QR code generator

Text, links and Wi-Fi, encoded in your browser.

What should the code contain?

Your code

Turn text, a link, or your Wi-Fi details into a QR code, and download it as a PNG for screens or an SVG for print.

Nothing you type is sent anywhere. The code is generated by this page, on your device. That matters most for the Wi-Fi option, where what you are typing is your network password — plenty of QR sites send it to a server to draw the image, and there is no reason to.

What people use these for

• Getting a guest onto your Wi-Fi. Stick the code by the door and nobody has to read your password aloud or type it wrong. Both iOS and Android cameras join the network straight from the code.

• Moving a link to a phone. Faster than emailing yourself, and it works when the two devices have no account in common.

• Putting a link on something printed. Download the SVG for anything that will be printed — it stays sharp at any size, where a PNG has a fixed number of pixels and goes soft when enlarged.

A QR code is not secret. Anyone who can see it can read it, and a Wi-Fi code shows your password to anyone who scans it or photographs it — treat the printed code the way you would treat the password written down. Codes also cannot be revoked once printed; if the password changes, the old code stops working and needs replacing.

Frequently asked questions

Is anything I type sent to a server?

No. The code is generated by your own browser and nothing you type leaves the device. That matters most for the Wi-Fi option, where the thing being encoded is your network password. You can disconnect from the network and the tool still works.

Should I download the PNG or the SVG?

PNG for anything on a screen — a message, a slide, a web page. SVG for anything that will be printed, because it is drawn from shapes rather than pixels and stays sharp at any size, from a business card to a poster.

Will the Wi-Fi code work on both iPhone and Android?

Yes. Both read the same format directly from the camera app. On iOS, point the camera at the code and tap the notification that appears; on Android, the camera or Google Lens offers to join the network.

My network name or password has a semicolon in it. Will that break the code?

No. Characters that mean something in the Wi-Fi format — semicolons, colons, commas, quotes and backslashes — are escaped automatically, so a password like a;b is encoded correctly rather than being cut short at the semicolon.

Why does my code look busier with more text?

A QR code grows as the content grows: more data needs more modules, which is what makes the pattern denser. A long URL still scans fine, but printing it small gets harder, so shorter content makes for a more forgiving code.

Is there a limit to how much a QR code can hold?

Yes, a little over 2,300 bytes at the error-correction level used here, which is around 2,300 plain characters or fewer if you use accents or emoji. The tool tells you when you have gone past it rather than producing a code that will not scan.