How to share a Wi-Fi QR code in iOS 18 to help your guests

AppleInsider

Sharing your Wi-Fi with family, friends, and guests just got easier in iOS 18 with a new QR code feature for hassle-free connections.

Sharing Wi-Fi passwords in iOS 18

With iOS 18, Apple introduced a streamlined way to share Wi-Fi access -- no more typing in long, complex passwords. Now, you can generate a secure QR code straight from the Passwords app, making it easy to connect friends or family to your network instantly.

Here's how to set it up and start sharing with a few quick taps.

How to Generate a Wi-Fi QR Code on iOS 18

Before iOS 18 introduced this built-in Wi-Fi QR code feature, users had to rely on custom Shortcuts to create and share Wi-Fi credentials via QR codes. The workaround required setting up a dedicated shortcut that generated a QR code with network details. Now, the Passwords app makes it even easier.

1. Open the Passwords app.


2. Next, tap on the Wi-Fi section and select your network.


3. Finally, tap Show Network QR Code to share the Wi-Fi quickly and easily.

How to Generate a Wi-Fi QR Code on iOS 18

Once the QR code is shown on your screen, other iPhone users can open their camera app and hold their device over the QR code to connect. A prompt will appear on their screen, allowing them to connect to the Wi-Fi network without manually entering the password.

The new QR code sharing feature in iOS 18 makes it much easier to connect others to your network, whether it's for friends, family, or guests. Instead of giving out your Wi-Fi password directly, the QR code offers secure, temporary access, letting people connect without needing to know the password itself.

You could also use this if you maintain a guest network. So for an AirBnB place, for instance, you could take a screen grab from your iPhone and leave a printed version for your guests.

To secure your own network, though, be sure to share the QR code only with trusted people, as anyone with access to it can connect to your Wi-Fi. Occasionally check the Passwords app to update saved networks. If security concerns arise, reset your network password to prevent access with the previous QR code.



Read on AppleInsider

iOS_Guy80

How convenient is that? Thank you for the tip.

tiredskills

I stumbled upon this by accident a while back when trying to find a wi-fi password for a family member.  Delightful!

mike1

I guess you can also take a screen shot and/or print, so you can keep it handy.

madprof73

The QR code doesn't provide a temporary access. It actually encodes a text string containing network name and password, so the end result is exactly the same as giving our guest the password. It's just way more convenient.

ranson

Just wow, Andrew. You mentioned Secure or Security 4 times in this article to describe WiFi QR Codes. Please educate yourself.

PSA:    Using WiFi QR Codes does not secure your network or improve network security. They are a convenience-only feature.

Here are the facts:

• As @madprof73 stated, the QR code is actually an encoded (not encrypted) string of text that includes the network name and password. So saying the QR Code is secure is the same as suggesting a base64 or rot13 encoded string of the WiFi credentials is secure. Anyone can decode the QR code to its text value and see the credentials in plaintext, the same way an iPhone, iPad or Android device decodes the QR code to capture and input the credentials.
• Scanning the QR code and connecting to the WiFi stores the WiFi credentials into the user's Keychain, so they can then retrieve the credentials via KeyChain Access at any time
• The point of WiFi QR codes then, is simply for users to be able to connect to the WiFi without having to go through the process of manually transcribing the password with the device's virtual keyboard, character-by-character. They ensure that the password is entered correctly, seamlessly and without human error. That's it.
• In Andrew's example of an AirBNB rental, the owner would need to provide the credentials in plaintext alongside the QR code anyway, because most people would want to connect their laptop, nintendo switch, etc., which may not support WiFi QR Codes or even have a camera at all.

nesss01

can an android phone scan one of these iphones generated QR codes to join my WiFi?

ranson

nesss01 said:

can an android phone scan one of these iphones generated QR codes to join my WiFi?

Absolutely. WiFi QR Codes are an industry standard supported by Android and iOS.

madprof73

ranson said:
Anyone can decode the QR code to its text value and see the credentials in plaintext

I use an app called EFQRCode that can decode QR codes stored in the iOS camera roll.

roundaboutnow

For years, I have used the free online QR-Code-Generator to create QR codes that I printed to allow guests at my home or rental properties to connect to Wi-Fi (which, as was mentioned by others here, works for both Apple and Android devices). Of course, if the other person had an iPhone and is with me and is in my contacts, we just need to hold our phones near each other to transfer the Wi-Fi connection info.

Recently, I had some visitors ask to connect and when I mentioned the QR code, the person with an Android assumed I would show the code on my iPhone, but I pointed to the printed QR code on the desk. He connected but then showed me how he can bring up the QR code for his connected Wi-Fi on his phone, which then allowed him to share the Wi-Fi info with anyone else quite easily...

I thought that was pretty cool and that it was one of those Android only features, but a few days later, I happened to stumble across the same feature as described in this article on my recently updated to iOS 18 iPhone. So yay!

My next thought was that this password sharing via QR code is almost too easy... 

dewme

As others have said this is merely a shortcut and not a way to allow temporary access to guests by imposing an expiration on the password. It’s theoretically possible that Apple provide a temporary passcode in a similar way to Hide My Email but it would have to be enforced on every guest’s phone. I doubt very many people would agree to you handing out passwords that their phone would later invade. 

In practice passwords with an expiry are a common feature but need to be handled at the router or security gateway level like they used to be done at hotels and other similar venues. I know the Unifi security gateways/routers provide this feature along with a pretty good guest portal along with the ability to manage the guest network, for example, limit the bandwidth on the guest network. I’m sure more advanced home routers have similar capabilities. 

I know there are a lot of folks who miss the old Apple routers, but a lot of the routers out there today, including Unifi (Ubiquiti), and some mesh systems deliver a lot more capabilities than anything Apple ever did. Plus s, they are usually in close lock step with all of the emerging standards. Apple’s network gear was relatively simple to setup and manage for a limited number of options, but sometimes simplicity comes at a cost in terms of features, manageability, flexibility, and modular replacement of individual subsystems. 

MaxLe0p0ld

Now Apple needs to able to show - which Devices are connected to Private HotSpot
& provide the Ability to remove or even block Devices from future use without having to change the Password.