Wi-Fi QR codes: let guests join without typing the password

Updated 5 October 2026

A Wi-Fi QR code lets someone join your network by pointing their phone at it. No spelling out a password, no confusing zeros with capital Os.

How it works

The code stores your network name, password and security type in a standard format that phones understand. When someone scans it with their camera, the phone offers to join the network. No internet connection is needed to read it, and nothing passes through any server.

When you make a Wi-Fi code with KeepQR, it's created in your browser. We never see your network name or password.

What you'll need

• Network name (SSID), exactly as it appears, including capitals and spaces.
• Password, exactly as typed. It's case-sensitive.
• Security type. Almost all modern routers use WPA2 or WPA3, shown as WPA. Choose "none" only for an open network.
• Hidden or not. If your network doesn't appear in the normal Wi-Fi list, mark it as hidden so phones know to look for it.

You'll usually find these on a sticker on the router, or in the router's settings page.

Keep it secure

• Use a guest network. Most routers can run a separate guest network. Share that one, not the network your card machine, CCTV or office computers use.
• Remember the password is in the code. Anyone who can photograph the code can join. Put it inside the premises, not in the window.
• If you change the password, replace the code. The old one won't work any more.

Where to put it

• Cafés and restaurants: on table stands next to the menu QR code, or by the till.
• Holiday lets and B&Bs: a framed card by the door or in the welcome folder.
• Offices and waiting rooms: at reception.
• At home: on the fridge or inside a cupboard door for visiting friends.

Put the network name and password in small text under the code too. Laptops and some older devices can't scan QR codes.

Size and printing

• At least 3 cm wide for a card people pick up, 10 cm for a sign scanned from a metre away.
• Dark code on a light background, with a clear margin all round.
• Long passwords make a denser pattern. If the code looks very busy, print it larger.
• Use matt lamination for anything that will be handled or wiped.

Test it

• Forget the network on your own phone first, then scan the code and check it joins.
• Try with both an iPhone and an Android phone.
• Check guests can browse once connected, not just join.