iOS 11 Will Connect to Your Wi-Fi Instantly Using a QR Code

With the unveiling of iOS 11 at Apple’s WWDC 2017 event earlier this week, the company showed us a number of the exciting new features that will be coming to compatible iPhones and iPads this fall. While Apple didn’t have time to share absolutely everything about its next-generation mobile operating system, leaving us to discover tons of additional features on our own, the iPhone-maker did prove one thing, yet again: big things come in small packages. And so is the case for one of iOS 11’s lesser hyped-up new features, which could actually prove to be one of its biggest assets.

If you’ve already downloaded iOS 11 beta on your device, you’ll now have access to the brand-new QR code scanner, which allows users to capture an image of those cryptic little tags, as seen below, which will ultimately reveal additional information about what was just scanned. Interestingly, the QR code scanner, according to Reddit user u/ExDzO, will also allow you to scan the QR code embedded on your own (or someone else’s) Wi-Fi router — allowing you to almost instantly connect to the network without having to nag anyone or rummage around for the network password.

u/EzDzO indicates that he discovered the feature in iOS 11 developer beta 1, and that it will work just as seamlessly as it sounds. All you have to do to connect to an unknown Wi-Fi network in iOS 11 is scan the QR code on any router by using the native iOS Camera app, at which point the device will process the image and issue a notification asking if you’d like to connect to that network via a pop-up banner. Just tapping the notification, itself, will then initiate the pairing process. And there you have it, an instant connection.

You’ll also be able to use the QR code scanner in the same way, by snapping a photo of any QR code, in order to obtain additional information about products, services, or be directed to specific webpages or apps on the iOS app store. (Try scanning the featured image on this post!)

It’s that simple, really. And despite the fact that iOS 11 will bring a trove of even more intuitive and seemingly useful features to the iPhone and iPad, we can definitely see this one, in particular, coming in quite handy when you need it most — proving yet again, that with each successive update to the iOS platform, Apple incorporates tons of big and small features with the ultimate goal of making our digital lives that much easier to manage and enjoy.