How a Wi-Fi QR code works
The code stores three things in a standard format that phones understand: the network name, the password and the security type (usually WPA or WPA2). iPhones from iOS 11 and Android phones from Android 10 read it straight from the camera and show a “Join network” button. Older Android phones may need Google Lens or a scanner app.
Make one in two minutes
- Open our free Wi-Fi QR code generator.
- Type the network name exactly as phones show it, including capital letters and spaces.
- Type the password and choose WPA/WPA2 unless your router says otherwise.
- Download the code or print the ready-made sign.
- Test it with an Android phone and an iPhone before putting it out.
Keep your network safe
Anyone who scans the code can join, so treat the customer network as public:
- Turn on the guest network in your router settings and share only that one.
- Keep billing computers, CCTV recorders and printers on the main network, which customers never see.
- Change the guest password every few months, and print new codes when you do.
- Most routers can limit guest speed so one customer streaming video doesn't slow everyone else down.
What to write on the sign
Under the code, print the network name and the password in large letters too, for older phones and laptops that can't scan. Add one line of instructions such as “Point your camera here to join our Wi-Fi”, and your business name, so the sign still makes sense when it's photographed and shared.
Choosing a guest password
Pick something easy to read aloud but hard to guess, such as two short words and a number, like “mango-chai-42”. Avoid the shop's phone number or name, which everyone nearby can guess, and avoid letters that look alike, such as capital I and small l, for customers who type it by hand.
Where to put the Wi-Fi code
On every table for a café or restaurant, in the waiting area for a salon or clinic, at reception for a hotel, and at the counter everywhere else. Keep it next to your menu or loyalty code so customers find both at once.
The no-reprint option
A printed Wi-Fi code has to be reprinted whenever the password changes. On Tapmore, the Wi-Fi password sits on your QR page with a copy button, so you change it in the dashboard and the same printed code keeps working. You can also ask for an email first, which turns free Wi-Fi into a way to build your customer list, with their agreement.