How to Create a Wi-Fi QR Code
A Wi-Fi QR code stores the network name, security type and password in a standard WIFI: payload. Scanning it lets a phone join without typing the password.
It is a credential slip, not a live login to your router.
What the code contains
Most phones understand the WIFI:T:<auth>;S:<ssid>;P:<password>;H:true;; format. You do not need to write that string by hand if a generator fills the fields, but you do need the values to match the router.
| Field | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| SSID | Network name, including spaces and capital letters | Cafe Guest |
| Security | WPA for WPA2/WPA3 on most phones, nopass for an open network, WEP only for legacy hardware | WPA |
| Password | Current key. A typo produces a code that looks fine and never joins | (the router password) |
| Hidden | Set only if the network does not broadcast its name | off for a normal guest SSID |
How to make one
- Copy the SSID from the router or a phone that is already joined — do not guess the spacing.
- Choose the security the access point actually uses. Encoding
nopassfor a WPA network will not connect. - Enter the current password, or mark the network as open if there is none.
- Mark hidden only when the SSID is not broadcast.
- Generate the code and scan it from a phone that is not already on that network.
The MultiConvers QR code generator has a Wi-Fi mode that builds this payload in the browser. The password stays on the page; it is not uploaded to create the image.
How phones use it
iPhone Camera and Android Camera or Wi-Fi settings typically offer “Join”. The phone then talks to your access point the same way it would after a typed password. If radio range, a captive portal, or a MAC filter blocks the client, the QR code cannot override that.
For guests, encode the guest SSID — not the admin LAN and not a mesh backhaul name. A cafe table tent should join Cafe Guest, not Cafe-Staff-5G.
Where not to put it
A printed Wi-Fi code is the password on paper. A window sticker visible from the street hands the key to anyone with a camera. Emailing a home-network QR to a large list is the same as sending the password.
If you rotate the guest password, the old print stops joining. The image did not expire; the credential changed. Reprint, and see why QR codes seem to expire. The code is still a static file: there is no remote “update password” switch inside the squares.
FAQ
- Will this work on iPhone and Android?
Yes for a standard WIFI: payload on current Camera and Settings apps. The phone still has to reach your access point; the code only supplies the credentials.
- Should I still offer WEP?
Only if the network is already WEP. Do not create a new WEP network so a QR code can use it. Prefer WPA2 or WPA3 on the router and encode that.
Related guides
How to Create a QR Code
Encode the data you want a phone to read, download a file, scan it once yourself, then print or share that file. The pattern is the data — it does not call a server later unless you encoded a URL that does.
Static vs Dynamic QR Codes
A static QR code stores the payload in the image. A dynamic QR code usually stores a short URL that redirects to the real destination so you can change the target later. MultiConvers only creates static codes.
Do QR Codes Expire?
A static QR code does not expire. The pattern still decodes to the same characters years later. What fails is whatever those characters point at — a taken-down page, a changed Wi-Fi password, or a short link whose host cancelled the redirect.
Related tools
See all guides.