By Tim O. · November 1, 2026 · 8 min read

How to Change Your Wi-Fi Password

Last verified: November 1, 2026

The short answer

You change a Wi-Fi password in the router's settings, either through your internet provider's app or by signing in to the router from a browser. It takes about five minutes, and then every device in the house has to be reconnected with the new password, which is the part that takes longer.

Pick a strong password first so you only do this once. Our Wi-Fi password generator makes a long random key, and the QR code option means your phones can rejoin with a camera scan instead of typing it.

Jump to: Any router · Xfinity · Verizon Fios · AT&T · Spectrum · Mesh systems · After you change it

Before you start

On any router (the general method)

  1. On a device connected to the network, open a browser and type the router's address. Common ones:
    RouterAddress
    Most routers192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1
    Xfinity gateways10.0.0.1
    AT&T gateways192.168.1.254
    Netgearrouterlogin.net
    TP-Linktplinkwifi.net
    ASUSrouter.asus.com
    Linksysmyrouter.local
    The address is usually printed on the router's label too.
  2. Sign in with the router admin username and password (on the label, unless changed). This is not the Wi-Fi password.
  3. Find the Wireless, Wi-Fi or WLAN settings. If the router has separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks, you'll usually see both.
  4. Change the field called Password, Passphrase, Pre-Shared Key, WPA Key or Network Key. Paste in your new password. Change the network name (SSID) too if you want.
  5. Make sure security is set to WPA3 or WPA2-Personal (AES). Never WEP, and never "Open."
  6. Save or Apply. The router restarts its Wi-Fi, your device disconnects, and you reconnect with the new password.

If your router has an app (Netgear Nighthawk, TP-Link Tether, ASUS Router, Linksys), the same settings are under the app's Wi-Fi or Network section.

Xfinity

Xfinity wants you to use the app; on most newer gateways the browser Admin Tool no longer allows name and password changes (Xfinity).

  1. Open the Xfinity app and go to the WiFi tab.
  2. Tap WiFi details, then Edit WiFi settings.
  3. Change the password (and name if you like), then tap Save.

Only the account's Primary, Manager or Member users see the WiFi tab. If you have an older XB2 or XB3 gateway, the Admin Tool at 10.0.0.1 still works: sign in, open Gateway, then Connection, then Wi-Fi, and edit the network.

Verizon Fios

Two ways (Verizon):

My Verizon: sign in, go to Services, then Internet. Under My Network, pick the network and select Manage. Enter the new password and Save Changes. If you have separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz names, they share one password.

The router page: go to 192.168.1.1, sign in with the router username (default admin) and the password on the router's label, then follow the Wi-Fi settings to change the password.

AT&T

Two ways (AT&T):

Smart Home Manager: sign in, scroll to the My Wi-Fi card, click Change next to the password, clear the old one, type the new one, and Save.

The gateway page: on a connected device, go to 192.168.1.254. You'll need the Device Access Code from the label on the gateway. Update the Wi-Fi password there.

Spectrum

Use the My Spectrum app or sign in at spectrum.net. Open Services, select your router, then tap Edit Network Info to change the name and password. Save, then reconnect your devices.

If you don't see the option, your router may be one Spectrum doesn't manage remotely. Sign in to it directly at 192.168.1.1 with the login on its label and follow the general method above.

Mesh systems: eero, Google Nest Wifi, Orbi

Mesh systems have no browser page. Use the app:

Mesh systems push the change to every point automatically.

After you change it

Affiliate link below. If you sign up for NordPass through it, SafePasswordGenerator.net earns a commission. It does not change what you pay.

  1. Reconnect the devices you use most first: your phone, then laptops and the TV.
  2. Then the quiet ones: printers, thermostats, doorbells, cameras, smart plugs, speakers. Each has its own way of joining a network, usually through its app. These are the ones people forget, and they'll just stop working until you do.
  3. Print a QR code for the new network from the generator page and keep it by the router. Guests and new devices scan it; nobody types.
  4. Write the password on a card by the router too. The sticker password is now wrong, and in two years you'll be glad it's written down.
  5. Save it in a password manager alongside everything else, so you can look it up from any device. NordPass has a free plan that does this; a family plan's shared folder lets everyone in the house find it.

While you're in the router settings

Two more changes take a minute each:

Helping a parent

If you're changing a parent's Wi-Fi password from a distance:

  1. Have them read you the sticker on the router (network name, Wi-Fi password, admin login and address).
  2. If their provider has an app (Xfinity, Verizon, AT&T, Spectrum), set it up on your own phone with their account, and you can change the password without being there.
  3. Change it, then walk them through reconnecting their phone and TV. Mail them a printed QR code for anything else.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I change my Wi-Fi password?

You don't need to on a schedule. Change it when it's weak, when it's still the sticker default, when someone who had it shouldn't anymore, or when you think a neighbor is using it. A long random password doesn't wear out.

Will changing the Wi-Fi password disconnect everything?

Yes. Every device needs the new password. That's why it's worth choosing a strong one and keeping a QR code handy, so you only do this once.

Do I need to change the router password too?

They're separate. The Wi-Fi password joins devices to the network; the router admin password controls the settings. If the admin password is still the factory default, change it, because anyone on your network could otherwise change your settings.

Can I change my Wi-Fi password from my phone?

Yes. Provider apps (Xfinity, My Verizon, Smart Home Manager, My Spectrum) and router apps (Nighthawk, Tether, eero, Google Home) all do it. You can also open the router's address in your phone's browser.

What's a good Wi-Fi password?

Long and random: 16 to 20 characters from a generator. Not a name, a phone number, an address or a word with numbers on the end. You'll type it once per device, then scan a QR code or let your phone remember it.

The short version

Sign in to your router through your provider's app or its browser address, find the Wi-Fi settings, paste in a long random password, save, and reconnect your devices, starting with the ones you use most. Keep a QR code and a written copy by the router, and change the router admin password while you're there.

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Related: How to Find Your Wi-Fi Password · Wi-Fi Password Generator · Router Password Generator

Sources

Checked November 1, 2026.