How to Find Your WiFi Password when You Forgot It
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions.
The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article’s instructions and verified that they work.
This article has been viewed 9,876,724 times.
This wikiHow teaches you how to find a forgotten Wi-Fi password on your Windows or Mac computer. You can do this by using your computer’s settings, or by accessing your router’s settings page. If all else fails, resetting your router will restore the factory default password. Unfortunately, there’s no way to find a saved Wi-Fi password on a phone or tablet.
Finding the Password on Windows
- This method only works when you’re already connected to the Wi-Fi network for which you’ve forgotten the password.
- If you instead see an icon of a computer monitor next to a cable here, you are connected to your router via ethernet. You cannot use an ethernet connection to determine your Wi-Fi password.
Scroll down and click Change adapter options . It’s under «Related settings» in the right panel.
Right-click your Wi-Fi connection and select Status . You’ll see the Status option on the menu that expands.
Click the Security tab. You’ll find this tab at the top of the window. This opens a page that has a «Network security key» field near the middle of the page; this is where your password is stored. Right now, it’s obscured by black dots.
Check the box next to «Show characters.» It’s below the «Network security key» field. This replaces the black dots in the «Network security key» field with your Wi-Fi password.
Finding the Password on a Mac
Click Utilities on the menu. You can also open this folder by pressing Shift + Command + U.
Double-click Keychain Access . It’s the icon that looks like a set of keys. This opens the Keychain Access app, where you can find the passwords you’ve saved to Keychain.
- You can sort the Keychain list alphabetically by clicking the Name category near the top of the Keychain window, and/or search for the network by typing its name into the search bar at the top-right corner of the window.
Finding the Password on the Router
- Depending on your service, your modem (the thing that connects your home to the internet) and router may be a single, dual-function device. If your provider gave you two separate devices, the modem is the one connected to the wall jack—the Wi-Fi router will be the other device.
- If you (or someone else with access to the router) changed the router’s default password (and this is pretty common), the password on the router sticker won’t work.
- If the password doesn’t work, continue to the next step.
- This step won’t display the Wi-Fi password on the screen. However, once you’re connected, you can easily find the password on Windows or macOS.
- Not all routers have this feature, so check your model’s included (or online) documentation for a WPS (or Wi-Fi Protected Setup) feature.
- If your Mac doesn’t have an ethernet port, try a USB-to-ethernet adapter, or a Thunderbolt-to-gigabit-ethernet adapter. [2] X Research source
- If ethernet isn’t an option, you can reset the router to its default settings, which will allow you to use the default router password located on the router sticker.
- Windows — Open the Windows Start menu, click the Settings gear, click Network & Internet, click View hardware and connection properties, and find the IP address next to «Default gateway».
- Mac — Open the Apple menu, click System Preferences, click Network, click Advanced, click the TCP/IP tab, and look for the set of numbers separated by periods to the right of «Router».
- On some routers, the IP address is found on the sticker on the side of the router.
- The default username is usually admin , and the default password is usually admin , password , or blank. Some people change these after configuring the router, however, so if you can’t remember the username and password, you may need to reset the router.
- Each router page interface will vary, so you may have to navigate through a couple of different menus.
- Your router’s password may also be at the top of the main router page.
Find the password. On the «Wireless» page, you will see your wireless network name (SSID) as well as the security or encryption type (e.g., WEP, WPA, WPA2, or WPA/WPA2). Near the security options, you should see the «Passphrase» or «Password» field. This is your wireless password.
Resetting the Router
- Restoring the router to factory settings won’t tell you the current password, but it will change the router’s password back to the factory password, which is printed on the bottom or back of the router.
- Resetting your router will also disconnect every item you have connected to the router—this means all devices connected to it will need to reconnect. For this reason, resetting the router should be your last resort.
Find your router’s «Reset» button. This button is usually on the back of the router and is very small—usually you won’t be able to press it without inserting the end of a paperclip or pin.
- The lights on the router should flash or briefly turn off when the router has officially reset.
- Network name or SSID — Your network’s factory name that you’ll see in the Wi-Fi menu.
- Password or Key — Your network’s default password.
Connect to your network. When entering the password, you’ll use the factory password that’s printed on the bottom of your router.
Community Q&A
It should be on your router or your ISP cable box if you have one. They are usually on the bottom of the boxes.
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I have entered a new WiFi key but it is not working, and shows the WiFi is limited. What should I do?
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First, open «Settings.» Go into «WiFi» and click on the network your Chromebook has saved. After that, disconnect from the network. When you go to reconnect, there will be a little button you can click on that will reveal the password.
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If you reset your password, be sure to create a strong password that contains letters, numbers, and symbols. Make sure that the password is not based off any personal information.
Although there’s no way to find a saved Wi-Fi password on an Android, iPhone, or iPad, you can use a web browser to log in to your router’s admin website, where the password will be visible.
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About This Article
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. This article has been viewed 9,876,724 times.
If you’ve never changed your WiFi password from the default password that came with the router, you should be able to find the password on the router itself near the “SSID” heading. If you did change the password from the default password, you can find the password on either a Windows or Mac computer. For a Windows computer, first click on the WiFi icon in the far-right side of the task bar. Then, click on “Network & Internet Settings,” followed by the WiFi tab. Now click on “Change adapter options.” Choose your current WiFi network, then click on “View status of this connection.” Click on “Wireless Properties,” then “Security.” Finally, click on the “Show characters” box to see your WiFi password in the “Network security” field. For a Mac computer, first open the Finder app and click on “Go.” Then, click on “Utilities,” followed by “Keychain Access.” Find your WiFi network’s name and double-click on it. Now, just check the “Show password” box and enter your computer password to view your WiFi password in the password field. If you’re still unable to find your WiFi password, you can reset the router as a last resort. Find the reset button on your router and hold it for 30 seconds. This will reset the password back to the default password, which you should be able to find listed on the router itself. For tips on how to access your router’s password by connecting via Ethernet, read on!
Find your Wi-Fi network password in Windows
If you forgot your Wi-Fi network password, you can find it if you have another Windows PC already connected to your Wi-Fi network. After you find your password, you can use it on another PC or device to connect to your Wi-Fi network.
- On a Windows PC that’s connected to your Wi-Fi network, do one of the following, depending on which version of Windows is running on your PC:
- On Windows 11, select the Start button, type control panel, then select Control Panel >Network and Internet >Network and Sharing Center.
- On Windows 10, select the Start button, then select Settings >Network & Internet >Status >Network and Sharing Center.
- On Windows 8.1 or 7, search for Network and, then select Network and Sharing Center from the list of results.
To learn how to find out which version of Windows you have, see Which Windows operating system am I running?
- In Network and Sharing Center, next to Connections, select your Wi-Fi network name.
- In Wi-Fi Status, select Wireless Properties.
- In Wireless Network Properties, select the Security tab, then select the Show characters check box.
Your Wi-Fi network password is displayed in the Network security key box.
On another Windows PC or other device, connect to Wi-Fi as you normally would, and enter your Wi-Fi password when prompted. For more info about connecting to Wi-Fi, see Connect to a Wi-Fi network in Windows.
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