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The Best Way to Find Your WiFi Password on any Platform

The digital age has given rise to a proliferation of passwords. A few decades ago, the average person would never need a password of any type.
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Today, passwords are a vital means of accessing and protecting our digital assets and online presence. Most of us have a lot more passwords that we would like, and we are told they should all be different. Good luck with that.

There are many aspects of passwords that are critically important to our everyday use of WiFi networks. The most obvious use is the password that we employ in order to log into a WiFi network that we have not accessed previously. Less evident, but equally vital, are the passwords that protect the network’s infrastructure. We are talking about the password that is used to gain access to a WiFi router.

This article will take a look at how to find WiFi passwords on a variety of devices. You may need to obtain the passcode to give to another user so they can access the network. In the case of a WiFi router, the password is the key to administering the wireless network. We will look at:

WiFi Router Passwords

All WiFi routers require you to enter a password if you want to gain access to their administrative functions. The password is designed to protect your router from unauthorized access by intruders who could potentially disrupt or compromise your network. Most WiFi routers on the market come ready to use with a default password in place and do not force you to change it.

This is not a good way to keep your network secure. A list of the default passwords for most routers can be obtained from any number of online WiFi password finders such as www.routerpasswords.com. You will find that most of the manufacturers do not attempt to secure their routers, as the default passwords are often “admin” or “password”.

If you have not done so already, we strongly suggest that you log into your router with its default password and replace it with a strong password that will keep your network secure. It is an essential step in maintaining the security and privacy of your network and its users. While we are on the subject of strong passwords, another recommendation is to make all of your passwords as strong as you can. Stop using your dog’s name spelled backward for everything!

How to Find the WiFi Passwords on Different Platforms

You can find the WiFi password of the network you are currently connected to on all computing platforms. We will take a look at the steps you need to follow to retrieve the WiFi password using the popular OS of your choice.

How to Find WiFi Passwords on macOS

Follow these steps to view WiFi passwords on a Mac or MacBook running the macOS operating system. To accomplish this feat, you will use the Mac’s Keychain.

  1. Open the Keychain Access application. This app is found in the Applications > Utilities folder. You can also get to it through LaunchPad.

Keychain Access application
  1. Select Passwords under Category.

Keychain Access Passwords
  1. Click search and begin to type in the network’s name.

Keychain Access Search
  1. Double-click the entry you want to investigate.

  2. Check the Show password checkbox.

  3. Provide your administrator’s password when prompted in order to view the password.

Keychain Access administrator’s password

If you do not know the network name, search under “airport.n” to see all WiFi networks that have been accessed by your Mac.

How to Find WiFi Passwords on Windows 10

If you want to find the password for the WiFi network to which you are currently attached on a Windows 10 machine, follow these steps:

  1. Right-click the network icon on the toolbar.

How to Find WiFi Passwords on Windows 10 Step 1
  1. Select open network and sharing center.

How to Find WiFi Passwords on Windows 10 Step 2
  1. Click Change adapter settings.

  2. Right-click on the Wi-Fi network, and select status on the drop-down menu.

  3. Select Wireless Properties in the pop-up window.

How to Find WiFi Passwords on Windows 10 Step 5
  1. Click on the Security tab.

How to Find WiFi Passwords on Windows 10 Step 6
  1. Check the box next to show characters to display the password.

How to Find WiFi Passwords on Windows 10 Step 7

How to Find WiFi Passwords on iOS

There is no simple way to view the WiFi password on an iOS device. The only reliable method to find passwords your device has accessed is to use the iCloud Keychain Sync capabilities of the device and a macOS computer. Essentially, you will use your Mac’s Keychain app to view the data resident on the iOS device. To use this method, follow these steps:

  1. Activate iCloud Keychain on your iOS device by going to Settings > iCloud > Keychain and toggling it on.

How to Find WiFi Passwords on iOS Step 1
  1. Turn your device’s Personal Hotspot on.

How to Find WiFi Passwords on iOS Step 2
  1. Connect your Mac to the iOS device’s Personal Hotspot.

  2. Open the Keychain Access application.

How to Find WiFi Passwords on iOS Step 4
  1. Select Passwords under Category.

  2. Click search and begin to type in the network’s name.

  3. Double-click the entry you want to investigate.

How to Find WiFi Passwords on iOS Step 7
  1. Check the Show password checkbox.

  2. Provide your administrator’s password when prompted in order to view the password.

How to Find WiFi Passwords on iOS Step 9

Please be advised that you may need to give iCloud some time to fully sync the Keychain. You are not likely to be able to access the iPhone WiFi passwords immediately, but eventually, the sync will complete and the passwords will be available in this manner.

How to Find WiFi Passwords on a Rooted Android Device

If you have a rooted Android device there are third-party apps available that allow you to view saved WiFi passwords. There is also a native method that involves using a file manager app that has root explorer capabilities. To view WiFi passwords using this method, follow these steps:

  1. Open the file manager application and navigate to the “data/misc/wifi” folder. You may need to grant the app root access.

How to Find WiFi Passwords on a Rooted Android Device Step 1
  1. Locate the file named “wpa_supplicant.conf”.

How to Find WiFi Passwords on a Rooted Android Device Step 2
  1. Open the file with a text editor. It contains the details of both the current and past WiFi networks you have accessed with this device. Network details including the ssid or network name and the psk or password are found in this file.

Finding Passwords to WiFi Networks You Have Previously Accessed

On some of the operating systems we have looked at, the same procedure is used to learn the password of the WiFi network you are currently connected to or any that you have accessed in the past. This is the case with the methods employed on Macs, Android devices, and iOS.

If you are using Windows 7 you can access networks that were accessed in the past by following these steps:

  1. Right-click the network icon on the toolbar.

  2. Select open network and sharing center.

  3. Choose Manage wireless networks.

  4. Select the network whose password you want to find from the list.

  5. Click the Security tab and check the show characters box to display the password.

Window 8 and 10 users will need to open a command prompt and enter some commands to display passwords from previously accessed wireless networks. To do it, follow these steps:

Go to Start and type in CMD

Type in this command: netsh wlan show profile. This command displays the WiFi profile of every network with which you have connected.

Type in this command, replacing Network Name with the name you wish to investigate: netsh wlan show profile “NETWORK NAME” key=clear.

The password is listed in key content under the security settings.

There you have it. The wide world of WiFi passwords. There are methods for finding your WiFi password on just about any computing platform. We have concentrated on the most popular ones and hope you find this information helpful.

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