Does the Wi-Fi QR code expire?

No. This is a static QR code - the network name, password, and encryption type are encoded directly into the pattern. There is no server involved and nothing to expire. It keeps working for as long as your Wi-Fi credentials stay the same, whether that is next week or in ten years.

Do I need an account to create one?

No account, no sign-up, and no email required. The generator runs entirely in your browser. You enter your network details, the QR code appears, and you download it - that is the whole process.

Can I track how many people scan the Wi-Fi QR code?

No. A static Wi-Fi QR code connects the device directly to your router - our servers are never contacted, so a scan count is technically impossible. Scan analytics only exist for dynamic QR codes, which redirect through a server. Wi-Fi credentials cannot be made dynamic.

What is the difference between WPA, WPA2, and WPA3?

They are Wi-Fi security standards, oldest to newest. WPA3 is the current standard and the most secure; WPA2 is still extremely common and works everywhere. Our generator labels both as one option because phones detect the actual protocol automatically. WEP is obsolete and insecure - only pick it if you have very old hardware that supports nothing else.

Will it work on older Android phones?

Wi-Fi QR scanning is built into the camera on Android 10 and newer and on iPhones running iOS 11 or later. On older Android phones the built-in camera may not handle it, but a free QR scanner app will. In practice, almost every phone made since 2018 connects on the first scan.

Can I change the password later without reprinting?

Not with a static Wi-Fi QR code - the password is baked into the pattern, so changing it means generating and reprinting a new code. If you rotate passwords often, keep a separate guest network with a stable password just for the QR code, and change only your main network password.

Is my Wi-Fi password sent to a server?

No. Generation happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript - your SSID and password are never transmitted to us or anyone else. You can confirm this by opening your browser's network tab while generating, or by disconnecting from the internet: the QR code still generates. This is core to how we are PIPEDA and Quebec Law 25 compliant.

Free Wi-Fi QR Code Generator for Canadian Businesses

Why Canadian businesses use Wi-Fi QR codes

Reading a Wi-Fi password aloud across a busy café, or taping a smudged sticky note to the counter, is a small daily friction that adds up. Staff get interrupted, customers mistype a long passphrase three times, and the password ends up shared far beyond the people you meant to give it to. A Wi-Fi QR code removes the whole exchange: the guest opens their camera, points it at the code, taps the prompt, and they are on the network. On an iPhone running iOS 11 or newer, and on Android 10 or newer, this is built into the camera app - there is nothing to download.

The operational wins are concrete. Front-of-house staff stop fielding the same question every few minutes. The password stays consistent instead of being garbled by word of mouth. A clean printed code on a table tent or entrance sign looks deliberate and professional, the way a well-set room does. Cafés, restaurants, dental and medical clinics, salons, short-term rentals, and offices with a guest network all get the same benefit: faster setup, fewer interruptions, and a tidier counter. If you also want guests to see your menu once they are online, pair this with a restaurant menu QR code.

What you need before generating

You only need four pieces of information, and they all come from your router or your internet provider's welcome sheet:

SSID - the network name exactly as it appears, including capital letters and spaces.
Password - the passphrase guests would normally type.
Encryption type - WPA2/WPA3 for almost every modern network, WEP only for very old equipment, or None for a truly open network.
Hidden network - tick this only if your router does not broadcast its name; most do.

One practical tip before you go further: most businesses should put the QR code on a separate guest network, not the main one that also runs the point-of-sale terminal, office computers, or security cameras. Almost every router sold in the last decade can broadcast a second "guest" SSID. Giving the public a code to that network keeps your internal systems off-limits and lets you change the guest password without disrupting anything important.

Step-by-step guide

1. Check your router settings

Open your router's admin page in a browser - typically 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 (the address is often printed on a sticker on the router itself). Sign in, find the wireless or guest-network section, and confirm the exact SSID, the password, and the security type. Copy them character for character; a single wrong letter is the most common reason a code "does not work."

2. Generate the QR code

Enter those details in the form at the top of this page. The preview updates as you type. Behind the scenes the generator builds a standard Wi-Fi string and encodes it directly into the pattern - nothing is sent to us. When the preview looks right, download the PNG.

3. Customise the design (optional)

This focused tool produces a clean black-on-white code, which is the most reliable choice for scanning. If you want brand colours, a centred logo, or a printed frame with a call to action, the full generator on the homepage adds all of that while keeping the same private, in-browser generation. Keep contrast high - dark code on a light background - whatever you choose.

4. Test before printing

Test with both an iPhone and an Android phone before you send anything to the printer. Scan from the distance and lighting people will actually use - an arm's length away on a dim table is harder than 10 cm under a desk lamp. Confirm the phone connects, not just that it reads the code. Only print once a real device has joined the network.

Setting up a separate guest network

If you take one piece of advice from this guide, make it this one: generate the code for a dedicated guest network, not your main business network. It takes about five minutes and it is the single biggest security and reliability improvement you can make.

Open the router admin page (the same 192.168.1.1 / 192.168.0.1 address as before) and look for a section called "Guest Network," "Guest Wi-Fi," or similar - nearly every router built since about 2015 has one.
Enable it and give it a clear name - something like "Maple Café Guest" so customers recognise it in their Wi-Fi list. This SSID is what goes into the QR code.
Set security to WPA2/WPA3 and choose a password you are comfortable printing. It does not need to be complex - it is printed on a card for the public, not protecting sensitive systems - but it should not be blank, since an open network is a liability.
Turn on client isolation if your router offers it (sometimes called "AP isolation" or "guest isolation"). This stops guest devices from seeing each other or reaching your point-of-sale terminal, office computers, and cameras.
Optionally cap the bandwidth on the guest network so a few heavy users cannot slow down the systems you run your business on.

Once the guest network is live, generate the QR code using that network's name and password - not your main one. Now you can rotate your internal password whenever you like without ever reprinting the card on the table, and a guest device can never reach the part of your network that matters.

Quebec language law: what restaurants need to know

In Quebec, the Charter of the French Language - strengthened by Law 96 - governs public commercial signage, and printed Wi-Fi cards count. The QR code itself is fine: it is a machine-readable symbol, not language, so it carries no obligation. The rule applies to any text you print around it.

Where both languages appear, French must be "markedly predominant" - in practice, at least twice the visual weight of the other language (larger type, or clearly given more space). A line like "Wi-Fi gratuit - Scannez ici" with a smaller English translation underneath is compliant. The simplest safe choice is French only: "Wi-Fi gratuit - Numérisez ici" never raises a question. Official guidance is published by the Office québécois de la langue française at oqlf.gouv.qc.ca. Penalties for non-compliant commercial signage start at roughly $1,500 and rise for repeat findings, so it is worth getting the surrounding text right the first time. Outside Quebec, there is no federal restriction on the language of private business signage - English-only or bilingual cards are both fine.

Design and placement tips

Size and contrast decide whether a code scans on the first try. As rough minimums for print:

Table tent cards (4×6"): keep the code at least 2.5 cm square.
Entrance or wall posters: at least 8 cm square so it reads from a metre or more away.
Inside menus: place it near the front cover where guests look first.
On receipts: works, but keep it as large as the paper allows - thermal paper has low contrast.

Always print dark modules on a plain white (or very light) background. Cameras lock onto sharp contrast; a code printed over a photo, a dark colour, or a busy pattern will fail intermittently in exactly the conditions you cannot control. Leave a clear quiet zone - empty margin - around the code; crowding it with text or a border that touches the pattern is a frequent cause of flaky scans. If a card also needs to share contact details, a vCard QR code is a better fit than cramming a phone number beside the Wi-Fi code.

Common problems and fixes

"The QR won't scan at all"

Almost always size or contrast. Reprint it larger, on white, with a clear margin around it. If it is on a screen, raise the brightness. Glossy lamination and direct glare also defeat the camera - angle the card or use a matte finish.

"It scans but says ‘unable to join network’"

The code was read correctly but a credential is wrong. The usual culprits are a mistyped password, the wrong encryption type (set WPA2/ WPA3, not WEP, for a modern router), or special characters in the SSID or password - semicolons, commas, quotation marks and backslashes must be entered exactly. Re-copy both fields from the router admin page and regenerate.

"Some phones work, others don't"

Built-in Wi-Fi QR scanning needs iOS 11+ or Android 10+. Older Android phones may read the code but not act on it; a free QR scanner app fixes that. If newer phones also fail intermittently, the code is likely too small or too low-contrast for those cameras - scale it up.

"What if I rotate my password?"

A static code carries the password inside the pattern, so a password change means generating and reprinting a new code. If you rotate passwords on a schedule, keep a dedicated guest network with a stable password just for the printed code, and rotate only your main network. That way the card on the table never goes stale. For collecting feedback once guests are connected, a Google reviews QR code is a natural companion on the same card.