How do I make a Wi-Fi QR code?
You make a QR code for Wi-Fi by filling in four boxes and downloading the result: the code on screen updates with every keystroke.
- Wi-Fi name: type it exactly as the router shows it, capital letters included.
- Password: type it, and press Show if you want to check what you typed; the box hides it until you do.
- Password type: leave WPA or WPA2 selected unless your router uses another type; WPA3, WEP and No password (open) are the other choices.
- Hidden network: tick the box if the network does not show in the Wi-Fi list.
- Download: pick PNG or SVG, then set the printed size, the damage protection, the dpi and the colors in the same panel.
Can I get a WiFi password from a QR code?
Anyone who scans a Wi-Fi code, or photographs it, can read the password: put it where you would share the password.
The password is written as plain text inside the code, so a Wi-Fi password QR code always contains the password of the network it was made for. A code on a wall works like a note with the password on it.
Does Varnip see my Wi-Fi password?
No: what you type is encoded in your browser and is not sent to our servers, and the Wi-Fi name and password are part of what you type.
Varnip does count how the generators are used, such as which format was downloaded, never what you type. A download is counted with its kind, Wi-Fi, and its file type, never with the name or password.
The files are named qr-wifi.png and qr-wifi.svg: the name says what the code does, never what it holds.
Is a WiFi QR code free?
Yes, it costs nothing to make a Wi-Fi QR code here: you need no account, and the file has no watermark.
Static QR codes made here do not expire on a date of ours: each one keeps working as long as what it points to does. For a Wi-Fi code, that means the network and its password.
What happens to the code when I change my Wi-Fi password?
The printed code still holds the old password, because a static code can't be changed after you print it: make a new code with the new password.
Which password type should I choose for a Wi-Fi QR code?
Choose the type your router uses: WPA or WPA2 is selected by default, and the page also offers WPA3, WEP and No password (open). If you are not sure, check the router's sticker or settings.
| Password type | When to pick it | What the page does |
|---|---|---|
| WPA or WPA2 | The default; pick it when the router says WPA or WPA2, or when you are not sure. | Asks for the password and warns when it has fewer than 8 or more than 63 characters. WPA2 on a phone was tested once, on one Android phone. |
| WPA3 | The router is set to WPA3. | Asks for the password. WPA3 was not tested on a phone. |
| WEP | Only when the router still uses WEP. | Warns that WEP is outdated and suggests WPA2 or WPA3 on the router, without blocking the code. WEP was not tested on a phone. |
| No password (open) | The network has no password. | Switches the password box off and writes the code without a password. Open networks were not tested on a phone. |
What warnings does the page give for a Wi-Fi password?
The page warns, and never blocks you, about four things: a WEP network, a WPA password outside 8 to 63 characters, a password with letters beyond plain ASCII, and a name or password that ends in a backslash or sits inside quotes.
| Warning | What to do |
|---|---|
| WEP is outdated | Use WPA2 or WPA3 on the router if you can, then make the code again. |
| A WPA password with fewer than 8 or more than 63 characters | Check that it matches the router exactly; the page shows how many characters yours has. |
| Letters beyond plain ASCII, such as é or ñ | Check that the password matches the router exactly. Names and passwords with accents were not tested on a phone. |
| A name or password that ends in a backslash, or sits inside quotes | A name or password ending in a backslash is read wrong by Android 15 and older, and quotes around the whole name or password are dropped by Android 15 and older. This comes from replaying Android's source code, not from a phone. |
What is inside a Wi-Fi QR code?
A Wi-Fi QR code holds four fields written as plain text: the network name (S), the password type (T), the password (P) and whether the network is hidden (H).
The page writes them in the same format Android's own Share Wi-Fi writes (Android source code), with a backslash put before any backslash, semicolon, comma or colon in the name or password. That is a comparison with Android's source, not a statement about every phone.
For the example network in the tool, the text inside the code is WIFI:S:Example Wi-Fi;T:WPA;P:change-this-password;H:false;;. You never type this: the page writes it from the boxes.
How do I make a QR code for a hidden Wi-Fi network?
Tick the box that says the network is hidden, then fill in the same name, password and password type as for any other network.
The code then carries the hidden setting, H, as true; a network that is not hidden carries false. The one Wi-Fi test we have on a phone used a hidden network, and it is described under the phone question below.
Can I make a Wi-Fi QR code for a network without a password?
Yes: choose No password (open) as the password type, and the page asks only for the network name.
That is not the same as hiding a password: a code for a network that has a password always contains it, as the answer to the WiFi password question above says. We have not tested an open network on a phone.
Will my phone join the network when it scans the code?
On one Android phone, the camera scanned a Wi-Fi code from this generator and joined the network: a hidden WPA or WPA2 network with a plain 10-character password, scanned from a screen. iPhone, WPA3, WEP, open networks, printed codes, and names or passwords with a semicolon, comma, colon, backslash or accent were not tested.
For iPhone and iPad, Apple's support page says to hold the device so the code appears, then tap the link to open the content (Apple Support). It names no content type, so it does not say what a Wi-Fi code does there, and we have not tested one.
How do I download or print a Wi-Fi QR code?
Download the code from the panel as PNG or SVG: the SVG is a vector file sized in millimeters, and the PNG is 600 dpi unless you ask for 300.
- Printed size: four choices from 2 cm to 10 cm, each named by its use; the file is close to the size picked, not equal to it, because each square is drawn in whole pixels.
- Damage protection: four levels, with Medium recommended; the file carries the level you chose and the page never raises it.
- Colors: black, dark blue or custom, on white or transparent; the page warns about low contrast and never changes your colors.
- Blank margin: every file has one four squares wide on every side, so do not crop it.
- Share: where your browser can share files, a Share button hands the PNG to your device's share sheet, and Varnip does not receive the file.
We have not tested scanning a printed code, so scan one printed code before you print many.
Can this page scan a Wi-Fi QR code?
No, this page makes QR codes; it does not read or scan one you already have.
Can I make a QR code for something other than Wi-Fi?
Yes, the QR code generator page makes ten kinds of QR code, among them a website, a contact and a location.