low-contrast pastels and busy background photos are the usual cause of a code that scans in the design file but not on the printed card.
Long passwords increase the amount of data and therefore the number of modules, which makes each module smaller at a fixed print size. If your password is long, print the code larger rather than tighter. If you add a centre logo, use a higher error correction level so the covered modules can still be reconstructed. QR Code defines four levels, recovering roughly 7 percent at L, 15 percent at M, 25 percent at Q and 30 percent at H.
Troubleshooting: why your WiFi QR code is not connecting
The SSID case does not match. Network names are case-sensitive. GuestWiFi and guestwifi are different networks. Retype the SSID exactly as the router broadcasts it.
A special character was not escaped. A semicolon, comma, colon, backslash or double quote inside the password will break the payload unless it is escaped with a backslash. Regenerate the code rather than editing the string by hand.
The wrong security type is selected. Choosing WEP for a WPA2 network produces a code that parses but fails to authenticate. Select WPA for anything WPA, WPA2 or WPA3.
The hidden flag is wrong. If your router hides the SSID, the code must set the hidden flag to true, otherwise the phone searches for a broadcast network and finds nothing.
The phone is too old. Android below 10 and iOS below 11 do not handle the WIFI: scheme natively and will display the raw text instead of a join prompt.
The printed code is too small or too low-contrast. Reprint larger, restore the four-module quiet zone, and use dark modules on a light background.
The network uses a captive portal or enterprise login. A WiFi QR code carries an SSID and a pre-shared key. It cannot complete a WPA2-Enterprise login, a username-and-password portal or a terms-of-service click-through.
Static and dynamic QR codes
A WiFi QR code is always static, and that is the correct design for credentials.
| Static WiFi QR code | Dynamic QR code | |
|---|---|---|
| What is encoded | The credentials themselves | A short redirect URL |
| Works offline | Yes | No, the redirect must resolve |
| Editable after printing | No | Yes |
| Scan analytics | No | Yes |
| Depends on a service staying online | No | Yes |
Because the payload is the credential, a static code keeps working with no dependency on this or any other website. A dynamic code would add editability and scan tracking, but it would also mean the code stops working if the redirect service goes away — an unacceptable trade for a network that guests need to reach. Use dynamic codes for marketing destinations, not for WiFi.
A note on security
Anyone who can see the code can join the network. Treat a printed WiFi QR code exactly as you would treat the password written on a card: fine for a guest network, not appropriate for a network with file shares, printers or internal systems on it. Put guests on a separate guest SSID or a client-isolated VLAN, and rotate the password when you reprint. Generating the code here does not transmit your password, but printing it does publish it to everyone in the room.
What this WiFi QR Code Generator gives you
This browser-based tool encodes an SSID, security type, password and hidden-network setting so compatible phones can offer to join the network. It is designed for cafés, hotels, clinics, meeting rooms, exhibitions and managed guest networks. The live preview updates while you edit, which makes it easier to catch a missing field or an unexpectedly dense symbol before download.
You can adjust matrix patterns, finder-eye styles, foreground and background colours, gradients, frames, size and an optional logo. Exports are available as SVG, PNG, WEBP and JPG at 512, 1024, 2048 or 4096 pixels. SVG is the practical choice for professional print. A high-resolution PNG suits office documents and digital artwork.
The static payload is constructed in your browser. The information entered into the generator does not need to be uploaded to create the QR image. Anyone who can scan the code can recover or use the credentials. Rotate guest passwords and replace the printed code when access changes.
Using this QR code in Bahrain and abroad
Bahrain venues should place the code only where authorised guests can see it and should keep business systems on a separate network from public access.
Use British English spelling in customer-facing copy when that matches your organisation’s house style, and provide Arabic wording where the audience expects it. Keep the action after scanning obvious. A short line beside the symbol such as “Scan to save the contact” or “Scan to open the location” gives people confidence before they point their camera.
Test the final design on current iPhone and Android devices. Test it again after printing on the actual paper, sticker, card, sign or packaging material. Bahrain’s bright outdoor light can expose glare and low-contrast problems that are less obvious on a computer screen. For international use, confirm country codes, currencies, time zones, regional app availability and payment-network compatibility.
Before you publish
- Correct QR payload type
- Complete and verified data
- Four-module quiet zone
- Strong foreground contrast
- Proportional square scaling
- Logo kept within safe limits
- SVG or high-resolution PNG
- Final-size device scan test
Frequently asked questions
Open a question to read a concise technical answer.
01How do I make a QR code for my WiFi password?+
Enter your network name, choose WPA as the security type, and type your password. The QR code is built in your browser as you type. Download it as PNG or SVG and print it at 2 cm square or larger. Scanning it joins the network without typing the password.
02What is the WIFI: QR code format?+
The payload format is WIFI:T:<auth>;S:<SSID>;P:<password>;H:<true|false>;; where T is the security type, S is the network name, P is the password and H marks a hidden network. It originated in the ZXing library and is now parsed natively by iOS and Android.
03Does a WiFi QR code work on iPhone?+
Yes. iOS 11 and later read WiFi QR codes with the built-in Camera app. Point the camera at the code and tap the notification to join. No app is required. Older iPhones may show the raw WIFI: text rather than a join prompt.
04How do I scan a WiFi QR code on Android?+
Android 10 and later support WiFi QR codes in the Camera app and in Google Lens. Some manufacturers also place a scanner in the WiFi settings screen. On Android 9 and earlier you need a QR reader app that understands the WIFI: scheme.
05Can I create a WiFi QR code for a hidden network?+
Yes. Switch on the hidden-network option, which sets the H field to true in the payload. This tells the phone to search for a non-broadcast SSID. Leaving the flag off for a hidden network is a common reason the code fails to connect.
06Does a WiFi QR code expire?+
No. The credentials are encoded directly in the pattern, so the code has no expiry date and needs no internet connection to work. It stops working only when you change the network name or password, at which point you generate a new code.
07Is it safe to display a WiFi QR code?+
Anyone who can see the code can join the network, so treat it like a password written on a card. It is appropriate for a guest network and not for a network with internal systems on it. Use a separate guest SSID and rotate the password periodically.
08Is my WiFi password uploaded when I use this generator?+
No. The QR code is generated in your browser, so the network name and password are not sent to a server. The only copy that leaves your device is the image file you choose to download.
09What is the difference between WPA and WEP in a WiFi QR code?+
WPA covers WPA, WPA2 and WPA3 networks and is the correct choice for virtually all modern routers. WEP is a legacy standard found only on very old equipment. Selecting the wrong one produces a code that scans but fails to authenticate.
10Why does my WiFi QR code scan but not connect?+
The three usual causes are a case mismatch in the SSID, an unescaped special character in the password, and the wrong security type. Special characters such as semicolons and colons must be backslash-escaped inside the payload, which this generator handles automatically.