Passwords play a crucial role in protecting your data and privacy. Perhaps it is possible that on a personal computer or a mobile, most of the passwords are automatically saved, and over time you may forget them. If we talk specifically about routers at your home, these are things where we are least bothered as they get connected once you tap on the particular network due to saved passwords.
If you are facing a problem in recollecting your WiFi password, which you have previously connected, then without wasting your time, go through this article. Overhear, we deal with the different ways to find the WiFi password of any current or previously connected network.
Also Read: How to Delete Apps from Your Mac
First: Check Your Router’s Default Password
Mostly, the Router’s default credentials or password can be obtained from the Router’s manual when you first purchase and install it. For suppose, if you have misplaced the manual, you can also check it on the Router as few Internet providers print the password on a sticker on a router. Generally, the default username and password for any router is ‘admin’ and ‘admin.’ Though these credentials may vary from one company of Router to another, you can still try by checking it. If this doesn’t work out, go through the below steps:
- For Windows Users –
Step 1: Click on the Start menu, type ‘Control Panel’ in the
search bar and hit Enter.
Step 2: In the Control Panel Window, select “Network and Sharing Center ” and then click on your WiFi network to go to Wireless Properties settings.
Step 3: Now, you need to click on the Security option to see your Network Security Key.
- For Mac Users:
Step 1: Click and open the Finder icon from the dock.
Step 2: Now, go to Applications and double click on Utilities.
Step 3: Again, you need to double click on Keychain Access to go to your WiFi network, and the password will be displayed.
How to Find the Current WiFi Password on Windows
If you are connected to any of the WiFi networks in your Windows, then it is pretty easy to check its password. To check it, follow the below-mentioned steps:
Step 1: Click on the Start menu, type Control Panel in the text field, and press Enter.
Step 2: You need to select ” Network and Sharing Center ” and then navigate to the current WiFi connection.
Step 3: Head over to the “Wireless Properties” option from the WiFi status window.
Step 4: Now click on the ‘Security’ option and check the box that stating “Show characters” to view the hidden password.
How to Find Passwords for WiFi Network’s that you have Connected Previously
Finding passwords of the previously connected WiFi network is no way different from the above process. You need to navigate to Network and Sharing Center to get the hidden password in Windows 7 and other older versions of Windows. Whereas, in higher versions of Windows, you need to use the Command Prompt.
Find Passwords for other WiFi Network’s in Windows 7 and Earlier
To find the password for other WiFi networks in Windows 7 and on earlier versions, firstly, you need to open the window of “Network and Sharing Center. ” Secondly, click on “Manage wireless networks,” which will take you to the list of previously connected networks. Thirdly, double click on a particular network and open network properties. Last but not least, head over to the Security tab and check the box stating “Show characters.” This method will display the password in the “Network Security Key” field.
Find Passwords for other WiFi Network’s in Windows 8 and 10
If you are using Windows 8 or 10, then you have to use the command prompt to get a password of WiFi networks. If you are not sure how to proceed then here are the steps shown below:
Step 1: Click the Start menu and launch the Command Prompt.
Step 2: Once you are in the Command Prompt window, type netsh wlan show profiles. This will show all the lists of WiFi networks that you have connected to before.
Step 3: If you are looking to find the password of one particular profile, then type the following by replacing the profile name with the name of the profile.
Netsh wlan show profile name=profilename key=clear
With this, the password of any profile can be known.
How to Find Passwords for current or Previous WiFi Network’s on a Mac
Just like in Windows OS, you can find current or previous WiFi passwords on a Mac device. If you are new to the Mac environment, then follow the below steps to see the password:
Step 1: Open Spotlight search, type ” Keychain Access,” and hit Enter.
Step 2: In the Keychain Access window, look for your WiFi network, click it, and then navigate to the info option.
Step 3: Now tick the checkbox that showcasing “Show Password“.
Step 4: Since Mac is a highly secured device, you need to enter the username and password of the administrator to gain the password.
Well, once you enter the credentials, your Mac will show up the password.
How to Find a WiFi Network’s Password on a Rooted Android Device
If your phone is running on Android 10 or higher versions of Android, then you can gain the password of a previously connected WiFi network right from your phone settings without the usage of any other external software. Whereas, if you are using Android 9 or lower, you need to make sure that your phone is rooted to get the password. In this, we have listed simple steps on how to go about in finding passwords to a Rooted Android device.
Step 1: Firstly, to root your device, download the ES File Explorer app.
Step 2: Once it is installed, open the app and click on the menu button, which is on the upper left-hand corner.
Step 3: Scroll down the different options and turn on the “Root Explorer” option.
Step 4: Just like other applications, you need to grant permission when the notifications are popped up.
Step 5: Now, you need to navigate to Local and then to Device.
Step 6: From the device to data -> misc -> WiFi and then select the HTML viewer to open the wpa_supplicant.conf file. In this, you can find the password of any of your previously connected WiFi network.
How to Find a WiFi Network’s Password on a Jailbroken Phone or iPad
Possibly, jailbreaking is the only option that can be used in iOS to recover a password from the WiFi network. Jailbreaking adds an unofficial application installer to your device that lets you download all the third-party applications, extensions, or the tweaks which are unavailable in the App Store. To find the WiFi network password, you need to install the Cydia application. Once it is installed, click the application to open it. Now a list of WiFi networks will be shown along with their passwords.
How to Find a WiFi Network’s Password from the Router’s Web Interface
Another way to find the WiFi network password is through the Router’s web interface. You need to sign in to the interface using the routers username and password. After signing in, look for the WiFi related section, and in this, you will be able to see the current WiFi password. If you wish to change your password, you can also make the changes over here.
Reset Your Router to its default WiFi Password
If you are getting troubled with the web interface or simply want to avoid all the setups, you can directly reset your Router to its default factory settings. To do this, press and hold the Reset button for few seconds. While doing this, make sure that the LED of the Router keeps blinking when you are pressing the Reset button. Also, bringing Router to its default settings will reset your Router’s password too. Once the reset is done, the password is restored to default. You need to check the routers manual or the printed label on the Router to know the default password.
Conclusion
Hopefully, now you can get a current or previously connected WiFi network password. If you forget your network password and stuck in any of the setup stages, reset your Router to the factory settings. This article has complete details that will help you to find any network password.
