How To Turn Your Wi-Fi Password Into A QR Code

Just about everyone has a Wi-Fi network at home, and it's all but guaranteed that any given network you come across will be protected by a password. The days of unprotected wireless networks may be long gone, but that doesn't matter, as it has become a common social convention to offer guests your Wi-Fi password so they don't have to depend on their cellular data while visiting.

Whether you're still using the default password that shipped with the router or one you chose yourself, telling it to another person has likely proven tedious by now. That's where QR codes come in — yes, the same codes that can be found on promotional posters, random stickers, and even manuals and food packaging. Anyone can generate a QR code that contains a URL or plain text, then print it out for others to scan. Because your Wi-Fi password is simply a string of letters, numbers, and symbols, it can easily be turned into a QR code, then framed and hung on a wall for guests to scan using their phones.

To generate a QR code that contains your Wi-Fi information, you can use a free generator. Because the plan is to print out the code, you'll want to use a generator that lets you save the image at a relatively high resolution, otherwise, the image may look pixelated and not scan correctly. Some generators let you choose custom designs, meaning you don't necessarily have to stick with the plain square-based codes.

1. Navigate to QRCode Monkey in your web browser.
2. Select "WIFI" as the input type. (You can also use "Text" if you only want the password.)
3. Type your SSID (network name) and Wi-Fi password into the text fields. Select your encryption type (most likely WPA/WPA2).
4. Choose any colors or other custom design elements you want.
5. Adjust the slider to the desired image resolution, such as 800 x 800 pixels.
6. Click "Create QR code" to generate the image.
7. Click "Download PNG" or "PDF" to save the image.
8. Print the image using your printer.

We've selected QRCode Monkey because it is free, doesn't force users to create an account, allows you to save high-resolution images, and has several customization options. However, this isn't the only option, and you can try out other services if you'd prefer, including QR.io, QR Code Generator, and even Canva's free code generator. The key to using any generator is selecting the correct input type, as most default to URL input.