How often has someone visited you and immediately asked for your Wi-Fi password? Then you had to think hard about what your password actually was because when was the last time you personally had to log into your own home network? Perhaps your Wi-Fi password is rather embarrassing, and you’d rather not reveal it? Or maybe the person requesting the password isn’t someone you would really want to give the password to? Whatever the scenario, there are two ways you can share your Wi-Fi password using your iPhone — without actually giving the password.
Read more: How to enable and use Wi-Fi calling on your iPhone
QUICK ANSWER
To share your Wi-Fi password using an iPhone, there are two methods. For Apple devices, when your device comes closer to theirs, you are asked on-screen if you want to share your password. Approving this will connect the person to your network, but they will never see your password. For Android devices, you can instead generate a QR code for them to scan, which works pretty much the same way.
How to share your Wi-Fi password on an iPhone
If you want to share your Wi-Fi password with a fellow Apple user, then the process is absurdly simple. To share with Android users requires a little more preparation, but not that much. It’s a “set up once and store it on your phone” deal.
Before you proceed with this, remember to be extremely careful who you allow onto your Wi-Fi network. If they do anything illegal while using your internet connection (torrenting, porn, ordering drugs on the Dark Web, etc), you will be held legally liable when the authorities catch on. Try proving that you ‘loaned somebody your internet.’
The baked-in iOS method
If the person requesting access to your Wi-Fi is holding an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or macOS computer, then you’re in luck. Being “in the Apple club” has some fringe benefits, one of which is easy, frictionless Wi-Fi password sharing.
You both need to unlock your phone screens and turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. You need to be logged into the Wi-Fi network in question, and the person requesting access has to tap on your Wi-Fi network name in Settings–>Wi-Fi. Once they’ve done so, the following menu will appear on your screen.
If you approve, tap Share Password, and the details will be beamed over to the other device via Bluetooth.
If it was successful, you will now get a success message on your screen, and the other person should now be logged into your Wi-Fi network. However, they will never be able to see your actual log-in details, so you will never have to explain that ilovebelindacarlisle password.
Using a QR code
The second method is one for all the Android users out there, not part of the Apple club. Saying that, Apple device users can use this method too if they wanted to.
Most smartphone cameras can read QR codes, and you can also access a QR code scanner in iOS Control Center. The Google Chrome widget also has a QR code reader, and the Google Play Store has more QR code readers than you could swing a cat at. So it would be very simple to make a QR code on your iPhone with your Wi-Fi network log-in details, and when someone asks to use your Wi-Fi, simply bring up the QR code on your screen and get them to scan it with their phone. Again, your log-in details would be completely concealed from view.
The best app for this is Visual Codes. 99.9% of the functionality is free, with only a few other not-so-important features behind a 99-cent in-app purchase. You start by entering your Wi-Fi details. You need to know the encryption standard — you can usually get this from the back of your router or in the router homepage settings.
After clicking Create Code, the QR code will appear on the screen for the other person to scan.
When you come out of that screen, you will see the saved QR code sitting on your main page in the menu. So you can easily access it again whenever you want. You don’t have to repeat the same process over and over again.
Revoking access
If the day ever comes when you feel the need to revoke access to your Wi-Fi network, there isn’t, unfortunately, any magic switch that instantly kicks the other person out. The only thing you can do is change your password in the router settings, and that will obviously cut off their access.
Read more: How to secure your home Wi-Fi network
FAQs
Yes, the process is the same as the one above.
Yes, the above method works for Macs too.
Yes, but the baked-in iOS option won’t work with Android. The Android phone would have to use the QR code method.
