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Struggling to connect to Wi-Fi? Maybe your laptop is connected but your phone isn't, or you need to share the network with a guest but can't remember the password. There are ways to wirelessly share passwords between devices, but that's not always an option.
Below, we'll outline how to grab a Wi-Fi password from already-connected devices by viewing it as plain text. This way you don't need to reset the network security, or hack the Wi-Fi network, and everyone can get online.
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How to View a Wi-Fi Password in Windows
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)Windows makes this easy, as long as you're currently connected to the network in question. Open Settings > Network & Internet, then click the Change Adapter Options button (in Windows 10) or Advanced network settings > More network adapter options in Windows 11).
Right-click on your computer's Wi-Fi adapter in the list and choose Status > Wireless Properties. Open the Security tab, and you should see a password box with dots in it—click the Show Characters box to see the password appear in plain text.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)If you're trying to view the password for a network you aren't currently connected to, things are a tad more complicated. You can download a third-party app like Magical JellyBean WiFi Password Revealer, which will show you the passwords of all saved networks.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)If you prefer not to install extra software, use the Windows Command Prompt. Open the Start Menu, search for Command Prompt, right-click the app, and select Run As Administrator. Then run the following command to see a list of saved Wi-Fi networks:
netsh wlan show profile
Pick the network you want from the list, then run another command (replacing MyNetwork with the name of the network in question):
netsh wlan show profile MyNetwork key=clear
You'll be presented with a lot of information about the network, most of which can be ignored. Look for the section titled Security Settings; the entry marked as Key Content is the password.
How to View a Wi-Fi Password in macOS
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)In macOS Sequoia, Apple has changed how the operating system stores passwords. Instead of using Keychain, Apple Passwords stores passkeys, verification codes, and Wi-Fi credentials all in one place. To view a Wi-Fi password in plain text, open the app, authenticate your identity, then tap the Wi-Fi category. Choose the network in question, then hover over the password field to reveal it.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)If you're running an older OS, then Wi-Fi passwords are still stored in Keychain, which you can view by opening Launchpad > Other > Keychain Access. Use the search bar in the Keychain Access app to look up the name of a Wi-Fi network you connected to in the past. Double-click the network, then check the Show Password box along the bottom. Enter your Mac's credentials to see the password in plain text.
How to View a Wi-Fi Password on iPhone
iPhone users were unable to view Wi-Fi passwords as plain text until iOS 16 released in 2022. Open Settings > Wi-Fi, then tap the i icon for the current network. Select the Password entry and verify your identity with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. You can then tap the visible password and copy it.
This option remains in iOS 18, but Apple Passwords can also be used to view these credentials. Open the app and authenticate your identity. Tap the Wi-Fi category, choose the network, then tap the password field to reveal it.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)For those who have never updated from an older operating system, you can sync an iPhone's Wi-Fi passwords with iCloud Keychain, then turn to the Keychain Access app on your Mac, as detailed in the section above. This method should work, even if you have never connected to that network from the Mac.
Otherwise, your only other option would be to jailbreak the phone. You can turn to Cydia—an App Store for jailbroken phones—and search for WiFi Passwords. This tool will reveal those passwords for you. It may or may not work, depending on the version of your jailbroken software (these things are always in flux). If you can't get it working, there are similar apps in Cydia worth trying.
How to View a Wi-Fi Password on Android
For Android users, your options will come down to the manufacturer of the device. Anyone who is running Android 10 or higher can share a Wi-Fi password through a QR code. Select the network in the Wi-Fi settings and tap Share to see a QR code that can be used to wirelessly share the connection. Anyone with a Pixel phone will see the password written out in plain text under the code. However, Samsung devices don't show the password.
Without Android 10, you can't see a network's password unless your phone is rooted. If yours is, a root-friendly file explorer like Solid Explorer can help you find the password. Just navigate to /data/misc/wifi and open the wpa_supplicant.conf file. Within that document, you should be able to find the network's name and password. Note that effectiveness of this method may vary by device, since some may encrypt the passwords within wpa_supplicant.conf.
View a Wi-Fi Password on a Router's Admin Page
(Credit: Netgear)If you've read this far and you're still without a password, you have one other (slightly shady) option: Check the Wi-Fi router's administrative tools. If you view the Wi-Fi network's information on your device—for example, clicking the "i" next to the Wi-Fi name on iOS' settings—you'll be able to see the router's IP address, usually something like 192.168.0.1.
Type that number into the address bar of your browser, and use a site like routerpasswords.com to see if the default username and password for that model router gains you access to its settings page. (If you don't know the model number, it may be on the login page, or you can find it printed on the router itself.) Find the Wi-Fi section in the settings, and you might be able to view the network's password.
If the network's owner has changed the administrative password to their router—which everyone should do for security reasons—you won't be able to do this, and if you don't have their permission, it's generally not a good idea to go rooting around someone else's router settings.