How to Find a Saved Wi-Fi Password on iPhone, Windows and Mac

On an iPhone running iOS 16 or later, open Settings, tap Wi-Fi, tap the small "i" next to the network and then tap the hidden Password field. After Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode, the password is shown in full and can be copied. Windows PCs, Macs and Android phones that have joined the network before keep the key as well, and the steps for each follow below, together with what to do when no device remembers it.

iPhone and iPad

1. Open Settings and tap Wi-Fi.
2. Tap the "i" beside the network. It does not need to be the network you are on right now: tap Edit at the top of the Wi-Fi screen to see every network the device has joined.
3. Tap Password and confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
4. Tap Copy, then paste the password into a message or note.

Recent versions of iOS also collect saved networks in the Passwords app, under its Wi-Fi section, which is handy when you are hunting for a network from months ago. If a friend's Apple device is nearby and you are in each other's contacts, your iPhone may offer to share the password with one tap, so nobody has to read it out letter by letter.

Windows 11 and Windows 10

Through Settings on Windows 11

Open Settings, choose Network & internet, then Wi-Fi, and open the properties of the network you are connected to. On up-to-date versions there is a "View Wi-Fi security key" option; select View and the key appears in a small window.

Through Control Panel on either version

1. Open Control Panel and go to Network and Sharing Center.
2. Click the blue Wi-Fi connection name next to "Connections".
3. Select Wireless Properties, open the Security tab and tick "Show characters".

For a network you are not connected to

Windows remembers profiles for networks it has joined in the past. Open Command Prompt or Terminal and type netsh wlan show profiles to list them. Then type netsh wlan show profile name="NetworkName" key=clear, swapping NetworkName for the exact name from the list. The password is shown beside "Key Content". On some computers you will need an administrator account for this.

Mac

On macOS Ventura or later, open System Settings, choose Wi-Fi, then click Advanced to see the list of known networks. Open the three-dot menu next to the network you want, choose Copy Password and confirm with your login password or Touch ID. Newer macOS releases also list Wi-Fi networks in the Passwords app.

On older versions, open Keychain Access from the Utilities folder, search for the network name, double-click the entry and tick "Show password".

Android phones

Menus differ from one maker to the next, but on most recent Android phones the route is Settings, then Network & internet or Connections, then Wi-Fi. Tap the connected network or its gear icon and choose Share. After you confirm with your screen lock, a QR code appears, frequently with the password printed underneath. Another phone can scan the code and join directly.

Where to look when no device remembers it

• The router label. Many routers ship with the default network name and key printed on the underside or on a pull-out card. This only helps if nobody has changed the key since.
• The router's admin page. Plug a laptop into the router with an Ethernet cable, enter the admin address from the label in a browser and sign in. The wireless or Wi-Fi section shows the current key.
• The router's app. If your router is set up through a companion app, the key is normally visible there.
• A reset, as the last resort. Holding the reset button restores the label password but also erases your own settings, so treat it as the final option.

How to change the Wi-Fi password

1. Sign in to the router's admin page or app.
2. Open the wireless security settings and enter a new key: long, easy to type on a TV remote, and not used for anything else.
3. Save. The router may restart, and every device will drop off the network.
4. Reconnect each device with the new key. Do the awkward ones first, such as a smart TV, a printer or a streaming box you set up when you built your own channel playlist.

While you are signed in to the router, check its security mode and whether new firmware is waiting; our router firmware guide covers both. If the real complaint is a weak signal in the back bedroom rather than a lost password, compare mesh Wi-Fi and extenders.