How to See Your Saved Wi-Fi Password on Phone and Laptop

If any of your devices is already connected to the Wi-Fi, it has the password saved and can show it to you. On Android, open the network's details and tap Share. On an iPhone, go to Settings, Wi-Fi, tap the (i) next to the network and tap Password. On Windows 11, it's under Manage known networks. You don't need any app for this, and you should avoid the "Wi-Fi password show" apps on the Play Store, which mostly show ads.

Device by device, here's exactly where to look.

Android phones

On Android 10 and newer, a saved Wi-Fi password is shown as a QR code, and on most phones as text too.

1. Open Settings and go to Wi-Fi (on Pixel phones it's Network & internet, then Internet).
2. Tap the network you're connected to, or the gear icon next to it.
3. Tap Share or the QR code icon. Confirm with your fingerprint, face or PIN.
4. The password appears under the QR code.

Samsung, Xiaomi, Redmi, Vivo, Oppo and Realme phones all have this, but the button sits in slightly different places. Look for Share or a small QR icon in the network's details. If your phone only shows the QR code and no text, scan it with Google Lens on another phone. Lens reads the code and shows the password in plain text.

iPhone

iOS 16 and newer show saved Wi-Fi passwords directly.

1. Open Settings, then Wi-Fi.
2. Tap the blue (i) next to the network.
3. Tap the hidden Password field and unlock with Face ID or your passcode.

From iOS 18 there's also a Passwords app with a Wi-Fi section that lists every network the iPhone remembers, even ones you're not near right now. Older iPhones that can't update to iOS 16 can't show the password at all. The easy workaround there is to share it to a nearby iPhone or Mac on the same Apple account.

Windows 11 and Windows 10

The settings way (Windows 11)

1. Open Settings, then Network & internet, then Wi-Fi.
2. Click Manage known networks and pick the network.
3. Next to "View Wi-Fi security key", click View.

If you don't see that option, your Windows 11 isn't fully updated. Use the command below instead.

The command way (works on Windows 10 and 11)

This one shows the password of any network the laptop has ever joined, which is handy when you're trying to remember the office or a relative's Wi-Fi.

1. Search for cmd in the Start menu and open Command Prompt.
2. Type netsh wlan show profiles and press Enter. You'll get a list of every saved network.
3. Type netsh wlan show profile name="NetworkName" key=clear, replacing NetworkName with the exact name from the list, and press Enter.
4. Look for the line Key Content. That's the password.

On Windows 10 there's also a slower menu route for the network you're connected to right now: Control Panel, Network and Sharing Center, click your Wi-Fi name, then Wireless Properties, the Security tab, and tick Show characters.

Mac

On macOS Ventura and newer, open System Settings, then Wi-Fi. Scroll to Known Networks (on some versions it's under Advanced), click the three dots next to the network, and choose Copy Password. Paste it into Notes to read it. On macOS Sequoia you can also find it in the Passwords app. Older Macs keep it in Keychain Access: search the network name, open it and tick Show password.

When no device remembers the password

Go to the router. Two options:

• The sticker on the router. Most routers have the default Wi-Fi name and password printed on a label on the back or bottom. If nobody ever changed it, that's still the password.
• The router's admin page. Connect a phone or laptop with a LAN cable (or to the network if you're on it), open a browser and type the router's address. Common ones in India: 192.168.29.1 for JioFiber, 192.168.1.1 for Airtel Xstream and many TP-Link and D-Link routers, and 192.168.0.1 for others. The login details are usually on the same sticker. The Wi-Fi password is under Wireless or WLAN settings, where you can also change it.

JioFiber and Airtel users can also see and change the Wi-Fi password from the MyJio or Airtel Thanks app, in the home broadband section, which is easier than the admin page.

If you change the password, every device on the network disconnects and needs the new one. Do it when you have a few minutes, not five minutes before a video call.

Curious how your home Wi-Fi fits into the bigger picture? It's a LAN, and our guide to the types of computer network explains the rest. And if you keep forgetting what terms like WPA or WLAN mean, they're in our computer full forms list.

Frequently asked questions

Can I see a Wi-Fi password without connecting to it?

No. A device only knows passwords for networks it has joined before. For a network you've never used, you need the owner, the router label, or the router's admin page.

Is it safe to share Wi-Fi with a QR code?

It's as safe as telling someone the password, because the QR code contains the password. Anyone who photographs it can join. For guests, many routers let you set up a separate guest network.