1Password Now Generates QR Codes to Share Wifi Passwords

Whenever a guest comes over, one of the first things you probably do is share your wifi password with them. Sharing wifi passwords has gotten a lot better recently, but there’s still room for improvement. 1Password, which is among the best password manager apps, has added a new feature that makes it even easier to share wifi passwords with others. 1Password now automatically generates a QR code for saved wifi networks and lets you share them easily even if you’ve never connected to that network. That helps it stand out from other wifi password sharing methods, which require you to have the network saved on your device.

How to use 1Password QR Codes to share wifi passwords

1Password has updated its various apps to support QR code wifi password sharing on all supported devices. To use this feature, first update 1Password to the latest version. Then, open the app and go to any of your saved wifi passwords, and a QR code that will help your friends connect should be right there.

Note that you can also get a QR code when creating a new entry. Just be sure to choose Wireless Router after you select the New Item button. 

Don’t worry if you don’t see a QR code right away—you need to completely fill out the Network Name and Network Password entries before you see anything.

Once your wifi network is saved correctly, 1Password will automatically display a QR code below the wifi credentials. Scan this QR code from any device and you’ll see a prompt to join that wifi network. For convenience, you can also screenshot and print this QR code to cut out the need to open your phone. Just be aware that the QR code changes if you update the network name or password.

If you have multiple wifi passwords saved under the same entry, such as primary and guest networks, then 1Password automatically picks the one you’ve chosen as the “primary network” for the QR code. For best results, I recommend saving each network in its own separate entry.

How to hide wifi QR codes in 1Password

Credit: Pranay Parab

The default 1Password setting is to show wifi QR codes, but you can change that if you want more privacy. Most people won’t need to do this, because 1Password is already locked behind a master password or biometric authentication. But some people would prefer not to have QR codes visible by default anyway. I am one of those people, because it’s my job to write about useful features in your favorite apps, and concealing QR codes that show my personal data is essential for taking screenshots.

No matter what your reason, you can conceal wifi QR codes in 1Password by going to 1Password Settings > Security and disabling Always show Wi-Fi QR codes.