Forgot your Wi-Fi password or want to share it with others? If so, it's helpful to know how to view saved Wi-Fi passwords, whether on your phone or computer. Since we know how inconvenient it is to download an extra app and root your phone, we'll look at some quick and easy methods to accomplish this.
First, we'll talk about how to view Wi-Fi passwords on an Android device : first without root access, and then with root access. Second, we'll see how to access saved passwords from iOS devices. And finally, we'll analyze the procedure for accessing this information from the Windows operating system . Let's get started.
How to see saved Wifi passwords without root
If you have an Android device running version 10 or higher , you can view your saved password by scanning the QR code. However, please note that this feature is only available for Android versions 10 and later, as it was one of the improvements released in 2019.
So, how can you see the password of the Wi-Fi network you're connected to? To use this option, you must first make sure you're connected to the desired Wi-Fi network. Then, follow these steps:
- Go to settings on your mobile
- Select the “Wifi” connection option
- Click on the Wi-Fi network to generate the QR code
- Open Google Lens on another phone and capture the QR code. Keep in mind that you can also take a screenshot of the code from your phone and then press the Google Lens icon.
- Once this is done, you can see the name of the Wifi network along with the password that will appear under the QR code.
How to see saved passwords without being connected to WiFi?
On the other hand, how can you view the passwords saved on your mobile phone without being connected to Wi-Fi ? To do this, follow these steps:
- Open the Wi-Fi section in your phone's settings
- Click on the "Saved Networks" option
- Choose the Wi-Fi network you want
- Click on "Share"
- In this way, you will send a QR code with the desired information (network name and password)
How to see passwords with root
However, if you are unable to access your saved passwords using the methods above, you can try a solution that involves rooting your phone. This is what we call "rooting." To do this, you will need to download a mobile app that allows you to see all your saved networks and their passwords. Two apps you can use are :
Wi-Fi Password Recovery
From Google Play, you can download the Wifi Password Recovery app , which lets you easily view the Wi-Fi passwords saved on your Android device. Besides being very intuitive and lightweight, this app offers the option to share saved passwords via a link, QR code, or as a text message.
Wi-Fi Key Recovery
Wifi Key Recovery is another app that can help you view the Wi-Fi passwords saved on your devices. It's also very easy to use: simply install it, run it, and grant root permissions. You'll see a list of all saved networks, their respective passwords, and other data related to each Wi-Fi connection.
How to see saved WiFi passwords on iPhone
However, if your phone is an iOS device, the procedure is different. In fact, to access the Wi-Fi passwords saved on your iPhone, you need your macOS computer and your phone must be linked to iCloud. Once you've clarified that, follow these instructions:
- Go to settings in the "Apple ID" section
- Then, click on “iCloud – Keychain”
- Turn on the “iCloud Key” option
- Go back to the settings and activate the option “Internet Sharing”
Now go to your Mac and to access your saved passwords do the following:
- Connect your Mac to the mobile hotspot.
- Open the “Keychain” app.
- Then go to “System”.
- Click on “Passwords”.
- All the networks saved on your phone will be displayed, choose the one you want.
- Click twice and press “Show Password”.
- Enter with your username and password.
- Done, so you can see the password of the Wi-Fi network you want.
How to see saved WiFi passwords in Windows
Now let's see how you can access the passwords that you have stored over time on your Windows computer. In this sense, there are two ways to achieve it: 1) looking for the password of the Wifi network to which you are currently connected and 2) accessing the networks to which you have connected in the past.
Access the password of the Wifi you are connected to in Windows
Imagine you want to know the password for the Wi-Fi network your Windows computer is connected to . Perhaps you want to share it with a friend or simply refresh your memory of that information. To find the password for the Wi-Fi network you're using, do the following:
- Right click on the Wifi icon.
- Now click on “Wifi” and then on “Network and Sharing Center”.
- At that moment, you find the section “view active networks” and also the option “Connections”.
- There, click on the Wifi you are connected to to see the details of the network.
- Now enable the “Show characters” option.
- Clever. In this way you see the password of the Wifi to which you are currently connected.
Access saved Wifi passwords in Windows
What if you want to see the passwords of the Wi-Fi networks you've connected to before? To avoid downloading a third-party application to your computer, you can follow a simple procedure that involves entering a few commands . How do you do that? By following the steps below:
- Open the Windows menu
- Find and run the “Command Prompt” option
- On the third line, type the command “netsh wlan show profile”
- You will see that a list appears with all the Wi-Fi networks to which you have connected
- Now, in the last line, write “netsh wlan show profile name=profilename key=clear” but instead of “profilename” you must use the name of the Wi-Fi network for which you want the password.
- Clever. In this way you will see all the information on the network, including the "Content of the key" section that contains the password.
Knowing how to use each available method to see the passwords of a Wi-Fi connection can be very useful. A common reason is that you changed your network password, and after connecting your phone, you forgot it. Or, maybe you need to share the key with someone else. Whatever the reason, it's always a good idea to have a plan b to stay connected.