When you take a screenshot of the QR code page, all you get is a blank screen.
Most people have probably had to share their home’s Wi-Fi password with friends by looking at the credentials sticker on the bottom of the router. However, if you use an Android device, the simplest way is to share the details directly through a QR code or a screenshot of the QR code. The problem is that Google removed the feature in Android 13 QPR2, leaving users with a blank screen instead. Realizing the change is probably not the best move, Google is bringing it back in the Android 13 QPR3 Beta update.
When Android and iOS users point their phones at the Wi-Fi password QR code on another Android device, it should automatically detect the embedded information and use the details to connect to the network. In theory, it works similarly to the password-sharing feature on iOS. But if someone wants to connect to your Wi-Fi and you aren’t near them, you can send them a screenshot of the QR code. However, when this convenient and more secure way of sharing details was removed, it resulted in only a blank screen. Google has apparently made an about-turn on this, as spotted by Mishaal Rahman (via Android Police), and everything should work as initially intended in the current beta update.
Even though the function only disappeared for a month, it was intentional. Replying to an Android bug tracker thread, a Google engineer tagged the status as “Won't Fix (Intended Behavior),” commenting that the reported issue “is working as intended.”
The Android 13 QPR3 Beta update makes it possible to take once again a screenshot of the Wi-Fi sharing page and send it to anybody who needs to connect to the network. If you aren’t part of the beta program, you’ll probably have to wait until June (if you have a Google Pixel) for the change to make a return.
Charlie Fripp is a technology writer with a strong focus on consumer gadgets, video games, and musical instruments. He holds an undergraduate degree in professional journalism and has worked as a professional journalist for over 15 years.
