What is my wifi network security key

How to Find Your Network Security Key

Ryan Dube is a freelance contributor to Lifewire and former Managing Editor of MakeUseOf, senior IT Analyst, and an automation engineer.

In This Article

What to Know

• Log in to your router as an administrator. If you don’t see the network security key, look under Connection or Wi-Fi.
• On Android, install and connect Minimal ADB and Fastboot on your PC, then view the wpa_supplicant.conf file.
• iOS: Connect to your hotpot with your Mac, go to Keychain Access > double-click the SSID >Show Password.

A network security key is a code or passphrase you enter to connect your computer or mobile device to a private network. For example, if your home Wi-Fi network is secured (as it should be), you enter a network security key to join it. The purpose of a network security key is to prevent unauthorized access to a network and keep your Wi-Fi network secure.

Finding Your Network Security Key

The fastest, easiest way to find your network security key is through your router directly.

1. Log into your home router as an administrator. Menu systems vary among router brands, but most show your network SSID and network security key on the main page.

If your network security key doesn’t show on the main screen, find Connection, Wi-Fi, or similar in the navigation menu to locate the Wi-Fi connection settings screen. You’ll likely see the network security key there.

Find the Network Security Key on Your Phone

You also can view the stored network security key on your Android or iPhone. Here’s how.

On an Android Device

On an Android, the best option if you don’t have root access is to install and connect Minimal ADB and Fastboot on your PC. Then, you can access and view the contents of the wpa_supplicant.conf file to see your stored Wi-Fi password.

If you do have root access, try one of these methods:

1. Install ES File Explorer and access Root Explorer. Tap Local >Device to see your device’s root folder.

On an iPhone or iPad

Finding your stored network security key on an iPhone is much easier and doesn’t require root access.

1. Tap Settings >iCloud >Keychain. Make sure the Keychain toggle is in the On position.

Go back to Settings and turn on Personal Hotspot.

Press the CMD and Space keys on your Mac to open the Searchlight utility. In the search field, type keychain access and press Enter.

Type the name of your Wi-Fi network (the SSID), then double-click the SSID.

Select the Show Password checkbox. You might need to type your Mac’s admin password to display the password.

Find the Network Security Key on Windows

The easiest way to find your Wi-Fi password is if you’ve already connected to the network with your Windows 10 PC.

1. Click the Start menu, and type Network Status. Select the Network status system settings utility.

In the Network Status window, select Change adapter options.

In the Network Connections window, right-click the active Wi-Fi network adapter and select Status.

Select Security. Then, under Network security key, select Show characters. This will reveal the network security key for your wireless network.

Find the Network Security Key On Your Mac

On a Mac, you’ll find the network key (password) in Keychain Access.

1. Open Finder and select Go >Utilities. Click Keychain Access.

Select login, and scroll through the list of network connections to find your active network. If you don’t see the active network, select System and find the active network there.

On Mac OS X systems older than version 10.6.x, in the Keychains window, select All Items. Scroll through the list of network connections to find your active network.

Under Name, select your active network. Under the Attributes tab, check Show password.

Extra: Types of Network Security

Every secured network has a network security key, but not every network uses the same mode of security. Types of network security include:

• WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy): Encrypts data between clients using a static encryption code.
• WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access): Uses a unique packet-mixing function and integrity checks.
• WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2): Uses a security protocol with pre-shared key (PSK) authentication. In the case of enterprise users, WPA2 uses an enterprise authentication server.

You can check which security method is enabled by accessing your router.

Go to your network settings and make sure it’s set to automatically connect to your Wi-Fi network. If you can’t connect, it’s possible that someone changed the network key.

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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.

1. 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?
2. In Network and Sharing Center, next to Connections, select your Wi-Fi network name.
3. In Wi-Fi Status, select Wireless Properties.
4. 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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Windows 10: How to Find Your WiFi Password (Network Security Key)

We show you how to view saved WiFi passwords in Windows 10 via PowerShell, Command Prompt, settings, and a third-party app.

We’ve all been there. A friend comes over, begging access to your WiFi network, but you realize you forgot your network security key. Often, the router is buried in a corner or in another room and you don’t have the energy to move. To indulge your laziness, we’re going to show you how to find the WiFi password in Windows 10.

What is a network security key for WiFi?

Your Windows 10 device may display a message telling you to “Enter the network security key”. This can cause some confusion, but it’s worth noting that the network security key, WiFi key, and WiFi password are interchangeable terms.

A WiFi password or network security key is usually WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) phrase that you chose at an earlier date. A password may have also shipped with your router, but for security reasons, it’s highly recommended you swap that out for a unique, personal one.

How to view saved WFi passwords in Windows 10

You can find the WiFi password in Windows 10 via a variety of methods without needing additional authentication. We’re going to show you how to do so via PowerShell, command prompt, the control panel, and a third-party Wi-Fi password revealer. Let’s get started:

How to Find WiFi Password in Windows via PowerShell

One of the fastest and most foolproof ways to view saved Wi-Fi passwords in Windows 10 is through a PowerShell command. It’s a long one, but you can simply paste it into the command line and press Enter.

Open PowerShell as Admin
Press “Windows + X”, then click “Windows PowerShell (Admin)”

(netsh wlan show profiles) | Select-String "\:(.+)$" | % | % <(netsh wlan show profile name="$name" key=clear)>| Select-String "Key Content\W+\:(.+)$" | % | %> | Format-Table -Wrap

PowerShell will output a list of network IDs and their saved passwords. Look for your network name and note the password down for later use.

How to Find Network Security Key via Windows 10 Command Prompt

If you don’t have access to PowerShell or your network didn’t show up in it, you can try Command Prompt instead. The commands here are also memorable, which is always useful for the future.

Open Command Prompt as an administrator
Press “Windows” and type “cmd”. Right-click “Command Prompt” and choose “Run as administrator”.

Note down the user profile name of your Wi-Fi network for use in the next step.

netsh wlan show profile name=»NetworkName» key=clear

Replace NetworkName with your SSID and press “Enter”.

Find WiFi Password in Windows 10 via Settings

For a more user-friendly route, you can use the Settings app to view the WiFi key in Windows 10.

Open settings
Press “Windows + X”, then click “Network Connections” to open network settings.

How to Find The Network Key with the WirelessKeyView App

If the above methods aren’t doing it for you, one option is a free third-party tool, Wirelesskeyview.

Go to the WirelessKeyView webpage
Go to the Nirsoft website and scroll down until you see the feedback section.

If you found this tutorial useful, you may also want to check out our guides on how to remove a PDF password and password protecting a folder.

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