How to Find Your WiFi Password on Any Device (2026)

You need the WiFi password for a new laptop, a guest phone, a smart TV, or a Chromebook, and nobody remembers the string that was set years ago. The good news: if any of your devices has joined that network before, the password is usually still saved on it, and most systems now let you see or share it in a few taps.

Quick answer: your WiFi password is saved on any phone or computer that has already joined the network. On iPhone (iOS 16+), go to Settings > Wi-Fi, tap the Info (i) button and tap Password. On Android, open the network in Settings > Network & internet > Internet and tap Share for a QR code (Samsung: Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi > gear icon > QR code). On Windows 11, open Settings > Network & internet > Properties and select Show next to Wi-Fi network password. On a Mac (macOS 13+), go to System Settings > Network > Wi-Fi > Advanced, click the More (…) button and choose Copy Password. If no device has it, read the WiFi password / network key on your router's sticker or log in to the router's admin page.

The steps below follow the official help pages from Apple (iPhone, Wi-Fi password help, Passwords app), Google (Android, Chromebook), Samsung and Microsoft (Windows, netsh wlan). We checked them again on November 7, 2026. Menu names can shift a little between OS versions and phone brands.

One rule first: these methods are for networks you own or have permission to use. None of them reveal the password for a network your device has never joined.

Where to find your WiFi password: every device at a glance

WiFi password, wifi pw, network key and WPA key

People search for the same thing under different names. On your phone it is usually just WiFi password or wifi pw. On a router sticker or Windows Security tab you may see network security key, network key, WiFi code, or WPA/WPA2/WPA3 key. Those labels all mean the passphrase you type (or scan) to join the wireless network.

That is different from the router admin password, which unlocks the router's settings page. Windows, iPhone and Android can show the WiFi password they saved when you joined; they cannot recover a forgotten router admin login. If you only need guests online, the WiFi password is enough. If you need to change the network name or reset everything, you need the admin login (often printed next to the WiFi details on the same sticker).

How to find a WiFi password on iPhone

Apple added this in iOS 16 (iPadOS 16.1 on iPad). According to Apple's support article, you'll use your passcode, Face ID or Touch ID to reveal it.

For the network you're connected to

1. Open the Settings app and tap Wi-Fi.
2. Find the network you're currently using.
3. Tap the Info button (the "i" in a circle).
4. Tap the Password field.
5. Unlock with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. The password appears and you can copy it.

For networks you joined before

1. Go to Settings > Wi-Fi and tap Edit in the upper-right corner.
2. Authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode to see your previously joined networks.
3. Tap the Info button next to a network with a lock icon.
4. Tap the Password field to reveal it.

Using the Passwords app (iOS 18 and later)

Open the Passwords app (it asks for Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode), tap Wi-Fi, pick the network and tap the Password field. You can copy the password, or use Show Network QR Code so a friend can scan it to join without typing anything. If the friend isn't in the room, take a screenshot on iPhone of the QR code and send it.

Share without reading the password

If you just want to get a friend's iPhone or Mac online, you may not need to read the password at all. With your iPhone unlocked and connected, have them choose the network on their device and tap Share Password when the prompt appears on yours. Apple says both devices should be nearby, and the other person should be in your Contacts.

How to find a WiFi password on Android

Android doesn't have a plain "show password" field on every phone, but it does let you share a network as a QR code. Google's Android Help page gives these steps for Pixel and phones close to stock Android:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Network & internet > Internet.
3. Tap your WiFi network, then tap Share.
4. If asked, confirm with your screen lock. Your phone shows a QR code.

On many phones the password also appears as text under the QR code, though Google's help page only mentions the QR code. Anyone with a phone camera can scan the code to join, which is often easier than typing a long passphrase. If the person isn't next to you, take a screenshot on Android of the QR code and send it to them.

Menu names differ by brand and Android version, so if you don't see Network & internet, search Settings for "Wi-Fi" and look for a Share or QR code option. Google notes some of these steps work only on Android 12 and up.

How to find the WiFi password on Samsung Galaxy

Samsung's One UI uses different menus. Samsung's support page lists these steps:

1. Open Settings and tap Connections > Wi-Fi. Make sure you're connected to the network you want to share.
2. Tap the Settings (gear) icon next to the connected network.
3. Tap QR code.
4. Let your guest scan the code with their phone camera.

Samsung's QR screen may not print the password as text. If you need the actual characters for a device without a camera (a TV or games console, for example), use another device from this guide or the router method below. On recent One UI versions the same screen can also send the network to a nearby phone with Quick Share.

Share WiFi from Android to a Chromebook

If the device that needs the password is a Chromebook, you do not always need to type the wifi pw. An Android phone can send a saved WiFi network to a nearby Chromebook through Quick Share: open the network's Share screen on Android, choose the nearby Chromebook, and the Chromebook can connect and save the network. That still does not display the plaintext password on the Chromebook; it just gets the Chromebook online.

How to find a WiFi password on Windows 11

Microsoft's Connect to a Wi-Fi network in Windows page describes the Settings method:

1. Open Settings and go to Network & internet > Properties for your WiFi.
2. Next to Wi-Fi network password, select Show.

For a network you've joined in the past but are not connected to right now:

1. Open Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks.
2. Select the network.
3. Select Show next to Wi-Fi network password.

Microsoft notes that another device can then connect by scanning the QR code, if it supports it. On PCs with a camera, Windows can also join a network by scanning a WiFi QR code in the Camera app's barcode mode.

How to find a WiFi password on Windows 10

On Windows 10 you need a PC that is currently connected to the network. These are Microsoft's steps:

1. Open Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Network and Sharing Center.
2. Next to Connections, select your WiFi network name.
3. In Wi-Fi Status, select Wireless Properties.
4. Open the Security tab and tick Show characters.

The password appears in the Network security key box. If the Show characters box is greyed out or a prompt appears, you're on a work or shared PC without admin rights, and you'll need the administrator to help.

The command-line method (Windows 10 and 11)

For a network your PC has saved but isn't connected to, open Command Prompt (or Terminal) and run:

netsh wlan show profiles

That lists every saved network. Then run this, replacing YourNetworkName with the exact name from the list:

netsh wlan show profile name="YourNetworkName" key=clear

Look for Key Content under Security settings: that's the password. The commands are documented in Microsoft's netsh wlan reference rather than its consumer help page. On managed PCs they may need an administrator Command Prompt, and for work networks that log in with a username (WPA2/WPA3-Enterprise) there is no Key Content line because there's no single shared password.

How to find a WiFi password on Mac

On macOS 13 or later, Apple's WiFi password guide says:

1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
2. Click Network, then Wi-Fi.
3. Scroll down and click Advanced to see known networks.
4. Click the More button (three dots) next to the network and choose Copy Password.
5. Paste it somewhere to read it. If both devices are yours, Universal Clipboard may let you paste it straight onto your other Apple device.

On newer macOS versions you can also open the Passwords app, click Wi-Fi, select the network and hover over the dots next to Password to reveal it, or click to copy (Apple Passwords guide). From the same entry you can click Show Network QR Code so a guest can scan and join. If the guest isn't in the room, press Shift + Command + 4 and drag over the code to capture it, then send the image (here's the full Mac screenshot shortcut list).

Older Macs (macOS 12 Monterey and earlier): Keychain Access

Before the Passwords app, WiFi passwords lived in Keychain Access:

1. Open Finder > Applications > Utilities > Keychain Access.
2. Search for your WiFi network's name.
3. Double-click the entry (its kind is AirPort network password).
4. Tick Show password and enter your Mac administrator name and password when asked.

Mac can also share the password the same way iPhone does: keep your Mac unlocked and connected, have the other Apple device choose the network, then click Share Password when prompted. Devices need to be nearby, in each other's Contacts, and not using Personal Hotspot.

How to find a WiFi password on Chromebook

This is the one that catches people out, and it shows up in searches like "how do i find my wifi password on chromebook." Google's Chromebook Help covers joining networks, Known networks and forgetting a network. It does not document a way to view a saved WiFi password in ChromeOS Settings. You can see that a network is saved, and you can forget it, but there is no supported Show password control the way Windows, Mac or iPhone have.

That does not mean you're stuck. Use these workarounds, quickest first:

1. Check a phone already on the same WiFi. Use the iPhone or Android steps above to see or share the password. On Android you can also send the network to the Chromebook with Quick Share so it joins without you typing the wifi pw.
2. Look at the router sticker. The default network name (SSID) and password are usually printed on the bottom or back of the router.
3. Open your internet provider's app or account page. Many providers show the current WiFi name and password there. You can sign in from the Chromebook's browser.
4. Log in to the router from the Chromebook. To find the router's address, select the time in the bottom-right corner, select the current WiFi network, then the information icon to see network details. Type the gateway address into Chrome (see the router section below).
5. School or work Chromebooks: managed devices often block router access and sync. Ask IT for the guest network or a temporary password. Do not use developer-mode tricks to dig into system files; they are unsupported, can wipe the device, and are unnecessary when the router or another phone can provide the password.

How to find the WiFi password on your router

If no device can show the password, the router itself is the source of truth.

Method 1: the router sticker

The default network name (SSID) and password are usually printed on a label on the bottom or back of the router, or on a card that came with it. Look for WiFi Password, Network Key, WPA Key, Wireless Key or Wireless Password. Apple's help page points to the same places: the router label, its documentation, or an information sheet left by whoever set it up. If nobody changed the default, that sticker still works.

Method 2: the router's admin page

1. Connect to the network (WiFi or an Ethernet cable).
2. Find the router's address, also called the default gateway:
   • Windows: run ipconfig in Command Prompt and look for Default Gateway.
   • Mac: System Settings > Network > Wi-Fi > Details next to your network > TCP/IP > Router.
   • iPhone: Settings > Wi-Fi > Info (i) > Router.
   • Android / Chromebook: open the network's details; the gateway or router field is often under Advanced or Network details.
3. Type that address (often something like 192.168.1.1, 192.168.0.1 or 10.0.0.1) into your browser's address bar. Our guides on what an IP address is and what a URL is explain what you're typing.
4. Sign in with the router's admin login (often on the same sticker, or set by you or your installer).
5. Open Wireless, WiFi, WLAN or Security settings. The password may be labelled Passphrase, Pre-shared key (PSK), WPA key or Network key.

Some ISP gateways hide the current password but let you set a new one. If you change it, every device has to reconnect with the new password.

Method 3: your internet provider's app

Many cable, fibre and DSL providers let you view or change the WiFi name and password in their app or online account. It's often the easiest route if you never had the router admin login.

How to see a WiFi password without admin rights

• iPhone and iPad: no admin concept; your passcode, Face ID or Touch ID is enough.
• Android: your screen lock is enough on your own phone. Work profiles or managed phones may hide the Share option.
• Windows: on your own PC, the Settings Show button is the simplest route. On a work or school PC, IT policy may grey out Show characters or block netsh ... key=clear. If so, read the password from a phone instead, or ask IT.
• Mac: Copy Password and Keychain Access ask for your Mac login; a managed Mac may restrict this.
• Don't install "WiFi password viewer" or "WiFi hacker" apps. They can't reveal passwords your device hasn't saved, and many are adware or worse.

When no device has the password (forgot WiFi password)

If nothing has it saved, work down this list:

• Check the router sticker for the default password.
• Log in to the router or use your provider's app to view or change it.
• Ask. On public or office WiFi, the staff or IT team have it. Apple notes that some public networks also ask you to log in on a web page after joining.
• Reset the router as a last resort. A factory reset restores the default password on the sticker. It also wipes your custom settings, so every phone, laptop, TV and smart device has to reconnect.

If you're about to wipe a phone, save your WiFi password somewhere first. Our iPhone factory reset guide covers what to back up. Setting up or handing over a smart TV? See how to log out of Netflix on TV before you leave it behind.

Share WiFi with a guest (QR codes)

Typing a long WPA key for every visitor is painful. Most modern devices can show a QR code instead:

• iPhone / iPad: Passwords app → Wi-Fi → network → Show Network QR Code.
• Android: Settings → network → Share (QR code; password text on many phones).
• Samsung Galaxy: Settings → Connections → Wi-Fi → gear → QR code.
• Windows 11: after you select Show on the WiFi password, Microsoft notes another device can scan the QR code if it supports it.
• Mac: Passwords app → Wi-Fi → Show Network QR Code.

The guest opens their camera (or Windows Camera in barcode mode), scans the code, and joins. You never have to say the password out loud. Remember that a QR code is the password: anyone who scans it can join until you change it.

Can't see your WiFi password? Common problems and fixes

WiFi passwords are case-sensitive, as Apple points out, so check uppercase and lowercase letters carefully when you type one in. If a device still won't connect with the right password, restarting it often helps; see how to restart an iPhone.

WiFi password security tips

• Use WPA3 or WPA2 (AES) in your router's security settings if your devices support it, and avoid old WEP or open networks.
• Use a long passphrase (several random words is easier to remember than a short jumble) rather than the default if your sticker is visible to visitors.
• Change the router admin password from the default, not just the WiFi password.
• Give visitors a guest network if your router has one, so they never get your main password.
• Change the WiFi password after a roommate moves out or if you've shared it widely, then reconnect your own devices.
• Don't post photos of your router sticker or WiFi QR code online.

FAQ