About

Sharing WiFi credentials verbally invites transcription errors. A mistyped passphrase character wastes minutes of troubleshooting. A single wrong case in a 26-character WPA2 key means no connection. This tool encodes your network's SSID, encryption protocol (T), and passphrase into a machine-readable QR matrix conforming to the ZXing WiFi URI specification: WIFI:T:<type>;S:<ssid>;P:<password>;H:<hidden>;;. The resulting code is scannable by any modern smartphone camera without installing a dedicated app.

The QR symbol is generated using ISO/IEC 18004 byte-mode encoding with error correction level L (recovers ~7% of codewords). Version is auto-selected from 1 to 10 based on payload length. Special characters (\, ;, :, ") in SSID or password are backslash-escaped per spec. Note: WEP encryption is included for legacy hardware but offers negligible security. If your password exceeds 80 characters, the QR version may exceed supported range. Pro tip: print the generated code on adhesive paper and mount it near your router for frictionless guest access.

Formulas

The WiFi QR payload follows the ZXing de-facto standard URI scheme:

WIFI:T:<encryption>;S:<ssid>;P:<password>;H:<hidden>;;

where T ∈ {WPA, WEP, SAE, nopass}, S = network SSID (with special characters \, ;, :, " backslash-escaped), P = passphrase (same escaping rules), and H = true if the network is hidden, omitted otherwise.

The QR matrix size is determined by version v:

modules = 4v + 17

Error correction uses Reed-Solomon codes over GF(2⁸) with the irreducible polynomial:

p(x) = x⁸ + x⁴ + x³ + x² + 1

The generator polynomial for n error correction codewords is:

g(x) = n−1∏i=0(x − αⁱ)

where α = 2 is the primitive element of the field. Mask pattern selection minimizes a penalty score computed across 4 rules evaluating adjacent same-color runs, 2×2 blocks, finder-like patterns, and dark/light module ratio deviation from 50%.

Reference Data

QR Version	Modules	Byte Capacity (Level L)	Byte Capacity (Level M)	Byte Capacity (Level Q)	Byte Capacity (Level H)	Typical WiFi Use
1	21×21	17	14	11	7	Open network, short SSID
2	25×25	32	26	20	14	Short SSID + short password
3	29×29	53	42	32	24	Typical home WiFi (WPA2)
4	33×33	78	62	46	34	Medium password + SSID
5	37×37	106	84	60	44	Long password WPA2/WPA3
6	41×41	134	106	74	58	Enterprise-length credentials
7	45×45	154	122	86	64	Long SSID + complex passphrase
8	49×49	192	152	108	84	Maximum practical WiFi QR
9	53×53	230	180	130	98	Edge case with metadata
10	57×57	271	213	151	119	Maximum supported by this tool
Encryption Protocol Reference
WPA/WPA2 (recommended)		T:WPA		Passphrase 8 - 63 ASCII chars
WPA3		T:SAE		Passphrase 8 - 63 ASCII chars
WEP (legacy)		T:WEP		5 or 13 ASCII / 10 or 26 hex chars
No password		T:nopass		Open network, no passphrase field
Error Correction Levels (ISO 18004)
Level L (Low)		~7% recovery		Smallest QR, best for clean prints
Level M (Medium)		~15% recovery		Balanced size vs. durability
Level Q (Quartile)		~25% recovery		Good for partially obscured codes
Level H (High)		~30% recovery		Maximum redundancy, largest QR

Frequently Asked Questions

Select WPA/WPA2 for most modern routers - this covers both WPA-Personal (PSK) and WPA2-Personal. If your router uses WPA3, select SAE. WEP is only for legacy hardware manufactured before 2003 and provides minimal security. For open/guest networks with no password, select "None (Open)".

The three most common causes are: (1) SSID mismatch - the name is case-sensitive, so "MyWifi" and "myWifi" are different networks; (2) the password contains special characters (semicolons, colons, backslashes, or double quotes) that were not properly escaped - this tool handles escaping automatically; (3) the network is hidden but the "Hidden Network" toggle was not enabled. Additionally, some older Android devices (pre-Android 10) require a dedicated QR scanner app rather than the built-in camera.

The WPA/WPA2 specification allows passphrases of 8 to 63 ASCII characters. This tool supports QR versions 1 through 10, providing up to 271 bytes of payload at error correction level L. After accounting for the WiFi URI overhead (approximately 20-30 bytes for protocol markers), passwords up to roughly 60 characters with a 32-character SSID fit comfortably. Exceeding the capacity triggers an automatic version upgrade or an error if version 10 is exceeded.

Higher error correction increases the code's physical size (more modules) but allows recovery from damage. Level L recovers approximately 7% of codewords - suitable for clean digital displays and fresh prints. Level H recovers about 30% - useful for codes printed on surfaces subject to wear, partial obstruction, or if you plan to overlay a logo on the center. For typical indoor WiFi signage, Level M (~15%) provides a good balance.

This tool supports foreground and background color customization. The foreground must maintain sufficient contrast against the background - a minimum contrast ratio of 4:1 is recommended for reliable scanning. Logo overlay is not supported because it physically destroys data modules. If you require a logo, use error correction Level H and overlay it on no more than 10% of the center area using an external image editor after download.

No. The QR code encodes the WiFi credentials directly as a static text payload. There is no URL, no server dependency, and no expiration. The code remains valid as long as your network credentials remain unchanged. If you change your WiFi password, you must generate a new QR code.

No. All QR generation happens entirely in your browser using client-side JavaScript. No data is sent over the network. The password never leaves your device. You can verify this by disconnecting from the internet and confirming the tool still functions.