Wi-Fi Password Generator
Generate a strong WPA2 or WPA3 Wi-Fi password in your browser and share it with a scannable QR code. Wi-Fi keys can be 8 to 63 characters. We default to 20 random ones, which would take an offline attacker longer than the age of the universe to crack. Nothing leaves your device.
Type your network name, pick the security type, and scan the code with a phone camera to join instantly. The QR code is drawn on your device.
Why your Wi-Fi password matters
Your Wi-Fi password is the only thing standing between your network and anyone within radio range. A weak key lets strangers use your connection, watch unencrypted traffic, and poke at devices like printers, cameras, and network drives. The WPA2 and WPA3 standards accept keys of 8 to 63 printable ASCII characters; aim for 16 to 24 random ones.
The reason length matters so much is that Wi-Fi is exposed to offline attacks. On WPA2, someone parked nearby can record the brief handshake that happens when a device joins, take that recording home, and test guesses against it at 10 billion per second on rented GPUs. At that speed, 8 random letters and digits fall in about 3 hours. Twelve mixed characters push the average crack time to about 259,000 years, and the 20-character default this page uses would outlast the universe.
Unlike an account password, you type a Wi-Fi key once per device and then forget it, so there is no everyday cost to going long. That lines up with NIST SP 800-63B, which recommends at least 15 characters for anything protected by a password alone, and a router has no second factor. For the full reasoning behind these numbers, see our guide on how long a password should be. And if you need keys for accounts rather than routers, the strong password generator on our homepage uses the same engine with more options.
WPA2 vs WPA3 in plain words
WPA3 is the better choice when your devices support it. Its SAE handshake (Simultaneous Authentication of Equals) means an eavesdropper cannot record traffic and guess your password offline afterwards. WPA2 has no such protection: one captured handshake gives an attacker unlimited offline guesses, so on WPA2 the length of your key does all the work.
| WPA2 | WPA3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Handshake | Four-way exchange that can be captured over the air | SAE, each guess needs a live exchange with the router |
| Offline dictionary attacks | Practical with consumer GPUs | Blocked by design |
| Sensible key length | 16 or more random characters | Shorter keys survive, but 16 still costs you nothing |
| When to pick it | Only if older devices refuse WPA3 | Default choice on any router made since about 2019 |
In your router settings the option usually lives under Wireless or WLAN security, listed as WPA3-Personal, WPA2-Personal, or a mixed WPA2/WPA3 transition mode. Transition mode is the practical pick for most homes because old smart plugs and e-readers often speak only WPA2. Just remember that a mixed network still broadcasts WPA2 handshakes, so an attacker can attack those offline. Keep the key long either way and the distinction stops mattering.
How the QR code works
The QR code on this page encodes your network name and password in a plain text format that phone cameras understand. Point an iPhone or Android camera at it and the phone offers to join the network, no typing needed. The code is drawn locally in your browser, so the password never leaves your device.
Under the hood it is just a string that looks like WIFI:T:WPA;S:HomeNetwork;P:your-generated-key;;. The T field names the security type, S carries the network name, and P holds the password. Both iOS and Android have recognized this format in their built-in camera apps for years, which is why scanning works without installing anything.
Type your network name into the panel above, generate a key, and download the code. Print it for the fridge, a guest room, or the check-in binder of a rental. Guests scan instead of squinting at 20 random characters, which also means nobody asks you to shorten the password. One caution: the code contains the password in plain text, so only post it where the people you would tell anyway can see it.
Because generation happens locally, you can verify the privacy claim in about ten seconds: open DevTools, switch to the Network tab, and click generate. Zero requests. We wrote up what to look for in any tool like this in are online password generators safe.
Practical router tips
Three changes give the biggest security return on a home router: set a long random Wi-Fi key, change the admin password, and put visitors on a guest network. All three live in the router's settings page, usually reachable at 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 while you are connected to the network.
The Wi-Fi key and the admin password are different things, and people mix them up constantly. The Wi-Fi key gets devices onto the network. The admin password controls the router itself: firmware, DNS, port forwarding, everything. Routers frequently ship with the admin login set to admin and password, and those defaults are the first thing an intruder tries. Some admin panels reject special characters, in which case our password generator without symbols makes a key that always pastes cleanly.
A guest network is worth the two minutes it takes to switch on. Visitors get internet, your own devices stay out of reach, and when the neighbor's kid shares the key with half the street you rotate one password instead of re-pairing every bulb in the house. CISA's Secure Our World guidance calls for 16 or more characters, or a memorable passphrase of 4 to 7 unrelated words; a guest key you read aloud a lot is a good fit for the passphrase generator, at 6 words or more since Wi-Fi can face offline attacks.
When you change the main key, every device drops off and needs the new one, so pick a quiet moment and keep the printed QR code handy. It is mildly annoying once. Living for years on the key printed under the router, which often follows a pattern attackers have already reverse engineered for that model, is worse.
Questions? Say less.
How long should a Wi-Fi password be?
Use 16 to 24 random characters. The WPA2 and WPA3 standards allow 8 to 63, but 8 random letters and digits fall to an offline attacker in about 3 hours at 10 billion guesses per second. At 16 mixed characters the same attack takes about 14 trillion years. You type it once per device, so extra length costs almost nothing.
Is WPA3 better than WPA2?
Yes. WPA3 uses SAE (Simultaneous Authentication of Equals), which forces an attacker to interact with your router for every single guess. WPA2 lets an attacker record one handshake and then guess offline at billions of attempts per second. Pick WPA3 in your router settings if your devices support it, or WPA2/WPA3 transition mode if some are older.
Is it safe to generate a Wi-Fi password online?
It is safe here because nothing is transmitted. This generator runs entirely in your browser using the Web Crypto API, makes zero network requests during generation, and keeps working with your internet disconnected. You can confirm that yourself: open your browser's DevTools, watch the Network tab, and generate a password. No request appears.
How does the Wi-Fi QR code work?
The QR code contains a short text string in the WIFI: format, which lists your network name, security type, and password. Camera apps on iOS and Android recognize the format and offer to join the network. The code is drawn on your device, so the password inside it is never uploaded anywhere.
What characters are allowed in Wi-Fi passwords?
WPA2 and WPA3 accept 8 to 63 printable ASCII characters: letters, digits, symbols, and spaces. Everything this generator produces is valid. Some older gadgets and smart home devices mishandle spaces or quotation marks, so if one refuses to connect, generate a new key without symbols, or stick to letters and digits and add a few characters of length.
Should my guest network have its own password?
Yes. A guest network keeps visitors' phones and laptops away from your computers, cameras, and drives, and most routers isolate it from the main network. It also lets you rotate the guest key any time without re-entering the main password on every device you own. Give it a fresh random key, not a variation of your main one.
Do I need to change the default router password?
Yes, and there are two to change. The Wi-Fi key printed on the router's label often follows patterns attackers know, and default admin passwords like admin or password sit in public lists that bots try automatically. Set a long random Wi-Fi key, then a separate password for the admin page, and store both in a password manager.
More free password tools
The full generator for account passwords, with a built-in strength checker.
Password Generator Without SymbolsLetters and digits only, for routers and devices that reject special characters.
Bulk Password GeneratorGenerate dozens of keys at once, handy for setting up several access points.