Why does my WiFi QR code scan but not connect?

Dynamic or static: which one you made

WiFi is one of the types you can build either way, and the two behave completely differently.

So if your goal is a sticker on a cafe wall that connects guests in one tap, make it static. If you want the password to be changeable without reprinting — and you accept that guests join manually — make it dynamic. Static codes need a paid plan; the free trial includes dynamic codes only.

Check the three fields

Open the code and look at the Content step. Three fields decide whether a phone can join:

1. Network Name (SSID) — must match the broadcast name exactly, including capitals and spaces. Copy it from the router or from a device already connected rather than typing it from memory. The field accepts up to 32 characters, which is the limit for a network name.
2. Password — exact, case sensitive. For a static code, avoid the characters ; : , \ and " in the password itself: they act as separators inside the encoded WiFi data, so a password containing them can be read incorrectly by the phone. If the password has to contain them, use a dynamic code and let the guest copy it.
3. Encryption — WPA/WPA2 for almost every modern network, WEP only for genuinely old equipment, and None for an open network. Choosing the wrong one makes the phone offer to join and then fail on the password.

If the code is dynamic, change the fields and click Update ✓ — the printed sticker keeps working. A static code cannot be edited; create a new one and replace the print.

Why the phone refuses to join

When the details are right and the phone still will not connect, it is usually the network:

• The router is set to WPA3 only. The encryption options here cover WPA/WPA2, WEP and open networks. A network running WPA3 exclusively will not accept a WPA2-style join from a QR code — set the router to a WPA2/WPA3 mixed mode, which is what most routers ship with.
• The network is hidden. Phones generally will not join a network that does not broadcast its name from a scanned code. Unhide the SSID, or have guests add it manually.
• It is a guest network with a sign-in page. The phone joins, but there is no internet until the guest opens a browser and accepts the terms. Put a line to that effect next to the code.
• The band is not available. A 5 GHz-only network is invisible to older or budget devices. A mixed 2.4/5 GHz setup avoids this.
• A third-party scanner app was used. Many scanner apps display the decoded text instead of handing it to the operating system. On iPhone, use the built-in Camera app or the Control Center Code Scanner. On Android, the camera app or Google Lens.
• The guest limit or MAC filtering is on. The router refuses the device regardless of how the password arrived.

Common problems

It works on Android but not on iPhone, or the other way round

Join prompts are handled by the operating system, and the wording and reliability differ. Test both before you print. If one platform consistently fails, re-check the encryption setting first.

The password changed and the sticker is wrong

On a dynamic code, edit the password and click Update ✓. On a static code the password is inside the pattern, so it needs a new code and a new print. That is the main reason to choose dynamic for a network whose password rotates.

Guests say the page will not load

A dynamic WiFi code needs internet to show the page, which a guest who is trying to get online may not have. If the code exists to get people onto the WiFi in the first place, make it static.

Frequently asked questions