So let’s get started (or see the video tutorial below)
1. Find WiFi Password on Windows 7/8/10
Do you know, Windows stored each and every WiFi passwords that you have ever connected to? Not just the current Wi-Fi network. And you can quickly find it either by running a simple command on cmd or by going to the network settings.
Method 1 – Using cmd
The quickest way to find WiFi password on Windows is by using the command prompt. This even works, for WiFi networks, that you have connected to in the past. Though, you’ll have to remember their SSID (WiFi name) in proper cases, to recover their password. So, here is how to do it. Simply open up the cmd and type in the following command. netsh wlan show profile WiFiName key=clear Here, replace the WiFiName with your SSID (or the name of the network, you have connected in the past). And that’s it. Scroll down till you see security setting and next to your key content is your password.
Method 2 – Using Network Settings
If you prefer GUI, then go to your Network and sharing center. To do Right-click on the Wireless Network icon in the taskbar and click “Open Network and Sharing Center”.
Next click on the WiFi name > a new window will open, select Wireless Property > Click the Security tab and check the Show characters checkbox, to see the hidden password. See gif animation here.
Note: In Windows 8 and 10, there is no way to find the Wi-Fi password of Network you have connected in the past, using a GUI approach. You’ll have to use the cmd for that.
#2 Find WiFi Password on Mac OS
Like Windows, you can also find the Wi-Fi password of current network and as well as previously connected network. But now, you need ‘admin privileges‘ to see WiFi password. There is no way to find WiFi password in Mac OS, if you don’t have to admin password. So, here is how to do it. Start by pressing cmd+space to bring up spotlight and search for ‘Keychain Access’.
Alternatively, you can also go to /Applications/Utilities/Keychain Access. Here you will see the list of all WiFi networks. But before you make any changes, you need to unlock the padlock.
Now, scroll down till you see your current WiFi name (or use the search bar on the top). Once your find the WiFi name > double click it > show password > enter the MAC’s login password. And there you have the Wifi password of that network.
If you don’t have access to admin password, then there is no way to find the WiFi password in MAC. But there is a workaround, mention at the end of the article.
#3 Find WiFi Password on Linux
To find WiFi password on Linux (tested on Ubuntu), open up your terminal and type in this command and hit enter. It will ask you for your user password, enter then and hit enter again. And there you have the list of connection and their password. sudo grep psk= /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/*
This asterisk will bring up all the connections and their keys. If you want to see keys of a specific network then replace the asterisk with the network SSID.
#4 Find WiFi Password on Android
When it comes to Android, it’s even tougher than Mac OS. Why? Well, because the file that stores the Wi-Fi passwords, is encrypted and not available to the regular users. You will need root access to view its content. There is no way to see it without Root access. Even if you root it now, it will erase all the data and log you out of network Now, if you are lucky enough, to have a Rooted Android phone or tablet, then you can use an app like Free WiFi Password Recovery to recover all the saved Wi-Fi password. The app is free and compared to other similar apps on the store it has less intrusive ads. Alternatively, if you like to do it without any app, then open ES file explorer, swipe right to bring up the menu and turn on ROOT Explorer, next navigate to the root directory — /data/misc/wifi/. Once there, scroll down till you see a wpa_supplicant.conf file and open it with any text editor. Here you will find all the SSID with their password.
#5 Find WiFi Password on iOS
Like android, iPhone and iPads also hide WiFi password from plain sight. But if you are lucky enough to lay your hands on jailbreak iPhone then, you can use this free utility called WiFi Passwords (not tested). However, you can see saved WiFi password on your iPhone (not work on iPad) if you have a Mac computer and both your iPhone and Mac are connected to the same iCloud account. So once you have that, you can access the keychain database of your iPhone (a file where all passwords are stored) from your Mac. For details, check out this guide on How to View Saved iPhone WiFi Passwords on Mac (No Jailbreak)
#6 Find WiFi Password on Router
If for any reason, above methods didn’t work, then you always can check the password directly from the router page. Open a browser from any device connected to the network. In the address bar, type in ‘router’s IP address’. Usually, it’s 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1. But it may be differ depending on the router. Don’t worry a quick Google search with your router’s model number will get you this information. Next, enter the username and password of the router.
Again this is different for every device, so ask the owner (or try admin as both username and password). Once you successfully log in, navigate to wireless setting and there you will find the password under Wireless Password field.
What if nothing works?
In most cases, the above mention methods will help you recover your WiFi password, but in case all you have a un rooted Android phone and no access to your router, then here are a couple of things you can try connecting to your router using the default WPS PIN. If you have physical access to the router, then look for the small WPS option at the back of your router and press it, now on to your Android smartphone, go to Wireless settings > Advance option > turn on WPS scan. When you press the WPS button at both your router and Android smartphone simultaneously, the router automatically shares the WiFi password over the air and connects the device to a router without any need to enter the WiFi password. (Video tutorial here) Read more: What to do if You Forget Your Wi-Fi Password
