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ScanHatch

WiFi QR Code Generator

Make a code guests can scan to join your WiFi, instead of reading out a long password. Enter the details exactly as your router shows them.

What should the code do?

Joins a WiFi network without typing the password.

Must match exactly, including capital letters.

Tick this if your network doesn't broadcast its name.

Privacy: Codes are created in your browser. What you type isn't sent to ScanHatch or stored by us. Privacy policy

How to use it

  1. Type the network name (SSID) exactly as it appears in your phone's WiFi list, including capital letters and spaces.
  2. Choose the security type (“WPA / WPA2 / WPA3” for almost all modern routers) and enter the password.
  3. Tick “Hidden network” only if your router doesn't broadcast the network name.
  4. Download the code and test it: scan it with a phone that isn't already connected to the network.

What a WiFi QR code contains

A WiFi QR code is plain text in a standard format that phone cameras understand. The code for a network called Cafe Guest looks like this inside: WIFI:T:WPA;S:Cafe Guest;P:your-password;;. T is the security type, S the network name, P the password and H marks a hidden network.

When a phone scans it, the camera app offers to join the network. Nothing is sent anywhere by the code itself: the phone simply reads the details and connects to the router as if you had typed them.

Security type: which to choose

  • WPA / WPA2 / WPA3: the option for almost every home and office router. Choose it unless you know otherwise. Inside the code it's written as T:WPA, which phones use for all of these.
  • WEP: an outdated standard. Only use it for old equipment, and consider upgrading the router's security.
  • No password (open): for networks without a password, such as some public hotspots with a sign-in page.
  • A few routers running in WPA3-only mode don't accept phones joining this way. If joining fails, check whether the router offers a WPA2/WPA3 mixed mode.

Privacy: the password is readable

The password isn't encrypted inside the QR code. Anyone who scans it, or photographs it, can read the password with any QR reader. Treat a printed WiFi code like the password written on a card.

For cafés, rentals and offices, a separate guest network is the safer choice: guests get internet access without reaching your own devices, and you can change its password without affecting anything else. ScanHatch creates the code in your browser, so the password is never sent to our server.

Printing tips

  • Print it at least 3 cm wide for scanning from arm's length, and larger on a wall across the room.
  • Add the network name in text next to the code, so people can connect manually if their camera doesn't recognise it.
  • If you change the WiFi password, the old code stops working. Generate and print a new one.

Frequently asked questions

Can a WiFi QR code reveal my password?

Yes. The password is stored as readable text in the code, so anyone who scans it can see it. Use a guest network for codes you display publicly.

Does the QR code expire?

No. It keeps working for as long as the network name and password stay the same. Changing either one means you need a new code.

Which phones can join WiFi from a QR code?

Current iPhones and most Android phones can do this from the built-in camera or QR scanner. Some older phones need a separate QR app.

Can I print a WiFi QR code?

Yes. Download SVG or PDF for sharp printing at any size, or PNG for sharing digitally.

Other QR code types

Further reading

Need a different kind of QR code, such as an event or plain text? Open the full QR Code Generator.

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