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Can’t remember your Wi-Fi password? Here’s how to quickly recover it

Whether you’re on an Android, Windows, iOS, or macOS device, follow these steps to retrieve your Wi-Fi password in a few seconds.

Quick and easy solutions to retrieve a forgotten Wi-Fi password. (Image: Unsplash)

Imagine you have guests over at your home and one of them asks the dreaded question: What’s your Wi-Fi password? If you’re caught-off guard and can’t recall it, the moment can soon turn into a crisis. But there’s no need to panic. Here are a few quick and easy solutions to retrieve a forgotten Wi-Fi password from one of your connected devices.

Needless to say, these steps won’t be of much help if the Wi-Fi password has been changed. If that is the case, you may have to ask for the new password from whoever changed it in the first place.

Android

If you own a Google Pixel phone, go to Settings > Network > Internet. Then, click on the gear icon that appears next to the name of the Wi-Fi network that your phone is already connected to. This will take you to another screen. Tap Share, confirm your identity, and you will be shown a QR code to share the login details, including the Wi-Fi password.

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The process is a bit different for Samsung Galaxy owners. Open Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi. Tap the gear icon next to the connected Wi-Fi network. Then, tap the eye icon next to the starred-out password field and confirm your identity. This will reveal the Wi-Fi password in plain text.

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Similar Wi-Fi configuration pages can be accessed on any other type of Android phone as well. Enabling your device to automatically reconnect to the Wi-Fi network can also be useful in some cases.

iOS

For iPhones, the process is quite simple. Go to the main Settings app. Click on Wi-Fi and tap the blue-encircled i next to the network that your device is connected to. Click on Password. You’ll be asked to authenticate yourself by entering your iPhone passcode or Face ID. Entering this pin or holding the phone up to your face will reveal the password.

Windows

To retrieve your Wi-Fi password from a connected Windows laptop or PC, head to Settings > Start menu > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi. The name of the network that your device is connected to will appear at the top. Tap on the name to view the Wi-Fi network’s properties.

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A new screen will pop up that shows you additional information about the Wi-Fi network such as profile type, DNS, IP settings, etc. Look for View Wi-Fi security key and Click View. This will open up a new dialog box with the Wi-Fi password in plain text.

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macOS

To know the Wi-Fi passwords that are stored on your devices running macOS, follow these steps. Click on System Settings > Wi-Fi. Scroll down and click on Known Networks. Click on the three dots next to the second listing. Tap Copy Password. Go to the Notes or Pages app and press Cmd+V to paste the password in plain text.

The Copy Password option can also be found by choosing Advanced in the main Settings app, which will take you to the page that all the Wi-Fi networks your device has ever joined.