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How to find your Wi-Fi password on any device

By Roof & Router Team. Updated October 28, 2026.

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How to find your Wi-Fi password

The fastest way to find your Wi-Fi password is on a phone or computer that’s already connected to it. iPhones, iPads, Macs and Windows PCs can all display a saved password, and Android phones can turn it into a QR code. If nothing is connected, or the password was never changed, look at the label on the router itself.

Here’s where to look on each device, and the minimum software version the official support pages give:

Sources: Apple, Microsoft, Google, Samsung, and the router and internet provider pages listed below.

A few terms you’ll see: the SSID is just your Wi-Fi network’s name. The network key or security key is another name for the Wi-Fi password. Apple notes that a lock icon next to a network name means it needs a password, and that passwords are case-sensitive, so capital letters matter.

How to see your Wi-Fi password on iPhone or iPad

Apple added this in iOS 16 and iPadOS 16.1. You’ll unlock it with your passcode, Face ID or Touch ID.

For the network you’re on now:

1. Open Settings and tap Wi-Fi.
2. Find the network you’re connected to and tap the info button (the “i”) next to it.
3. Tap the Password field.
4. Use Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode to reveal it.

For a network you joined before: in Settings > Wi-Fi, tap Edit in the upper-right corner, authenticate, then tap the info button next to the network and tap Password.

With the Passwords app (iOS 18 and later): Apple says the Passwords app arrived in iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, and that it “also stores your Wi-Fi passwords.” Open Passwords, tap Wi-Fi (you may have to tap a button to see the categories), tap the network, then tap the Password field. Apple’s iPhone guide says you can tap Copy Password to paste it somewhere else. The network you’re connected to appears at the top, with everything you’ve saved before listed below it.

How to find your Wi-Fi password on a Mac

There are two official ways, depending on your macOS version.

System Settings (macOS 13 Ventura or later):

1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
2. Click Network in the sidebar, then Wi-Fi on the right.
3. Scroll down and click Advanced to see your known networks.
4. Click the More button (three dots) next to the network and choose Copy Password.
5. Paste it into a note or document to read it.

Apple adds that if your other device is yours too, Universal Clipboard may let you paste the copied password straight onto it.

Passwords app (macOS Sequoia or later):

1. Open Passwords.
2. Click Wi-Fi in the sidebar. If the sidebar is hidden, click the sidebar button.
3. Select the network.
4. Hold the pointer over the dots next to Password to reveal it, or click the dots to copy it.

Older guides often point to the Keychain Access app for this. Apple’s current Wi-Fi password pages describe only the two methods above, so we’ve stuck to those.

How to find your Wi-Fi password on Windows 11

Microsoft’s steps work on any Windows PC that’s connected to, or has connected to, your network:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Select Network & internet > Properties.
3. Next to Wi-Fi network password, select Show.

For a saved network you’re not connected to: go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks, select the network, then select Show next to Wi-Fi network password.

Microsoft says another device can then join by scanning the QR code, if it supports that, or by typing the password as usual. Windows PCs with a camera can scan a Wi-Fi QR code too: open the Camera app, switch to barcode mode, point it at the code and select the link that appears.

Windows 10

Microsoft’s Windows 10 steps go through the older Network and Sharing Center:

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

The password appears in the Network security key box.

Using the command line

There’s also a command-line route. Microsoft’s archived netsh reference, written for Windows Server 2008 R2, documents the netsh wlan show profiles command with an optional key=clear setting:

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

Microsoft says that with key=clear, the plain-text key is shown “if a key is present in the profile and the user has administrative privileges on the local computer.” Our take: that means opening Command Prompt as an administrator, and the Settings method above is easier for most people.

How to see your Wi-Fi password on Android

Google’s help pages describe sharing the network as a QR code rather than showing the password as text.

Google Pixel and phones with stock Android:

1. Open Settings and tap Network & internet > Internet.
2. Make sure you’re connected to the network you want to share.
3. Tap the settings (gear) icon next to it, then tap Share.
4. Verify it’s you if asked (Pixel Help says you may need to “verify your identity on your device”).
5. Have the other person scan the QR code.

Pixel phones have a shortcut too: swipe down to open Quick Settings, tap Internet, and tap Share Wi-Fi at the bottom left.

On version requirements, Android Help says “some of these steps work only on Android 12 and up,” and Pixel Help says Android 11 and up on Pixel phones. Neither page says exactly which steps.

Samsung Galaxy:

1. Open Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi. You must be connected to the network.
2. Tap the gear icon next to it.
3. Tap QR code near the bottom.
4. The other person points their camera at the code for 2 to 3 seconds and taps the notification that appears to join.

Samsung says screens vary by carrier, software version and model. Samsung also warns, about its hotspot QR code, that “QR codes are not encrypted: anyone who obtains access to your QR code can determine your network’s password.” Our take: treat any Wi-Fi QR code like the password itself, and don’t post a photo of it.

Where is the Wi-Fi password on my router?

On a sticker, usually on the bottom, side or back. It lists the default network name and password. The catch: the sticker only shows the default. If anyone changed the password, use the router’s app or settings page instead.

Some details worth knowing:

• Xfinity: the app’s WiFi tab is open only to Primary, Manager and Member Xfinity ID users. Xfinity says most gateways ask you to change the default name and password during installation, so the sticker shows the default only if that was skipped or the gateway was reset to factory settings.
• AT&T: the label is the quickest way to get the default settings. AT&T says that on a Mac you may need to type a $ at the start of the password. You need to be connected to your home network to open the 192.168.1.254 page.
• TP-Link: after logging in, the menu depends on model and firmware: Wireless > Wireless Settings, Basic > Wireless, or on some older models Wireless Security.
• NETGEAR: the web login user name is admin with the password you set during setup, and NETGEAR notes both are case-sensitive.

This is a different password from the one you use to log in to the router’s settings. That one is the admin password, and it protects the router’s controls, not your Wi-Fi.

What to do if you can’t find your Wi-Fi password

Work through these in order, from easiest to last resort:

1. Check every connected device. Any iPhone, Mac, Windows PC or Android phone that’s on the network can show or share it (see above).
2. Read the router label. It works if the password was never changed.
3. Open the router’s app or settings page. Apple says that if you manage the router, you can view or change the password there. TP-Link says to connect a device to the router first, either by Wi-Fi or with an Ethernet cable.
4. Check the paperwork. Apple suggests the router’s documentation or any information sheet from whoever set it up, such as your internet provider.
5. Contact your provider or router maker. Apple says they may be able to help you recover or reset it.
6. Factory reset, as a last resort. TP-Link says a reset brings back the label password but “erases all custom settings,” including your internet connection setup, so you’ll have to set the router up again.

A factory reset is not the same as a restart. Unplugging the router and plugging it back in keeps every setting; holding the reset button wipes them. Our guide to how often you should restart your router explains the difference and how long to hold the button on common brands.

Joined with an old password? If a device keeps failing after you changed the password, Apple’s advice is to forget the network on that device and join it again, so it asks for the current password.

How to share your Wi-Fi password with guests

Holiday visitors usually want Wi-Fi within minutes of walking in. You often don’t need to read the password out at all.

Apple to Apple (no typing):

1. Make sure your iPhone, iPad or Mac is unlocked and connected to the Wi-Fi.
2. Your guest opens Wi-Fi settings on their iPhone, iPad or Mac and picks your network.
3. When your device asks, tap or click Share Password.

Apple lists the conditions: both devices within Bluetooth and Wi-Fi range, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on, Personal Hotspot off, each person signed in to their own Apple Account, and each person’s Apple Account email or phone number saved in the other’s contacts. Apple says both devices should run the latest software. If the prompt doesn’t appear, Apple suggests restarting both devices, and if that fails, typing the password by hand.

QR codes (works with most phones):

• iPhone (Passwords app): open the Wi-Fi network and tap Show Network QR Code. On a Mac, it’s Show Network QR Code in the same place in Passwords.
• Android: Settings > Network & internet > Internet > gear > Share.
• Samsung Galaxy: Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi > gear > QR code.
• Xfinity app: select WiFi, then WiFi details; guests scan the QR code with their camera, or you tap Share to send the details by text or email.
• eero app: for a guest network, tap Share QR code or Share wifi details.

Give guests their own network. A guest network keeps visitors off your main network. eero says devices on its guest network “cannot communicate” with devices on your main network or with each other. To turn it on in the eero app, go to Settings > Guest wifi network and switch on Enable guest network, then tap Save. eero says the guest network’s name must differ from your main one and recommends a different password too. You can switch it off after the holidays; devices on it simply disconnect.

Got a houseful? See how many devices a router can handle before everyone’s phones, tablets and game consoles join at once. And if kids are visiting, our Wi-Fi parental controls guide covers content filters and pause schedules.

Is it safe to keep the default Wi-Fi password?

Our take: change it. The default password is printed on a sticker anyone in your home can read, and it may still be the one in use. Apple notes that the label may list the default network name and password, “which may still be in use.” Xfinity recommends changing the default name and password if you’ve never done so, to improve your home network’s security.

TP-Link suggests a new Wi-Fi password of at least 12 characters, mixing letters, numbers and symbols, and storing it somewhere secure. Changing it disconnects everything, so reconnect each device with the new password (eero and TP-Link both note this). That includes smart speakers, TVs and plugs that don’t have a keyboard, so pick a time when you can work through them.

For the full list, including encryption settings and the router admin password, follow our home Wi-Fi security checklist. If guests say the internet crawls once they’re on it, why is my Wi-Fi slow walks through the usual causes.

Quick checklist

• iPhone or iPad (iOS 16+): Settings > Wi-Fi > info button > Password.
• Mac (macOS 13+): System Settings > Network > Wi-Fi > Advanced > More > Copy Password.
• Windows 11: Settings > Network & internet > Properties > Show.
• Android: Settings > Network & internet > Internet > gear > Share, then scan the QR code.
• Router sticker: shows the default password only.
• Changed and forgotten? Use the router’s app or settings page before you reset anything.
• Factory reset is the last resort; it erases all your settings.
• For guests: Share Password between Apple devices, a QR code, or a separate guest network.
• Still on the sticker password? Change it, and reconnect your devices.