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How to make a Wi-Fi QR code (and why it beats reading out your password)

By the Apna QR team · Published · 6 min read

Every guest asks the same question: “What's the Wi-Fi password?” Then comes the spelling, the capital letters, the zero that might be an O, and the second try. A Wi-Fi QR code removes all of that. Your guest points their camera at the code, taps Join, and they are online. This guide explains how these codes work, how to make one for free, and how to use them without weakening your network's security.

What is inside a Wi-Fi QR code?

A Wi-Fi QR code is not a link to a website. It holds a short piece of text in a standard format that phones understand. For a typical home network it looks like this:

WIFI:T:WPA;S:SharmaHome;P:mango2024;;

  • T is the security type: WPA (used for WPA, WPA2 and WPA3), WEP for very old routers, or nopass for an open network.
  • S is the network name, also called the SSID. It must match exactly, including capital letters and spaces.
  • P is the password.
  • H:true is added only if your network is hidden and does not broadcast its name.

Because everything is stored inside the code itself, the QR code works offline and never expires. It keeps working until you change the network name or password.

Step by step: make a Wi-Fi QR code on apnaqr.in

  • 1. Find your exact network name and password. On most routers they are printed on a sticker underneath. If you changed them, check your router's admin page or the Wi-Fi settings on a phone that is already connected.
  • 2. Open the QR code generator and choose Wi-Fi under “What's inside?”.
  • 3. Type the network name and password. Choose WPA/WPA2/WPA3 unless you know your router uses something else. Tick “Hidden network” only if your network really is hidden.
  • 4. Style it if you like. Add colours or a logo, but keep the dots dark and the background light so every phone can read it.
  • 5. Download PNG to print it, or SVG if a designer or print shop needs a file that stays sharp at any size.
  • 6. Test it before printing. Scan it with two different phones, ideally one Android and one iPhone, and make sure both connect.

The generator runs entirely in your browser, so your Wi-Fi password is never sent to our server. You can check this yourself: once the page has loaded, you can switch off your internet and the generator still works.

How do guests scan it?

Most phones sold in the last few years can join Wi-Fi straight from the camera:

  • Android: open the camera app or Google Lens and point it at the code. On many phones you can also go to Settings → Wi-Fi and tap the small QR icon next to “Add network”. A scanner app such as Apna QR shows a one-tap Join Wi-Fi button.
  • iPhone: open the Camera app, point it at the code and tap the “Join network” banner that appears.

If a phone shows the text of the code instead of offering to join, it is usually an older phone. The guest can still copy the password from the text that appears.

Where to put your Wi-Fi QR code

  • At home: on the fridge, inside a cupboard door, or in a small frame in the guest room.
  • In a café or shop: on the counter, on table tents or on the menu, next to the words “Free Wi-Fi: scan to join”.
  • In an office or co-working space: in the meeting rooms and at reception, for a guest network only.
  • For homestays and rentals: in the welcome folder, so guests never need to call you about the password.

Add the network name and password in small text under the code as well. It helps people whose camera won't scan, and it is useful for laptops, which usually can't scan QR codes.

Keep your network safe

A Wi-Fi QR code shows your password to anyone who scans it, exactly like writing the password on a card. A few simple habits keep that safe:

  • Use a guest network for public places. Most modern routers can create a separate guest network that gives internet access but keeps visitors away from your computers, printers and cameras. Put the guest network in the QR code, not your main one.
  • Use WPA2 or WPA3. WEP is very old and easy to break. If your router only offers WEP, it is time for a new router.
  • Change the password now and then, especially in shops, and print a new code when you do. The old code will stop working the moment the password changes.
  • Don't post the code online or in public photos of your home or shop.

Troubleshooting

  • “Couldn't connect”: the name or password in the code doesn't match the router. Check capital letters and spaces, then make the code again.
  • The phone doesn't react at all: the code may be too small, too blurry or too low in contrast. Print it bigger (at least 3 × 3 cm) with dark dots on a white background. Our printing guide explains this in detail.
  • It worked yesterday but not today: someone probably changed the Wi-Fi password, or the router was reset to factory settings.

Quick summary: choose Wi-Fi in the generator, enter your exact network name and password, test the code on two phones, and put it on a guest network if strangers will scan it.

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