WiFi & vCard QR Generator

What is a WiFi / action QR generator?#

A plain QR code encodes whatever text you give it. This page encodes structured payloads that phone cameras recognise and act on: connect to WiFi, save a contact, open a pre-filled SMS, drop a map pin, or add a calendar event. Scan it with the native camera app on iOS or Android and the OS offers the matching action — no app install, no URL tap-through.

Each template follows a de-facto or formal spec so the payload parses identically across scanner apps:

• WiFi uses the WIFI:T:WPA;S:…;P:…;H:true;; shape that both major mobile OSes read natively.
• vCard 3.0 (RFC 6350) produces a contact card with name, phone, email, URL, organisation and note.
• SMS uses the SMSTO:number:body form, which opens the messaging app with recipient and text pre-filled.
• Geo emits geo:lat,lon, validated to ±90 / ±180.
• Event wraps an iCalendar VEVENT (RFC 5545) so scanning adds it to the calendar.

This tool builds the payload string from your form fields, applies the correct escaping rules (backslash, ; , : " for WiFi; \ , ; for vCard and iCal), then renders it to a QR PNG or SVG.

How to use it#

1. Choose a Template at the top: WiFi, vCard, SMS, Geo or Event. The form below swaps to match.
2. Fill the template’s fields:
   • WiFi — SSID, password, encryption (WPA / WEP / none), and a Hidden-network checkbox.
   • vCard — name (required), phone, email, URL, organisation, note.
   • SMS — recipient number (required) and an optional body.
   • Geo — latitude and longitude in decimal degrees.
   • Event — title and start datetime (required), optional end, location, description.
3. Pick Error correction (L / M / Q / H) and Size (128 / 256 / 384 / 512 px). Higher correction tolerates more damage but yields a denser code; 256 px at level M is a safe default for phone scanning.
4. Click Sample for a ready-made example, Clear to reset. The QR appears on the right, and the Payload box shows the exact string being encoded — copy it if you want to reuse the text elsewhere.
5. Download PNG or SVG.

Key features#

• Five action payloads, one tool. No need to hand-write WIFI:T:… strings or fight iCal escaping — the builder does it correctly.
• Spec-correct escaping. A WiFi password containing ; or " would break a naive QR; this page backslash-escapes those characters so the SSID and password survive every scanner.
• Payload is visible. The encoded string is shown alongside the image, so you can verify what is actually inside the code before you print it.
• Hidden-network aware. Ticking “Hidden” emits H:true;, the flag scanners need to probe for non-broadcasting SSIDs.
• Local only. Generation runs entirely in the browser; your WiFi password or contact details are never uploaded.

Worked example#

A café wants a QR on the wall that joins guests to Coffee-Guest (WPA password espresso;2024, visible SSID). Select WiFi, enter SSID Coffee-Guest, password espresso;2024, encryption WPA, leave Hidden unchecked. The payload box shows:

WIFI:T:WPA;S:Coffee-Guest;P:espresso\;2024;;

Note the backslash before the ; inside the password — without that escape, a scanner would read the password as espresso and treat 2024 as the next field, silently failing to connect.

For an event, choose Event, title Team sync, start 2026-09-15T10:00, location Room 404. The builder emits a VCALENDAR with a DTSTART:20260915T100000 stamp; scanning it offers to add the event to the phone’s calendar.

FAQ#

Does the WiFi QR expose my password?#

Yes — that is the point. Anyone who scans the QR gets the SSID and password in cleartext, same as if you shouted them across the room. Only generate one for networks you intend to share (guest networks, cafés, hotels), and rotate the password if you ever need to revoke access.

The QR works on Android but not iPhone. Why?#

Older iOS versions were picky about the trailing ;; in the WiFi payload. This tool always emits it, which satisfies both platforms. If a specific scanner app fails, try the native Camera app instead — third-party scanners sometimes implement only a subset of the spec.

WPA, WEP, or none?#

Use WPA for any modern home or office router (WPA2/WPA3 both report as WPA in the payload). WEP is only for genuinely legacy hardware and is cryptographically broken — avoid unless the access point mandates it. None omits the password field for open networks.

Why is the geo coordinate I typed shown with fewer digits?#

The builder trims trailing zeros via a numeric round-trip (geo:48.858844,2.294351) so coordinates stay compact and scanner-friendly. The precision lost is well under a metre, which is finer than consumer GPS accuracy anyway.