QRCodeWifi

WiFi QR Code on iPhone

iPhones have read WiFi QR codes natively since iOS 11, so your guests do not need an app. Here is where to scan, what happens next, and how to make a code for your own network, including a Personal Hotspot.

Scan with the Camera app

  • Open the Camera app, not a photo of the code.
  • Point the camera at the QR code from about 20 to 30 cm away.
  • When a yellow WiFi button appears, tap it.
  • Tap Join on the prompt that follows.

Scan from Control Centre

If the Camera app will not pick the code up, Control Centre has its own scanner. Open Control Centre, tap the QR code icon, and hold the code in the frame. This works even when the Camera app is being stubborn about focus.

Reading a code from a photo or screenshot

If someone sent you a picture of the code, open it in Photos. On recent iOS versions the code is recognised inside the image, and a tappable WiFi button appears. If your version does not offer it, hold the code on another screen and scan it with the Camera app instead.

Share your own network from an iPhone

There is no Apple button that turns your WiFi settings into a QR code, so use this site: type your network name and password into the generator and you have a code in seconds.

The same trick works for a Personal Hotspot. Find the hotspot name and password in Settings, generate a code, and guests can join your hotspot by scanning instead of typing a long random password.

If the code will not connect on iPhone

  • Move closer and hold the phone steady: the code must fill a good part of the frame.
  • Check the code is not light-on-dark. iOS reads classic dark-on-light codes far more reliably.
  • Make sure the security type matches the network. A WPA3-only network can refuse older iPhones.
  • If the network name was typed with a typo, the code will open the wrong network, or none at all.

Put this into practice

Create your code in the generator, then turn it into a printable sign in a couple of clicks. Free, no account and no watermark.

WiFi QR Code GeneratorPrintable WiFi Sign Maker

Frequently Asked Questions

No. The Camera app handles WiFi QR codes from iOS 11 onwards, and Control Centre has a scanner you can use if the camera view will not focus on the code.

On recent iOS versions, yes: open the image in Photos and tap the WiFi button that appears over the code. Otherwise, display the screenshot on another screen and scan it with the Camera app.

Any iPhone running iOS 11 or later can read WiFi QR codes from the Camera app. Very old devices may need a third-party QR reader.

Open the built-in Camera app (not a third-party app) and point it at the code. A notification banner appears at the top of the screen. Tap it and your iPhone joins the network automatically. This works on any iPhone running iOS 11 or later. You do not need to open Settings or download anything.