How to create a Wi-Fi QR code for guests

A Wi-Fi QR code lets a guest scan network details instead of typing them. Start with a network you intend to share, enter the details accurately, and test the result before handing out a print or image.

QR Scanner can create Wi-Fi codes. Wi-Fi creation requires QR Reader Pro; check the current App Store listing for availability and purchase details. You may also be able to show a network QR code using your iPhone’s built-in Passwords app.

First check the built-in option

Apple’s Wi-Fi password guide describes opening a saved network in Passwords → Wi-Fi and using Show Network QR Code. If that control is available on your iPhone, it may be all you need for sharing a saved network nearby. Controls vary with the system version.

For finding the password itself, Apple also explains how to view saved Wi-Fi details. Use a network you are authorized to access and share.

Create the code in QR Scanner

1. Open the code-creation screen and choose Wi-Fi. The app’s Wi-Fi editor has separate fields for the network name, security, password, and whether the network is hidden.
2. Enter Network Name exactly. Use the intended network’s name, including its capitalization and spaces. For a shared space, choose the guest network if you have one configured for that purpose.
3. Match the Security setting. The editor offers WPA/WPA2, WEP, and None. Do not choose None merely to avoid entering a password on a password-protected network. If your network uses a setup that the available options cannot represent, use a supported sharing method instead.
4. Enter the network password when required. Check the characters carefully. Leave Hidden Network off unless it matches the network you are configuring.
5. Create the code and review it. Complete the creation step, then use the saved result’s Share action if you want to pass along the code image. Check which items the share sheet includes before sending them.

The app’s current creation flow and controls are the basis for these steps; wording and placement can vary by release. A code does not configure a router or create a guest network for you.

Test before sharing or printing

Use another device that you are allowed to connect. Scan the code and confirm that it offers the intended network. Accept the connection on that device, then check that the network connection actually works. A device that was already connected is not a useful test of the QR details.

If you will print the code, test the final print too. Keep its edges intact and its contrast clear. Decorative styling, glare, or shrinking it to a tiny size can make scanning harder.

Before-you-share checklist:

• The code names the network you meant to share.
• The security option and password match that network.
• A guest device can scan it and complete a connection.
• The final saved image or print is readable.
• The image is going only to people who should receive those network details.

This checklist is an original planning aid; there is no sample password or connectable demonstration code on this page.

Treat the image as network credentials

The Wi-Fi code contains the network details you entered. Someone who obtains the image can read those details with a compatible decoder. Hiding the password as a pattern of squares does not make it a secret.

Share or display it only where you intend to give network access. If the network name or password changes, create and test a replacement. An old printed code still contains the old values; it does not update itself.

If a guest cannot connect

Recheck the network name, password, and selected security type first. Then confirm that the device is within network range and can join using the same details manually. Some networks require additional sign-in steps that a simple Wi-Fi code cannot complete.

If the device cannot read the image at all, try the original code at a clearer size or a clean print. If it reads the code but the connection fails, investigate the network settings rather than generating more copies of the same details.

Wi-Fi QR codes and website links are different content types. QR Scanner’s online website-reputation checks do not validate a Wi-Fi password or guarantee a network’s safety. For a code that instead contains a web address, use the link-review checklist.