Finding Wi-Fi Password on Windows
When one needs to connect to a Wi-Fi network on a different device, or if they’re troubleshooting their network connection, finding the Wi-Fi password is essential.
Windows users can retrieve this password in several ways, whether they are using Windows 10 or Windows 11.
Using Windows Settings
In Windows 11, users can easily view the password of the Wi-Fi network to which they are currently connected through the Settings app.
After pressing Windows+i, one navigates to Network & Internet, selects “Wi-Fi”, and then scrolls to the corresponding network and selects “Properties”.
Here, under the “Security” tab, the option to “Show characters” can be checked, revealing the network security key.
For Windows 10, one would follow a slightly different path, starting at the Start menu and opening up the Settings app, selecting Network & Internet, and then clicking “Status”.
From here, one can proceed to “Network and Sharing Center”, select their Wi-Fi network, and find the security key via the “Wireless Properties” under the “Security” tab.
Via Command Prompt
The Command Prompt allows user to see all Wi-Fi network passwords that the computer has connected to in the past.
Right-click the start button, choose “Windows Terminal (Admin)” or “Command Prompt (Admin)”, and type the command:
netsh wlan show profiles
This displays a list of all Wi-Fi networks stored in the PC.
To find the password of a specific network, the following command is used with the name of the network replacing “NETWORKNAME”:
netsh wlan show profile name="NETWORKNAME" key=clear
Within the results, under the “Security settings” section, one will find the key content, which is the network security key they’re looking for.
Accessing Network and Sharing Center
For those on Windows 10 or earlier versions, the Network and Sharing Center provides a traditional method to find Wi-Fi passwords.
By opening the Control Panel and selecting Network and Internet, users can navigate to Network and Sharing Center.
There, one clicks on “Change adapter settings”, right-click on their Wi-Fi connection, click on “Status”, and then “Wireless Properties”.
By navigating to the “Security” tab and selecting “Show characters”, the Wi-Fi password is revealed.
Through these diverse yet straightforward methods, Windows users can confidently retrieve their Wi-Fi network passwords.
Locating Wi-Fi Password on macOS, iPhone, Android
Retrieving a Wi-Fi password on various devices requires different approaches.
For Apple users, macOS and iPhone offer built-in solutions, while Android users can access their saved passwords through their device’s settings.
Knowing how to find these credentials is essential for connecting new devices to a network or sharing your network with guests.
For macOS and iPhone
On macOS, they can utilize Keychain Access, a native macOS utility that manages passwords.
To do this, a person should open Spotlight search by pressing Command + Space and type “Keychain Access”.
In Keychain Access, they must look under “System” for their Wi-Fi network name, or SSID, and click the “Show Password” checkbox to reveal the password in plain text.
They will need to enter their Mac username and password to authenticate.
For more guidance, they can refer to How to See All Your Saved Wi-Fi Passwords on macOS.
On the iPhone, if one wants to find the password of a previously joined network, they will navigate to the Settings app, select Wi-Fi, and tap the network name.
A new page with a “password” field will appear if the device has joined that network before.
To display the password, the user needs to authenticate using their device passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID.
Simplified steps and further details are available at Find saved Wi-Fi passwords – Apple Support.
On Android Devices
Android users can look up their saved Wi-Fi network passwords through the phone’s settings.
Initially, they should open the settings app, tap on Wi-Fi, and choose the network they want the password for.
Next, by tapping on the gear icon or the network name, they can find the option to view more details.
In some versions of Android, displaying the password may require one to be the administrator of the network or have elevated security settings, such as having the device rooted—which should be done cautiously as it could void warranties and compromise security.
Alternatively, many modern Android phones allow users to share Wi-Fi credentials via a QR code, which can be scanned by another device to connect to the network without revealing the password in plain text.
The specifics of these processes can be considerably different depending on the version of Android and the manufacturer’s customizations.
Users can confirm their phone’s specific steps at How to find your WiFi password on iPhone and Android.