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PineQR

QR code for Wi-Fi

A Wi-Fi QR code stores the network name, the type of encryption and the password in one short line. Current Android phones and iPhones read it with the camera and offer to join the network. Your guests no longer have to type a long password letter by letter.

Type of QR code

Wi-Fi

Joins a network without typing the password.

Exactly as it appears in the Wi-Fi list, including upper and lower case.

The password is stored in the code itself. Anyone who can see the code can read it.

Only tick this if the network does not show up in the list.

Style

Modules
Corners
Colour
Contrast 19.5 : 1

Still scans with up to 15 % damaged · 4-module border

More settings

Estimated symbol contrast 100 % (grade A in ISO/IEC 15415)

Blank border in modules. The QR standard asks for 4.

Preview

Fill in the fields to see your QR code.

The code is checked after each change.

Download

File format

Raster image up to 4096 × 4096 px

Nothing you type leaves your browser

How to create it

  1. Look up the network name and password in your router's admin page or on the sticker underneath the router. Many routers list both on the same settings page for wireless security.

  2. Type the network name exactly as your phone shows it in the list of available networks. The name is case-sensitive, so “Guest” and “guest” are two different networks.

  3. Pick the security setting. Routers sold in recent years use WPA2 or WPA3, and both are covered by the WPA option in the generator.

  4. Enter the password, then point your own phone at the preview and check that it connects before you download the file.

  • A table tent read from arm's length works with a code of 3 to 4 cm. On a wall that people look at from two or three metres away, make it at least 20 to 30 cm wide.
  • Print the network name in plain text below the code, so visitors with an older phone can still pick the network by hand.
  • Glossy lamination reflects ceiling lights straight into the camera. A matt finish or a slightly tilted stand scans more reliably.

Common mistakes

  • Changing the router password later

    The password sits inside the static code. Once you change it on the router, every printed copy stops working and you need to print a new one.

  • Sharing the main network

    Anyone who can see the code can read the password from it. In a café, office or holiday rental, put the guest network in the code, not the one your laptops and printers use.

  • Choosing WEP by mistake

    If the code says WEP while the router expects WPA2, the phone fails to connect. WEP is outdated and only makes sense for very old hardware that supports nothing else.

The line inside the code

The code holds text such as WIFI:T:WPA;S:Guest-WiFi;P:secret;; where T is the security type, S the network name and P the password. The format comes from the open-source barcode library ZXing and is understood by the camera apps on Android and iOS. Characters with a special meaning, such as a semicolon in the password, are escaped with a backslash by the generator.

No server is involved when someone scans it. The code keeps working for as long as the network name and password on your router stay the same.

Questions

This is a static QR code: the content sits in the code itself and works without our server.

Static and dynamic QR codes explained

Does an iPhone read Wi-Fi QR codes?

Yes. The iPhone camera has recognised Wi-Fi codes since iOS 11 and shows a prompt to join the network. On Android, use the camera app or the QR icon in the Wi-Fi settings.

Is it safe to put my Wi-Fi password in a QR code?

The code is not encrypted, and a photo of it is enough to read the password. Treat it like a note with the password written on it and use a separate guest network.

My network is hidden. Will the code still work?

Tick “Hidden network” before you download. The code then also contains H:true, which tells the phone to look for a network that does not broadcast its name.

Will my Wi-Fi QR code stop working at some point?

Not on its own. It is a static code without any redirect, so it only stops working when you rename the network or change the password.