How to share your WiFi password on iPhone

Apple likes to keep things simple by encouraging its users to stay within a closed iOS/Mac ecosystem. That’s great news for homes with iPhones, iPads and Macs, particularly when you want to share a WiFi password with other Mac devices. Things get a little trickier if you don’t have an Apple device, though.

Apple iPhones, iPad and iPod Touch devices make it easy to securely share WiFi network password details with friends, family and colleagues. There are some initial steps, though:

1. You first need the latest iOS or High Sierra for MacOS devices.
2. Enable WiFi and Bluetooth on both Apple devices (ensure personal hotspot is disabled on both devices).
3. Next, sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID credentials.
4. Ensure your Apple ID email username is saved in the other person’s contacts list (and vice versa).
5. Keep the other device in WiFi/Bluetooth range of the device you’re sharing the password from.

With the prep out of the way, follow these steps to share your WiFi password with another Apple device:

1. Ensure the sharing device is unlocked and connected to a WiFi network.
2. Select the WiFi network on the connecting device.
3. On the sharing device, tap ‘Share Password’, then ‘Done’.

Those steps above are all well and good for Apple iOS and Mac devices, but what about Android devices? It requires a bit more effort, but it’s also possible. First, download an App Store app on the password-sharing Apple device that lets you create QR codes. Try QR Code Reader, QR Code & Barcode Scanner or Qrafter.

Open the QR code-creating app, then select the option to create a WiFi QR code. Follow the prompts to add the relevant WiFi credentials, then generate a QR code. Use a QR app or camera on an Android device to scan the QR code to connect to the WiFi network. Admittedly, this means you need to know the router’s WiFi network name and password details, so it’s not an ideal option.