All of your Wi-Fi passwords reside somewhere on your computer. Here’s how to find them

You probably never think about your house Wi-Fi Password again after configuring all your devices. That is, until a friend or family member comes up and asks if they can connect to your network. Hmmm, what was the password again? Is that super long number on the back of your router?

Even if you have not saved the Wi-Fi password anywhere and even if you have not memorized it, there is a way to find it everything your Wi-Fi passwords in one place. Just check your computer.

Read more: Best Password Managers for 2022

As long as your Windows or Mac computer has ever connected to the network, this Wi-Fi password is permanently stored in your settings. It might take a bit of research on your part, but all the passwords are there, saved and ready to share with anyone who wants to connect to Wi-Fi.

Here’s how to find the passwords for all Wi-Fi networks you’ve ever connected to on macOS and Windows. To find out more, discover 17 essential settings to customize your MacBook Where how to get the most out of windows 11.

How to Find Wi-Fi Passwords in MacOS

Every password you type and save on a Mac is stored in Keychain Access, the password management system for macOS. And that includes Wi-Fi network passwords.

To get started, use the search function to open the Keychain Access app and follow these steps:

1. Click on System below System keychains in the sidebar.

2. Then click on Passwords at the top of the window.

3. Find the Wi-Fi network whose password you want and double-click it.

4. Finally, check the box next to Show password and enter your password when prompted.

The password field will then display the password you used to connect to that Wi-Fi network. You can double-click in the password field to select the password and copy it to your press -papers, if necessary.

How to Find Wi-Fi Passwords in Windows

Finding the password for the Wi-Fi network you’re currently connected to is simple on Windows, but getting your hands on all the stored Wi-Fi passwords takes a bit of work, so we’ll discuss both methods below. .

To find the password for the Wi-Fi network you are currently connected to in Windows:

1. Click it Begin button then go to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center (Windows 11) or Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Network and Sharing Center (Windows 10).

2. Close to Connectionsclick on the name of your Wi-Fi network highlighted in blue.

3. In the Wi-Fi Status page that opens, click Wireless Properties then on the Security tongue.

4. Finally, check the box next to Show characters to display your Wi-Fi network password above.

However, this is not the only way to find your Wi-Fi network passwords. The above method only allows you to view the password of the Wi-Fi network you are currently connected to, but there is a way to find the passwords for everything the Wi-Fi networks you have ever connected to on your Windows computer.

To find all your Wi-Fi network passwords in Windows:

1. Right click on the the Windows icon in your desktop taskbar.

2. Click on Windows terminal (administrator).

3. Type netsh wlan show profile and knock Walk in on your keyboard to display all Wi-Fi networks you have connected to.

4. Once you find the Wi-Fi network you want the password for, type netsh wlan show profile “(Wi-Fi network name)” key=delete (for example, netsh wlan show profile “Netgear667” key=delete), then press the Walk in key.

Profile, Connectivity, Security, and Cost settings will appear. The Wi-Fi network password will appear under Security Settings and next to Key Content. In addition to Windows Terminal, you can also use the Command Prompt app to enter the commands listed above to find your Wi-Fi passwords.

If you want to learn more about passwords, whether on your computer or smartphone, check out the best password managers to use and nine rules to follow when creating a password.