A friend wants to join your Wi-Fi, a new laptop needs setting up, or you’re about to reset the router and have no idea what the current password is. The good news: if any of your devices has ever connected to that network, the password is almost certainly saved on it — and Windows 11, Android 10+, iPhones on iOS 16+ and Macs all let you reveal it without extra software. The catch most guides skip: each system only shows it in certain places, and some phones (Samsung, for one) hide it inside a QR code.
Quick answer: on Windows 11, open Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi, open your network’s properties and choose View Wi-Fi security key — or run netsh wlan show profile name="NetworkName" key=clear for any network you’ve ever joined. On Android, open the Wi-Fi network and tap Share. On iPhone, go to Settings > Wi-Fi, tap the (i) next to the network and tap Password. If nothing has it saved, the router’s label or admin page is your fallback.
Which method should you use?
Pick the row that matches the device you have in hand. “Saved networks” means networks you are not connected to right now but joined in the past.
| Device | Where to look | Shows the password as text? | Works for saved (not current) networks? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 11 | Settings or Control Panel | Yes | Current network only |
| Windows 10/11 | Command line (netsh) | Yes | Yes, every saved network |
| Android 10+ (Pixel and most brands) | Wi-Fi network > Share | Yes, under the QR code | Yes, from Saved networks |
| Samsung Galaxy | Wi-Fi network settings > QR code | Often QR only | Yes |
| iPhone / iPad (iOS 16+) | Settings > Wi-Fi > (i) > Password | Yes, after Face ID/passcode | Yes, via Edit |
| Mac (macOS 13+) | System Settings > Network > Wi-Fi > Advanced | Copy only (paste to view) | Yes |
| Router | Sticker or admin page | Yes | Only for that router’s network |
Find a saved Wi-Fi password on Windows 11
Method 1: Settings (the network you’re connected to)
- Press Windows + I to open Settings.
- Go to Network & internet > Wi-Fi and click your network’s properties.
- Find View Wi-Fi security key and click View. The password appears in a small pop-up.
This option arrived with newer Windows 11 updates. If you don’t see it, your PC may be on an older build — use Method 2 or 3 instead, both of which work on every version.
Method 2: Control Panel (the classic route)
This is the method Microsoft’s own support page documents, and it also works on Windows 10:
- Click Start, type control panel and open it.
- Go to Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center.
- Next to Connections, click your Wi-Fi network’s name.
- In the Wi-Fi Status window, click Wireless Properties.
- Open the Security tab and tick Show characters. The password appears in the Network security key box.
Method 3: Command line (every network you’ve ever joined)
The two methods above only reveal the network you’re on right now. Windows actually keeps a profile — password included — for every Wi-Fi network you’ve connected to, and the built-in netsh tool can read them. This is the method to use when you’re at a friend’s house and need the password for your home network, or when you want to recover an old office or hotel password.
- Right-click the Start button and choose Terminal (Admin) (or open Command Prompt as administrator).
- Type
netsh wlan show profilesand press Enter. You’ll see a list of every saved network name under User profiles. - Type
netsh wlan show profile name="YourNetworkName" key=clear, replacing the name with one from the list (keep the quotes if it contains spaces). - Scroll to Security settings. The password is on the line labelled Key Content.
If there’s no Key Content line, you’re probably not running as administrator, the network is open (no password), or it’s a work/school network that uses individual logins instead of one shared password.
Find a saved Wi-Fi password on Android
Android 10 and later can share a saved network as a QR code, and on most phones the password is printed in plain text right under it. Google’s Android help page lists the same basic path; menu names vary slightly by brand.
Pixel and most Android phones
- Open Settings > Network & internet > Internet (called Wi-Fi on some phones).
- Tap your current network — or scroll to Saved networks for one you’re not connected to — and tap it.
- Tap Share and confirm with your fingerprint, face or PIN.
- A QR code appears. The password is written underneath as text.
Samsung Galaxy phones (the QR-only problem)
On many Galaxy models, Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi > tap the gear next to a network shows a QR code button but no readable password. The password is still inside that code, so you can pull it out yourself:
- Open the network’s QR code and tap Save as image (or take a screenshot).
- Open Google Lens (or the Samsung Camera’s scan feature, or any QR reader that can read images) and scan the saved image.
- The decoded text looks like
WIFI:S:NetworkName;T:WPA;P:YourPassword;;— the password is the text afterP:, up to the next semicolon.
Delete the saved image afterwards — it’s your network password in picture form.
Android 9 or older
Older versions don’t offer a Share option, and the saved password sits in a protected system file. Without rooting the phone — which we don’t recommend just for this — you can’t read it. Use another device or the router instead.
Find a saved Wi-Fi password on iPhone or iPad
Since iOS 16, Apple lets you reveal saved Wi-Fi passwords directly in Settings. Here’s the process from Apple’s support article:
- Open Settings > Wi-Fi.
- Tap the (i) button next to the network you’re connected to.
- Tap the Password field and authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. The password appears, with a Copy option.
For a network you joined in the past: in Settings > Wi-Fi, tap Edit in the top-right corner, authenticate, and you’ll see your list of known networks. Tap the (i) next to one, then tap Password.
On iOS 18 and later, the Passwords app has a Wi-Fi section listing every network you’ve joined — easier to browse than the Settings list if you have dozens.
If a network you know you’ve joined isn’t listed, check that iCloud Keychain is on (Settings > your name > iCloud > Passwords and Keychain) — Wi-Fi passwords sync between your Apple devices through it.
Bonus: find it on a Mac
Macs running macOS 13 Ventura or later can copy any saved Wi-Fi password (Apple’s Wi-Fi password help covers this):
- Open the Apple menu > System Settings > Network > Wi-Fi.
- Scroll down and click Advanced to see known networks.
- Click the More (…) button next to the network and choose Copy Password.
- Paste it into Notes or any text field to read it.
On older macOS versions, open the Keychain Access app, search for the network name, double-click it and tick Show password.
No device has it? Check the router
If nothing you own has the network saved, go to the source:
- The sticker. Most routers ship with a label showing the default network name and password (often “WPA key”, “Wireless key” or “Wi-Fi password”). This only helps if nobody changed the password after setup.
- The admin page. On a PC connected by cable (or any connected device), find the router’s address — on Windows, run
ipconfigand look for Default Gateway — then type that address into a browser. Log in with the admin credentials (also often on the sticker) and look under Wireless or Wi-Fi settings. - Your provider’s app. Many internet providers let you view and change the Wi-Fi password in their own app.
If you’ve changed the admin login and forgotten that too, a factory reset of the router restores the sticker defaults — but it also wipes your settings and disconnects every device, so treat it as a last resort. If your network is acting up after all this, our guides to Android Wi-Fi connected but no internet and “DNS server not responding” errors cover the next steps.
Sharing without revealing the password
Often you don’t need to read the password at all — just get another device online:
- Android to anything: show the Share QR code; iPhones and other Android phones can scan it with the camera and join.
- iPhone to iPhone/Mac: when a nearby Apple device in your contacts tries to join your network, your iPhone offers a Share Password prompt.
- Phone to laptop: if the laptop only needs internet briefly, a phone hotspot is quicker — see our fix guide if your hotspot connects but has no internet.
- Printers and smart devices: many support WPS or app-based setup; our walkthrough for connecting an HP printer to Wi-Fi shows a typical flow.
FAQ
Can I see the password for a Wi-Fi network I’ve never connected to?
No. Every method here only reveals passwords your device has already saved. Only view passwords for networks you’re authorised to use.
Why doesn’t my iPhone show a Password field?
You’re likely on iOS 15 or earlier (update to iOS 16 or later), or it’s a work or school network managed by a profile — those often use individual logins, so there’s no single password to show.
Why is “Key Content” missing in the netsh results?
Run Terminal as administrator and try again. If it’s still missing, the network is either open or an enterprise network that uses a username and password per person.
Does resetting network settings delete saved Wi-Fi passwords?
Yes. A network reset on Windows, Android or iPhone removes saved Wi-Fi networks, so recover the password before you reset.
Is it safe to use a “Wi-Fi password viewer” app?
You shouldn’t need one on current systems — the built-in methods above cover Windows, Android 10+, iOS 16+ and macOS 13+. Be wary of apps that claim to reveal passwords for networks you haven’t joined; they can’t, and many are adware.
