How to Share a Wi-Fi Password with QR Code from iPhone or iPad

Jul 8, 2021 - 11 Comments

How to Convert Wi-Fi Password Into QR Code on iPhone

Have you ever wanted to share your home or work Wi-Fi with your guests without giving away the network password? You’re certainly not alone in this regard, but we’re pleased to inform you that you can now do just that using your iPhone or iPad, thanks to this neat workaround.

Typically, you’ll need to share your Wi-Fi password if you want someone else to access the network. Apple sort of resolved this issue by introducing the ability to share Wi-Fi passwords with other iOS and macOS devices with any modern version of iOS and iPadOS. But, this feature cannot be used to share your Wi-Fi passwords with non-Apple devices. In such instances, you’ll need to rely on an iOS or ipadOS shortcut that basically converts your Wi-Fi password into a QR code that you can share with literally anyone, whether they’re on an iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Windows PC, Linux machine, or Chromebook.

How to Convert Wi-Fi Password Into QR Code on iPhone with Shortcuts

You will need the Shortcuts from the App Store on your iPhone or iPad if you don’t have it already. Now let’s get started:

  1. Launch the built-in Shortcuts app on your iPhone or iPad.

  2. You’ll typically be taken to the My Shortcuts section upon launching the app. Head over to the Gallery section from the bottom menu.

    How to Convert Wi-Fi Password Into QR Code on iPhone
  3. Here, swipe left and tap on the “Shortcuts for Accessibility” banner to browse for the shortcut. Alternatively, you can type “QR Your Wi-Fi” in the search bar to find it.

    How to Convert Wi-Fi Password Into QR Code on iPhone
  4. Now, scroll down and tap on the “QR Your Wi-Fi” shortcut as shown below to proceed.

    How to Convert Wi-Fi Password Into QR Code on iPhone
  5. This will list out all the actions that will be performed by the shortcut. Tap on “Add Shortcut” to install it and add it to the My Shortcuts section.

    How to Convert Wi-Fi Password Into QR Code on iPhone
  6. Now, go to the My Shortcuts menu. Don’t run the shortcut just yet, because it won’t work properly unless you make a couple of changes. To make edits, tap on the triple-dot icon on the shortcut as indicated in the screenshot below.

    How to Convert Wi-Fi Password Into QR Code on iPhone
  7. Now, you’ll see all of the shortcut’s actions. Scroll down to the very bottom and remove the last “Scripting” action by tapping on the “X” icon. Once removed, tap on the “+” icon to add a new action.

    How to Convert Wi-Fi Password Into QR Code on iPhone
  8. Now, type “Quick” in the search field and select the “Quick Look” action to add it to your shortcut.

    How to Convert Wi-Fi Password Into QR Code on iPhone
  9. Next, just tap on “Done” to save your updated shortcut that actually works.

    How to Convert Wi-Fi Password Into QR Code on iPhone
  10. Head back to the My Shortcuts section and tap on QR Your Wi-Fi to run the shortcut.

    How to Convert Wi-Fi Password Into QR Code on iPhone
  11. Now, you’ll get a pop-up at the top prompting you to enter your Wi-Fi name. By default, the name of the Wi-Fi network you’re currently connected to will be shown here. Tap on “Done” to continue.

    How to Convert Wi-Fi Password Into QR Code on iPhone
  12. Next, you’ll get another pop-up to enter your Wi-Fi password. Simply type in the password and tap on “Done” to generate the QR code.

    How to Convert Wi-Fi Password Into QR Code on iPhone
  13. The QR code will now show up on your screen via Quick Look. You can use the share icon at the top-right corner to bring up the iOS share sheet and share the QR code with any of your contacts. Or, you can simply show your iPhone or iPad’s screen to the other user and they will be able to scan the code using their device’s camera.

    How to Convert Wi-Fi Password Into QR Code on iPhone

There you go. Now you know how to easily share your Wi-Fi passwords with non-Apple users too.

We had to make changes to this shortcut since it wasn’t working upon installation. While the shortcut finished performing the operation successfully, the QR code never showed up on the screen even though a message popped up stating “The QR code is presented below”. This is exactly why we removed the last action that displayed the false message and replaced it with the Quick Look action instead.

Of course, we could’ve gone with a different shortcut to make it easier for you, but all of them are third-party shortcuts that require you to set your device to allow the installation of untrusted shortcuts, which several users may not be okay with. But, if you live life on the edge, you can install this third-party shortcut called Share Wi-Fi to generate a QR code that your guests can scan.

If this is your first time installing a shortcut on your iPhone or iPad, we’d like to inform you that you have access to hundreds of other shortcuts that can unlock some useful features too. For instance, there’s a similar shortcut called iCode QR that converts basically anything into a QR code that your friends can scan. There’s a shortcut that can be used to convert videos to GIFs too. Or, if you want to find how long it’ll take to fully charge your iPhone, there’s a shortcut for that as well.

Are you using QR codes to share your Wi-Fi network with your fellow Android and Windows users without actually giving away your password? How often do you find this particular shortcut useful? Have you installed any other particularly useful iOS shortcuts on your device? Feel free to share your personal experiences and don’t forget to leave your valuable feedback in the comments section down below.

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Posted by: Hamlin Rozario in iPad, iPhone, Tips & Tricks

11 Comments

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  1. Jonny says:

    Today, many routers have this option.

  2. TheTomatoes says:

    Why can’t Apple make stuff asy like on Android for once

    Istg…

  3. Patsy says:

    Have tried to do this on my iPhone 7 Plus but most of the text is coming up in Chinese! Help !!!

  4. Peter Macdonald says:

    Is it possible to have the shortcut remember the password for my WiFi so that I do not have to type it in on my iPhone each time?

  5. WILLIAM says:

    Got there eventually. Neat action.

    My query is, are the details recorded on the other person’s device and can they be read and use by others.

  6. db says:

    So what’s to keep others who may have hacked your friend you sent the QR to from intercepting your WiFi PW…

    Riddle me that please…

    db

    • Guanreut says:

      I think this is intended for convenience, not top security situations. If you or a friend are being hacked, you’ve got a different problem than sharing a wi-fi network password.

      To me, QR codes are just one of those things that didn’t take off and won’t take off, they are too ugly and awkward.

  7. Yyz says:

    While this is nifty and convenient , anyone who has your WiFi password can extract it from their device. PSK literally means Pre Shared Key and by definition the other device has the key.

  8. Stephen says:

    Thank you very much for this useful tip.

  9. Or, at step #9, tap the bottom-right (→ run script) right-triangle to get the QR-code, then save it to photos, once and for all.

  10. Martin says:

    I made this and a QR code shown… then I recommend you test this with iOS 14.6 as in my case try to read this code only „no useful information in code“ (more or less similar info) comes after reading QR code with another Apple device to test.

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