Find your saved Wi-Fi password
A phone or computer that already knows your network may still have its password. The built-in network settings are the first place to look before changing anything on the router.
Use these steps for your own network and devices. First check a device that has already joined the network, or the official settings for the router you own. If you manage the network through an internet provider’s app, that app may have the current Wi-Fi details.
Choose Windows, iPhone, iPad, or Mac, Android, or your router. Keep a connected device connected while you look.
The Wi-Fi password joins a wireless network. The router’s administrator password opens its settings. A label may show both, so match the label to the thing you are trying to do. A default Wi-Fi password works only if it has not been changed.
On your Windows PC
Use Microsoft’s saved Wi-Fi password instructions. In current Windows 11, you can view the connected network’s password or choose a network saved earlier.
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Open the network settings
Open Settings, then Network & internet. For the current connection, open Properties.
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Choose a saved network if needed
For an earlier connection, open Wi-Fi, then Manage known networks, and select the network name.
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Show the saved password
Next to Wi-Fi network password, select Show. Complete any verification Windows asks for. Use the displayed password or, on supported devices, scan the network QR code.
On Windows 10, for the current Wi-Fi connection, open Network and Sharing Center, select the Wi-Fi connection, then Wireless Properties. On the Security tab, choose Show characters. If a work-managed device restricts this view, ask its administrator.
On your iPhone or iPad
On iOS or iPadOS 18 or later, open Passwords, unlock it, choose Wi-Fi, and select the network. Tap the password field to reveal it. Apple’s Wi-Fi password guide covers both current and older software.
On iOS 16 or later and iPadOS 16.1 or later, you can also open Settings, then Wi-Fi. Tap the information button beside the connected network and tap Password. Use Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode when asked. For an earlier network, choose Edit in Wi-Fi settings, authenticate, then open the network’s information and password field.
On your Mac
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Open Passwords
On macOS Sequoia or later, open the Passwords app and unlock it using your Mac’s verification method.
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Select the Wi-Fi network
Choose Wi-Fi in the sidebar and select the saved network. The current connection appears at the top of the list.
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Reveal or copy the password
Hold the pointer over the dots beside Password to reveal it. Click the dots to copy it. Apple’s Mac instructions also describe sharing a network QR code.
If your Mac does not have the Passwords app, use another supported device that saved the network or the router’s official settings below. You do not need to reset the network just because one device lacks this view.
On your Android phone
On a Pixel, open Settings, then Network & internet and Internet. While connected to your network, open its settings and choose Share. Verify your identity if asked. Google’s Pixel Wi-Fi instructions show how to share the connection with a QR code.
Other Android phones use different menus. Look for the network’s details and a Share or QR-code option, or follow the phone maker’s instructions. Some views show a password; others offer a QR code for joining. Treat that QR code as access to your network and show it only to devices you intend to connect.
In your router’s official settings
Start with the router label, the app supplied by your internet provider, or the manufacturer’s instructions for the exact model. The label can give you the original network name and password. It will not reflect a password you changed later.
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Reach your own router
Use a device already connected to your home network, or an Ethernet cable if your router supports it. Open the management address or app specified by your router’s manufacturer or internet provider.
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Sign in as the administrator
Use the router administrator credentials you set up or were given for your router. If you cannot sign in, use its documented administrator-account recovery route or contact your internet provider.
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Check the wireless settings
Find Wi-Fi or Wireless settings and select the right network, including any separate guest network. View the current password if the interface allows it. If you must set a new one, save it and reconnect your devices using that new password.
For example, TP-Link’s router guide distinguishes wireless-password recovery from administrator-password recovery. Its menu names and addresses apply to the models it covers; use the guide for your own model.
A reset can erase internet and wireless settings and disconnect every device. NETGEAR’s access guidance explains which settings its factory reset removes. A reset does not reveal the previous password. Read your exact model’s setup instructions and check that you have any details your internet provider requires. If you cannot restore the configuration yourself, ask the provider or manufacturer for help first.
If the saved password does not work
- Check the network name. Your main and guest networks may have different passwords. A similarly named network may belong to someone else.
- Check whether the password changed. A saved entry may be out of date. Use the current details in your own router or provider app.
- Check what kind of sign-in it uses. A work, school, or public network may use an individual account, a certificate, or a web sign-in page. Ask that network’s administrator for its supported access route.
If no device has a usable saved copy and you cannot access your router’s settings, there may be no supported way to retrieve the old Wi-Fi password. For your own router, the remaining route is its documented recovery or reconfiguration process. Keep the new network details somewhere you can access without that connection.
Instructions checked against vendor guidance on 12 September 2026.