Show a Wi-Fi QR Code on iPhone When Share Password Does Not Appear

When someone asks for the Wi-Fi password, you can open a Wi-Fi QR code on your iPhone instead of waiting for Share Password to pop up. The code comes from the network entry in Apple’s Passwords app. It can be especially useful when the network is already saved and the usual handoff prompt does not appear. The guest still needs to join the correct network on their device.

Open the code for the network you intend to share

You need an iPhone with the Passwords app and a saved entry for the network. The guest needs a device that can read a Wi-Fi QR code. Use the guest network if your router has one and that is the network you want visitors to join. Apple’s iPhone guide puts the connected network at the top of the Wi-Fi list, with previously saved networks also available.

1. Open the Passwords app and unlock it.
2. Tap Wi-Fi. If you do not see the categories, return to the categories view first.
3. Tap the entry that matches the network name you want the guest to use.
4. Tap Show Network QR Code.
5. Have the guest scan the code on your display and follow the join prompt on their device.

Ask the guest to open their Wi-Fi settings and confirm the exact network name after joining. A phone can still load a page over cellular data, so a successful web search alone does not confirm that the Wi-Fi connection worked.

Use the nearby prompt when both devices are ready

The nearby Share Password prompt has its own prerequisites. Apple’s sharing instructions say to turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both devices, turn off Personal Hotspot, sign in to the respective Apple Accounts and save each other’s Apple Account email address or phone number in Contacts. Keep the devices close. The iPhone sharing the password must be unlocked and already connected to the network. The guest chooses that network in Wi-Fi settings. If the prompt appears on your iPhone, tap Share Password, then Done.

The prompt is a separate operation from showing a code. That is the same kind of distinction we make in our guide to AirDrop’s cellular setting: one transfer option can be unavailable while another way to complete the task still works.

If the code is missing or the join fails

Check the selected entry first. Saved networks can include an old router name or a network you no longer manage. If the guest cannot scan or use the code, Apple also documents a manual route. Tap the network’s Password field in Passwords and use Copy Password if needed. Only share it with the intended guest.

If you are trying to fix the nearby prompt, Apple recommends restarting both devices and trying again. If the guest gets as far as a join request but the network still refuses it, confirm that the current password matches the saved one and that they are within range before repeating the same steps.