How to Find Your Wi-Fi Password on Windows and Mac

Find it on a Windows computer

If you have a Windows computer connected to the Wi-Fi, the password is stored and viewable. Open the network settings, go to the network and sharing or status area, select your Wi-Fi network, open its wireless properties, and under the security tab tick the option to show characters. The password appears in plain text.

This works because Windows saves the password for any network you have connected to. It is the quickest method if you have a Windows laptop or desktop already on the network, and it does not change anything — you are simply revealing what is already stored.

Find it on a Mac

On a Mac, the Wi-Fi password is kept in Keychain Access. Open Keychain Access from the utilities, search for your Wi-Fi network name, double-click it, and tick the box to show the password. You will be asked for your Mac login password to confirm, after which the Wi-Fi password is revealed.

Newer versions of macOS also let you view a saved Wi-Fi password directly in the network settings. Either way, as long as the Mac has connected to the network before, the password is stored and you can retrieve it without affecting your connection.

Find it on the router itself

Many routers have the default Wi-Fi name and password printed on a sticker on the underside or back of the unit. If you never changed the original password, this is the simplest place to look. It is worth checking here first if the router is easy to reach, as it takes seconds.

Bear in mind this only shows the default password. If you or someone else changed it after setup, the sticker will show the old one, and you will need one of the other methods. Still, for many households that never changed it, the sticker is the fastest answer.

Find it through your router settings

You can also log into your router admin page from a connected device by typing the router address into a browser. Once logged in, the wireless settings show your network name and password. The router address and login are often on that same sticker, or in your provider documentation.

This method is useful if no device shows the password easily, or if you want to view or change other Wi-Fi settings at the same time. It does require the router admin login, which is separate from the Wi-Fi password itself — a distinction that trips people up.

Share it from a phone

If your phone is connected, modern phones make sharing easy. Many Android phones can display a QR code for your Wi-Fi in the network settings, which another phone simply scans to join. iPhones can automatically offer to share the Wi-Fi password with a nearby Apple device that tries to connect, as long as the connected phone is unlocked and nearby.

These sharing features are the most convenient way to get a new phone or tablet online without typing anything. They do not reveal the password as text in all cases, but they get the new device connected, which is usually the actual goal.

When you genuinely need to reset it

If no device is connected and you cannot access the router settings, your last resort is resetting the router to factory defaults using the recessed reset button, which restores the original password on the sticker. Be aware this wipes any custom settings and disconnects every device, so it is genuinely a last resort, not a first step.

After a reset you will need to set up the network again and reconnect all your devices. Because that is a hassle, it is always worth trying the retrieval methods above first — in the large majority of cases, the password can be found without resetting anything at all.

A tip for next time

Once you have found your Wi-Fi password, store it somewhere you can find it again — in a password manager, or noted somewhere safe. A great deal of this hassle comes from the password living only inside connected devices and nowhere accessible when you need it for a new one.

If you would like a hand setting up Wi-Fi, connecting new devices, improving coverage, or organising your passwords properly, that is everyday work for us. We help homes and businesses across Western Sydney with Wi-Fi setup and network problems, on-site or remotely.

Quick checklist

• Windows: wireless properties, show characters
• Mac: Keychain Access, show password
• Check the sticker on the router (default password)
• Log into the router settings to view or change it
• Share via QR code or phone for new devices

Frequently asked questions