How to See the Wi-Fi Password From a QR Code (Screenshot or Photo)

The short answer

A Wi-Fi QR code is just text in a standard format, for example WIFI:T:WPA;S:HomeNet;P:sunflower42;;, and the password sits after P:. To read it, take a screenshot or photo of the QR code and open it in the QR Code Scanner. When the code is a Wi-Fi code, the scanner shows the Network name, the Password and the Security type in plain text.

This is useful when you want the password itself rather than just connecting: to type it into a laptop or TV that has no camera, to write it down, or to check that a shared code is for the right network.

Step by step: see the password from a Wi-Fi QR code

Get the QR code as an image. On an Android phone that is already connected, open Settings, go to Network & internet, then Internet, tap your Wi-Fi network and choose Share, then take a screenshot of the QR code it shows (Google notes that some of these steps only work on Android 12 and later). If the code is printed on a router, a café table card or a hotel welcome sheet, take a clear photo of it instead.

Open the scanner. Go to the QR Code Scanner on the device that has the image.

Upload the image. Drop the screenshot or photo onto the upload area, or click it to choose a file. Images up to 20 MB are accepted.

Read the result. For a Wi-Fi code you will see a WiFi Network panel with three lines: Network (the SSID), Password and Security (for example WPA).

Copy if needed. The Copy button copies the full decoded text of the QR code, which includes the password.

The scanner works from an image file, so you do not need a camera on the device you are using. The image is read in your browser. If your browser supports the built-in barcode detection feature, that is used; otherwise the page loads the open-source jsQR library to decode the image locally.

What the parts of a Wi-Fi QR code mean

The format was popularised by the ZXing barcode project and is understood by phone cameras on Android and iPhone. The common fields are:

Field	Meaning	Example
WIFI:	Marks the code as a Wi-Fi network	WIFI:
T:	Security type: WPA, WEP, or nopass for an open network	T:WPA
S:	The network name (SSID)	S:HomeNet
P:	The password (left out for open networks)	P:sunflower42
H:	Optional. true if the network is hidden	H:true

Each field ends with a semicolon, and the whole code ends with two semicolons. The fields can appear in a different order, so WIFI:S:HomeNet;T:WPA;P:sunflower42;; means the same thing.

T:WPA is the usual value for password-protected home and office networks. It tells the phone what kind of password to expect.

Troubleshooting

"No QR code found in this image"

• Crop closer. If the QR code is small in a large photo, crop the image so the code fills most of the frame, then upload again.
• Fix blur and glare. Retake the photo straight on, in even light, with the whole code in focus. Laminated cards and screens reflect light.
• Keep the quiet zone. QR codes need a plain margin around them. Do not crop into the black squares at the corners.
• One code per image. If a sheet has several QR codes, crop it so only the Wi-Fi one is visible.

The password looks cut short or has a backslash in it

In the Wi-Fi QR format, some characters inside the name or password must be "escaped" with a backslash: the semicolon, comma, colon, double quote and the backslash itself. A password of pass;word is stored as pass\;word.

The scanner's Wi-Fi panel reads the password up to the first semicolon, so a password containing a semicolon can appear truncated, ending in a backslash. If you see that:

Click Copy and paste the full decoded text into a note.

Find the part after P:.

Remove each backslash that sits in front of a special character. pass\;word becomes pass;word.

The same applies to network names containing those characters.

The password field is empty

If Security shows nopass or the code has no P: field, the network is open and has no password. If you expected a password, the code may be for a guest network or captive portal that asks you to log in on a web page after connecting.

The result is a link, not a Wi-Fi panel

Some printed "Wi-Fi" codes are actually website links (for example, to a café's menu or a login page). The scanner shows the link and an Open Link button. Check the address carefully before opening it. The scanner shows a reminder because QR codes can point to phishing pages.

Making your own Wi-Fi QR code

The easiest safe way to create one is from a device that is already connected, such as the Android Share screen described above, or from your router's own app if it has a sharing option. Those keep the password on your own devices.

If you build the text yourself, follow the format in the table exactly, escape any semicolons, commas, colons, quotes or backslashes in the name or password, and test the printed code with two different phones before putting it on the wall.

Security tips

• Anyone with the QR code has your password. A photo of the card is as good as the card. Do not post pictures of your router or welcome sheet online.
• Use a guest network for visitors. Most routers can run a separate guest network. Share that code, not your main one.
• Change the password if the code leaks. Updating the password on the router makes the old QR code useless. Print a new one.
• Only read codes for networks you are allowed to use. Decoding someone else's code does not give you permission to use their network.

Related tools and guides

• Scanning other kinds of QR codes from screenshots and photos: How to Scan a QR Code from an Image or Screenshot
• How QR codes store data and recover from damage: How QR Codes Work
• Creating a strong new Wi-Fi password: Password Generator