Reading a Wi-Fi code
A Wi-Fi QR code is a short line of text that starts with WIFI:. It holds the network name after S:, the security after T: (WPA covers WPA, WPA2 and WPA3; WEP is the obsolete one; nopass or nothing means an open network) and the password after P:. Special characters such as ; and : are written with a backslash in front of them, and newer codes made to the Wi-Fi Alliance’s WPA3 specification may write them as %3B instead. The scanner undoes both, so the password it shows is the one you type. The example code above uses a password with a semicolon in it, a common reason a password typed by hand from a code doesn’t work.
Joining on each device
- iPhone and iPad: open the Camera app, point it at the code and tap the Wi-Fi banner that appears.
- Android phones: most camera apps and Google Lens offer to join. In Settings, the Internet page (Wi-Fi on Android 10–11) also has a QR button next to Add network (the wording varies by maker).
- Laptops, TVs, consoles and printers: they rarely scan codes. Photograph the code, read the password here and type it in.
Before you join
Anyone can set up a network with the same name as a café’s, so only join where you expect that network to be. On a guest or open network, stick to sites and apps that use https for anything private.