Fun fact: the average person has 100 passwords at any point in time. While you may memorise some, store others, and allow some to autofill, there’s one password you don’t have to worry about too much: the Wi-Fi. Your computer would do the job for you if you have ever connected to the network before. Windows or Mac, here’s how to find the passwords to all the Wi-Fi networks you’ve ever plugged into.
On MacOS
Passwords you’ve entered and saved on a Mac are stored in Keychain Access, the password management system for MacOS. To start, open the Keychain Access app and do the following:
1. Click on System under System Keychains in the sidebar.
2. Next, click on Passwords at the top of the window.
3. Find the Wi-Fi network you want the password for and double-click on it.
4. Check the box next to show password and enter your password when prompted.
On Windows
1. 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. Click your Wi-Fi network name highlighted in blue next to Connections.
3. In the Wi-Fi status page that opens, click Wireless Properties
and then on the Security tab.
4. Finally, check the box next to Show characters to display your Wi-Fi network password.
The method allows you to view only the password to a Wi-Fi network you’re currently connected to, but here’s how to find the passwords to all the Wi-Fi networks you’ve ever connected to on your Windows computer.
1. Right-click on the Windows icon in the taskbar on your desktop.
2. Click Windows Terminal (Admin).
3. Type in netsh wlan show profile and hit the Enter key to view every Wi-Fi network you've connected to.
4. Once you find the Wi-Fi network you want the password for, type in netsh wlan show profile ‘(Wi-Fi network name)’ key=clear (for example, netsh wlan show profile ‘Netgear667” key=clear)’, and then Enter.
5. Settings for profile, connectivity, security and cost 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 application to type in the commands listed above to find your Wi-Fi passwords.