Have you ever found yourself having to constantly write out or say your Wi-Fi login and password to family and friends that visit or stay over? I know I have.
A simple solution to that problem is to create a QR code in Windows for your Wi-Fi that people can then easily scan with their own device’s camera and connect to at a moment’s notice.
There have been apps that can do this available for some time, but Microsoft began providing a native feature to generate QR codes for Wi-Fi in Windows 11 in late 2024.
I’ve seen this feature in use by savvy hotels and cafes, and it makes connecting to Wi-Fi so convenient, but who says it can only be used by businesses? You can do it at home too! Here’s how.
What to do:
- Open Windows Settings and navigate to Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage Known networks.
- Click on the arrow to the right of your Wi-Fi account name.
- In the next window click on the Show tab located next to Wi-Fi network password.
- You should now see your Wi-Fi password and a QR code generated for your Wi-Fi network.
- Take a screenshot of the QR code and print it out to make it accessible to the people who need it.
Dominic Bayley / Foundry
Once you have the QR code and have printed it out, your family, friends, or guests can scan it with the camera in their smartphone, tablet, or PC webcam to connect to the Wi-Fi network without having to type in the login and password.
I hope you enjoy not having to repeat your Wi-Fi details all the time. That’s it for this tip. If you want more tips like this one delivered to your inbox every week, be sure to sign up to our PCWorld Try This newsletter. You might also like to sign up to some of our other PCWorld newsletters on the same sign-up page.
