How to Connect to Wi-Fi With a QR Code on Windows

1. Open the Camera app from the Start menu.
2. Select the barcode icon to switch the camera to barcode mode.
3. Hold the Wi-Fi QR code in front of the camera until a link appears.
4. Select the link. Windows opens Settings and asks you to confirm that you want to add and connect to the network. You can also choose to connect automatically in the future.

This works with the webcam built into most laptops, or with any USB webcam on a desktop PC. Microsoft describes these steps in its own support article on scanning QR codes with the Camera app.

Desktop PCs often have no camera, and some Wi-Fi codes arrive as a picture in an email or chat. In that case:

1. Take a photo of the code with your phone, or save the screenshot.
2. Get the image onto the PC (email, OneDrive or a USB stick all work), then upload it to the scanner at the top of this page. You can also press Ctrl+V to paste a screenshot.
3. The scanner shows the network name, security type and password, with a button to copy the password.
4. Click the Wi-Fi icon in the taskbar, pick that network and paste the password.

The image is decoded in your browser and never uploaded to QRtracer, which matters when the code contains a Wi-Fi password.

• No barcode icon: update the Camera app from the Microsoft Store and make sure Windows is up to date. Older Windows 10 versions may not have barcode mode; use the scanner on this page instead.
• Camera doesn't start: check Settings > Privacy & security > Camera and make sure camera access is on for the Camera app.
• Code won't focus: move the code a bit further away, add light and avoid glare on glossy paper or screens.
• Connects but no internet, or wrong password: the code may be out of date. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks, select the network, choose Forget, and scan again or ask for the current password.

Recent Windows 11 updates can show a QR code for a network you're already connected to. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi, open the network's properties and select Show next to the Wi-Fi password. Windows displays the password and a QR code that a phone can scan.

That code only appears on your screen. For a code you can print on a sign, a welcome card or a table stand, use our free Wi-Fi QR code generator: enter the network name, password and security type, and download a high-resolution PNG. The network details are encoded in the code itself, so it works without an internet connection and never expires. If you change the password, you'll need to print a new code.

iPhones and most Android phones join a network from a Wi-Fi QR code with the normal camera app: point the camera at the code and tap the banner that appears. See our guide on how to scan a QR code for every device.