Have you forgot your Wi-Fi password? With these quick tips you can find out easily in Android, Windows 10, macOS and linux
Do you know the moment when someone asks you the Wi-Fi password you already use, but you do not remember what you first entered it for a long time? iOS (iPhone) and Android do not have a simple method to discover them, unlike computers. But, still, it is possible to do so using your cell phone to find out.
With these tips, you can discover the Wi-Fi password you’re logged in to or saved to your device, whether mobile or desktop.
Table of Contents
Finding the Wi-Fi password on your phone or tablet
First, you need to find out the IP address of your router. Most of the time it follows the pattern https://192.168.1.1, but it is possible that you or someone else uses another address. So that there is no doubt, follow these steps:
- On iOS, go to Settings, click Wi-Fi and then the network you’re connected to. The address will be in the Router field;
- On Android, go to the Settings app, click Network and Internet, Wi-Fi, and the connected network. The address is described in the Gateway, Router or Manage Router field, depending on the device.
From this point forward, the method is the same independent of the apparatus:
- Open the browser and enter the address of your router;
- Enter the login and password of the device. Usually this information is in a label on the router itself, or in the manuals;
- From this point on, the information differs according to the hardware model. By default, information about Wi-Fi networks are on the menu Wireless, which may or may not be in a sub-menu called Security, or the like;
- Look for the field labeled Password and click the link to display the characters.
And ready.
Finding the Wi-Fi password on your computer
In Windows 10
- Right-click the Connections icon in the right corner of the Taskbar, and then click Network and Internet Settings;
- Click Network and Sharing Center;
- Click Change adapter settings in the menu on the left side of the window;
- In the new window, locate the Wi-Fi network you want to know the password, right-click, and then click Status;
- Click the Wireless Properties button;
- On the Security tab, check the Show Password box.
And ready.
Depending on the version of Windows 10, when you right click on the connection icon the system will directly offer the option Network and Sharing Center, so just follow the step by step from item 2; such procedure is the same for earlier versions of the operating system.
At macOS
- In macOS, click the search tool on the Menu Bar (or press the Command + Space key combination, on a non- Apple keyboard press Windows Key + Space ) and type “keys”. Double-click the Key Access app;
- Find in the key list the Wi-Fi network you want to know the password, and double-click on it;
- Check the Show password box, and enter your system login and password (macOS can ask for credentials more than once).
Sorted out.
On Linux
The method may vary depending on the distribution used, but overall the differences are minimal. Let’s take as a basis Ubuntu, one of the most popular versions of Linux.
- Click the connection icon on the Menu Bar and then click Edit Connections;
- Double-click the saved Wi-Fi network to discover;
- Click on the Wi-Fi Security tab and check the Show password box (the system can ask for your login and system password).
And that’s it.
How not to lose a password
To avoid forgetting the password for your Wi-Fi network again, you can store it in applications that can collect and archive it as you use it. One of these apps is LastPass (iOS, Android, web), which acts as a virtual safe for passwords.
Of course the tip of the notebook is still valid; it’s always a good idea to keep a physical copy of your passwords in a safe place, and save a file version to your devices to keep them handy.