WiFi QR codes for guests and rentals

A printed WiFi sign survives the cleaning cloth, hundreds of guests and years on the wall. This guide covers what to settle before you print: what the code actually stores, how to set up a guest network, the passwords that break scanning, and where the sign belongs.

Published by PIXAROX · Last updated: October 2026 · How we write our guides

What a WiFi QR code stores (and what it does not)

A WiFi QR is not a link to the internet: it is a short string in a fixed format that phones recognise. It looks like this (quotes added only to show the empty space):

WIFI:T:WPA;S:MyNetworkName;P:the-password;H:false;;

T — security type: WPA, WEP, or nopass for an open network.
S — the SSID, exactly as it appears on the phone, capitals and spaces included.
P — the password for that network.
H — true for a hidden network (not recommended, see below).

No server involved. The phone reads the string and connects on its own. No app, no account, no expiry, and the guest does not need mobile data to use it.

Before you generate: set up a guest network

Any WiFi QR hands your password to anyone who walks past. That is exactly what you want for guests — and exactly what you do not want for the network your own computers, cameras and NAS live on. If your router allows it:

Create a guest network separate from your main one.
Give it a different password from the router admin password.
Turn on client isolation, so one guest cannot see another's laptop.
For a business, cap the bandwidth on that network so a guest cannot starve paying customers.
If you already posted your main password anywhere public, change it before printing the final code.

Passwords and network names that break the code

The WIFI: format uses ;, : and \ as separators. If your SSID or password contains them, they must be escaped with a backslash or the phone will cut the password short.

In your network	What happens	What to do
Password with `;`, `:` or `\`	The phone truncates the password	Escape it with `\`, or change the password
Accents, non-Latin letters, emojis	Works on most phones, but not all	Test on both Android and iPhone before printing
Trailing spaces	Practically invisible and always unreliable	Avoid them
Hidden SSID	Many phones will not join a hidden network from a QR	Leave the network visible
Separate 2.4 and 5 GHz names	Guests join whichever reaches them worst	Publish the 2.4 GHz name, which travels further

Rule of thumb: if your password is hard to read out loud, change it before printing to something long but easy to dictate.

Pick the object by location

Object	Where it works	Why
Desk stand	Desk, bedside table, reception	Sits at hand height, 20–30 cm from the phone
Wall plate	Beside the door, next to the router, in the bathroom	Never moves, never gets lost, allows big text
Keychain	With the room key or the shop keys	Always with the guest; swapped with the key

Size, relief and material

Normal scanning distance (20–40 cm): 50–60 mm plate with 1–1.2 mm relief.
Hallway or wall sign (1–2 m): 120–200 mm wide, scaled proportionally.
Bathroom, kitchen, balcony or outdoors: PETG or ASA. PLA deforms in heat and direct sun.
Contrast: light base, dark relief (or the reverse). Skip translucent, glossy, glitter or wood-fill filaments — the camera cannot find the pattern.

With two colours, the base and the raised modules already carry their own colour inside the 3MF file. More detail in our durable materials guide. If you are unsure whether your QR has large enough modules, the PIXAROX tool warns you before you download.

Where to mount it

First: where the guest arrives, bags still in hand — entrance or bedside table.
Second: where they actually need it: the sofa, the dining table, the bed.
Third: where the signal is weakest (bathroom, patio). A 2.4 GHz sign in the worst spot beats a badly placed repeater.
Add a minimal label: «WiFi». No instructions — if you have to explain how to scan, the sign is in the wrong place.

Test before printing twenty

Generate the QR in the tool using the network type, with the real SSID and password.
Scan it from the screen with at least three phones: two Android and one iPhone, or the other way around.
Print one test plate and let it cool.
Scan it at the real distance and in the real lighting, not in a bright workshop.
Only when all three phones connect, print the batch.

What if you change the password later

A printed plate cannot be updated: if you change the password, that QR is stale and must be reprinted. That is why a guest password should be chosen to last, and changed only for a real reason. If you rotate passwords often, print a welcome plate linking to a page of your own that shows the current password.

Question this guide does not answer? Tell us and we will add it.

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