By Tim O. · November 1, 2026 · 7 min read

How to Find Your Wi-Fi Password

Last verified: November 1, 2026

The short answer

Any phone or computer that's already on your Wi-Fi has the password saved, and every one of them will show it to you after you unlock the device. Pick yours below. If nothing is connected, the password is usually printed on the router, and if that's been changed and forgotten, you can reset the router and start fresh.

Jump to: iPhone or iPad · Android · Windows 11 or 10 · Mac · The router · Nothing is connected

On an iPhone or iPad

Works on iOS 16 and iPadOS 16.1 and later (Apple).

For the network you're on now:

  1. Open Settings and tap Wi-Fi.
  2. Tap the (i) button next to the connected network.
  3. Tap the Password field, then unlock with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. The password appears, with a Copy option.

For a network you've joined before but aren't on now:

  1. In Settings, tap Wi-Fi, then Edit in the top right corner.
  2. Unlock with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
  3. Tap (i) next to the network, then tap Password.

On iOS 18 and later, the Passwords app also lists every saved network under Wi-Fi.

On an Android phone

Android phones vary by maker. The two common layouts:

Google Pixel and most other Android phones (Android 10 and later):

  1. Open Settings, then Network & internet, then Internet (on some phones, Wi-Fi).
  2. Tap the gear or (i) next to the network. For networks you aren't on, look for Saved networks.
  3. Tap Share and unlock the phone.
  4. A QR code appears, and the password is printed in text underneath it (Nextpit, July 2024).

Samsung Galaxy:

  1. Open Settings, then Connections, then Wi-Fi.
  2. Tap the gear next to the connected network. For other networks, open the three-dot menu, then Advanced settings or Manage networks.
  3. Tap the crossed-out eye icon next to the password, then unlock the phone. The password appears as text.

If your phone shows only a QR code with no text, take a screenshot, then scan that image with the phone's own camera app or Google Lens. Avoid downloading a third-party scanner app for this; some of them are junk.

On Windows 11 or Windows 10

The computer has to be connected to the network (Microsoft).

  1. Open Settings, then Network & internet.
  2. Click Properties under the connected Wi-Fi network (or go to Wi-Fi, then Manage known networks, and pick the network).
  3. Next to Wi-Fi network password, click Show.

On older versions of Windows 10 that don't have that button, open Control Panel, then Network and Sharing Center, click your Wi-Fi network name, then Wireless Properties, then the Security tab, and tick Show characters.

On a Mac

macOS Sequoia (15) and later: open the Passwords app, click Wi-Fi in the sidebar, select the network, and hover over the dots next to Password to reveal it. Click the dots to copy it (Apple).

macOS Ventura (13) and Sonoma (14): open System Settings, then Wi-Fi. Scroll to Known Networks, click the three dots next to the network, and choose Copy Password. Paste it into a note to read it.

Older macOS: open Keychain Access (in Applications, Utilities), search for the network name, double-click it, tick Show password, and enter your Mac login.

On the router itself

If no device is connected, or you want the password without touching anyone's phone:

  1. Look at the sticker. Most routers have a label on the back or underside with the network name (SSID) and the password, sometimes called the Wi-Fi key, WPA key or passphrase. This is the password the network shipped with. If nobody changed it, it still works.
  2. Sign in to the router's admin page. On a connected device, open a browser and type the router's address, usually 192.168.1.1, 192.168.0.1 or 10.0.0.1 (it's often on the same sticker). Sign in with the router's admin username and password, which is also on the sticker unless it was changed. Look under Wireless or Wi-Fi settings; the password is there, usually behind a Show checkbox.

Router password and Wi-Fi password are two different things. The Wi-Fi password gets devices onto the network. The router admin password opens the settings page. Both are on the sticker when the router is new, and both should be changed from the defaults.

If nothing is connected and the sticker password doesn't work

Someone changed the password and nobody remembers it. The fix is a factory reset:

  1. Find the small Reset hole on the router. Hold a paperclip in it for about 10 seconds, until the lights blink.
  2. The router goes back to the name and password on the sticker. Connect with those.
  3. Sign in to the admin page and set a new Wi-Fi password straight away. Our Wi-Fi password generator makes a strong WPA2 or WPA3 key, and here are step-by-step instructions for changing it.

A reset also wipes any custom settings (port forwarding, a renamed network, parental controls), so expect to redo those. If your internet provider supplied the router, their app or account page often lets you see and change the Wi-Fi password without a reset.

Found it, and it's weak?

If the password you just uncovered is a word, a name, a phone number or the one that came on the sticker years ago, change it. A short or guessable Wi-Fi password can be cracked offline by someone who recorded your network traffic from the street. Use the Wi-Fi password generator for a long random key, write the new one on a card by the router, and reconnect your devices. Here is how to change your Wi-Fi password on any router, including Xfinity, Verizon, AT&T and Spectrum.

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Helping a parent

The call usually goes "the Wi-Fi isn't working on my new tablet, what's the password?" Three things that end those calls:

  1. Find the password using the steps above on a device that's already connected, and write it on an index card taped near the router, along with the network name.
  2. If it's still the sticker password, change it to a strong one while you're there and update the card.
  3. Print a Wi-Fi QR code and tape it next to the card, so visitors and new devices connect with a camera scan.

Frequently asked questions

Can I see the Wi-Fi password on my iPhone?

Yes, on iOS 16 or later. Settings, Wi-Fi, tap (i) next to the network, tap Password, and unlock with Face ID. For networks you aren't on, tap Edit at the top of the Wi-Fi list first.

Why does my Android only show a QR code?

Google Pixel and many other Android phones show the password as text under the QR code once you unlock. If yours shows only the code, screenshot it and scan the image with your camera app.

How do I find the Wi-Fi password on Windows 11 without being connected?

Windows only shows passwords for networks the computer has saved. If the computer has connected to the network before, Settings, Network & internet, Wi-Fi, Manage known networks lists it. If it never has, use a device that has, or the router sticker.

What if the password on the router sticker doesn't work?

Someone changed it. Check your internet provider's app first, which often shows the current password. Otherwise, factory-reset the router and set a new password.

Is the router login the same as the Wi-Fi password?

No. The Wi-Fi password connects devices to the network. The router login opens the settings page. They're both on the sticker when the router is new and should both be changed.

The short version

Every connected device can show you the Wi-Fi password: iPhone under Settings, Wi-Fi, (i); Android under the network's Share button; Windows under Network properties, Show; Mac in the Passwords app. If nothing's connected, read the sticker on the router, and if that's been changed, reset the router and set a new, strong password.

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Sources

Checked November 1, 2026.