How to Connect to WiFi by Scanning a QR Code (Android and iPhone)

Someone shared a WiFi QR code with you, on a router sticker, a cafe wall, or a screenshot, and you want to join the network. Here is exactly how to connect on Android and iPhone, plus what to do when scanning fails.

Android: connect by scanning

1. Open the Camera app (Android 9 and newer scan QR codes natively).
2. Point it at the WiFi QR code and hold steady for a second.
3. Tap the notification that appears: it will say something like "Connect to network".
4. Done. The password fills in automatically; you never have to type it.

If the camera does not react, open Settings → Network & internet → WiFi and tap the QR icon next to "Add network". That opens a dedicated scanner that always works.

iPhone: connect by scanning

1. Open the Camera app (iOS 11 and newer).
2. Point at the code. A yellow "Join Network" banner appears at the top.
3. Tap it, then tap Join. iOS connects and saves the network.

The code scanned but only shows text?

Some scanner apps show the raw contents instead of connecting: a string like WIFI:T:WPA;S:CoffeeShop;P:beans2024;;. That IS the network info: S: is the network name and P: is the password. Paste the whole string into our WiFi QR decoder and it will split out the name and password cleanly so you can connect manually. The full syntax is explained in our WiFi QR format guide.

Connecting a laptop or PC with a WiFi QR code

Laptops cannot join a network by scanning. Instead: screenshot or photograph the code, upload it to our WiFi QR screenshot scanner, copy the password it reveals, and type it into your WiFi settings. Works on Windows, Mac, and Chromebook with no camera needed: full walkthrough in our finding WiFi passwords from QR codes guide.

Want to make your own WiFi QR code?

If you run a guest house, cafe, office, or just want one on the fridge for visitors: our free WiFi QR code generator creates a printable code from your network name and password in seconds. Guests scan, they are online, and nobody reads your password aloud across the room.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my Android say "no usable data found"?

The code is either damaged, too small on screen, or not actually a WiFi-format code. Screenshot it and run it through the screenshot scanner to see what is really inside it.

Can I see the password after connecting by QR?

Android and iOS hide it after connecting. If you need the actual password (for another device), decode the QR code itself with the WiFi QR decoder: it shows the password in plain text.

Is it safe to scan WiFi QR codes in public places?

The scan itself is safe, but a malicious code could join you to a rogue hotspot. Check unknown codes first with a safe QR scanner and avoid banking on open public networks.

When the phone shows text instead of a join prompt

You scan, the screen fills with WIFI:T:WPA;S:Cafe Guest;P:flatwhite99;; and nothing happens. That payload is correct. A QR symbol stores characters, and only a parser that recognises the WIFI: scheme turns them into a network profile. The iOS camera and the Android system scanner both do. Most third-party scanner apps do not, which is where the WiFi QR decoder helps you read the fields before trusting them.

Read the payload left to right. T is the authentication type and accepts WPA, WEP or nopass, with WPA covering WPA2 and WPA3. S is the SSID, case sensitive, exactly as broadcast. P is the pre-shared key. Both trailing semicolons do work: one closes the last field, one closes the record. Strict parsers reject a payload missing either, and WIFI must be uppercase.

The four characters that must be escaped

Backslash, semicolon, comma and colon are reserved. Inside an SSID or password each needs a backslash in front, so the key Pa;ss,w0rd is written P:Pa;ss,w0rd. Miss an escape and the failure is silent. A parser reading P:Pa;ss,w0rd stops the password at the first bare semicolon, hands the phone the two-character key Pa, and you get an authentication error with no hint the code was malformed. SSIDs truncate the same way, so a network named Bar:Grill fails while the router's label looks fine. One more trap: a key made only of hex characters can be read as a raw WEP key, so quote it, P:"deadbeef12";. Type raw values into the WiFi QR generator and escaping is handled.

Hidden networks need H:true

An access point with SSID broadcast disabled never announces its name. A phone reading a normal payload scans the beacons it can hear, finds no match, and either does nothing or sits on connecting until it times out. H:true tells the handler to save the profile anyway and probe actively for that SSID: WIFI:T:WPA;S:BackOffice;P:Tools4Que;H:true;;. Field order is free, but the value must be lowercase true. A phone set up this way then broadcasts that SSID in probe requests wherever it goes.

A printed code protects nothing

The key sits in the symbol as plain text. Any camera that resolves the pattern has your PSK, across the room or aimed at a photo of your noticeboard. Encryption is not part of ISO/IEC 18004; the standard covers encoding, masking and Reed-Solomon correction, so the payload survives a torn corner. Treat a taped-up code as a published password. Guests on their own SSID, key rotated when staff leave, old prints off the wall. Anyone can print a replacement pointing elsewhere, so unfamiliar codes are worth running through a scanner that shows the payload first.

Related: all QR code tools