How to Find Your WiFi Password on a Windows 10 PC

Because our computers log in to your WiFi network, most of us tend to forget our WiFi passwords. So, what happens if you need your WiFi password for some reason, and you didn’t write it down? You’re in luck because there are ways to retrieve it if your computer is already connected to your network. Here’s how to find your WiFi password on a Windows 10 PC.

How to Find Your WiFi Password on a Windows 10 PC

To find your WiFi password on a Windows 10 PC, open the Windows search bar and type WiFi Settings. Then go to Network and Sharing Center and select your WiFi network name > Wireless Properties > Security > Show characters.

Note: This guide is only for Windows 10 PC users. If you are a Mac user, you can check our article on how to find passwords on your Mac.

1. Click the magnifying glass icon in the bottom-left corner of your screen. If you don’t see this button, you can also click the button with the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of your screen or the Windows button your keyboard.
2. Then type WiFi Settings into the search bar and click Open. You can also hit enter on your keyboard.
3. Scroll down and click Network and Sharing Center. You will see this under Related Settings on the right side of the window.
4. Select your WiFi network name. You can find this next to Connections on the right side of the window.
5. Then select Wireless Properties.
6. Nest, select the Security tab. This is found next to the Connection tab at the top of the window.
7. Finally, click the Show characters box to find your WiFi password. The Network security key box will then change the dots to display your Windows 10 WiFi network password.

Once you know how to find your WiFi password on a Windows 10 PC, check out our guide on how to change your WiFi password.

How to View Saved WiFi Passwords on Windows 7, 8, & 10

Because you really don’t want to untangle and flip over the router

Are you still using the WiFi password that is written on the back of the router your ISP gave you? If so, it’s probably some really long combination of letters, numbers and symbols that you can never remember.

Most people try to write the password down somewhere or simply check on the router every time they need to give it to someone else. Luckily, if you already have a computer connected to your WiFi network, you can easily view the password there.

I’ve already written about how to view WiFi passwords on a Mac and in this article, I’m going to talk about doing the same thing in Windows. Note that the procedure is the same for Windows 7, 8 or 10. Also, be sure to check out the YouTube video we made below, in case you don’t want to read so much text.

View WiFi Password in Windows

In order to view the WiFi password on your Windows machine, you need to make sure you are already connected to the WiFi network or have previously connected to the WiFi network. If so, then go ahead and right-click on the WiFi icon in the system tray and choose Open Network and Sharing Center.

Now go ahead and click on Change Adapter Settings in the left-hand menu. Also, be sure to read my previous post if you want to learn more about the Network and Sharing Center.

Find the icon for Wi-Fi, right-click on it and choose Status.

This will bring up the WiFi Status dialog where you can see some basic information about your wireless network connection.

Click on the Wireless Properties button and then click on the Security tab.

Here you will see a text field called Network security key. Go ahead and check the Show characters box and you’ll now be able to see the WiFi security password. Note that this is just the WiFi password of the currently connected WiFi network. What if you want to see the WiFi passwords for WiFi networks that your computer previously connected to?

Luckily, that’s pretty easy too in Windows 7. In Windows 8 and 10, you have to use the command prompt, which is pretty annoying. Anyway, in Windows 7, open the Network and Sharing Center and then click on Manage Wireless Networks.

You will now see a nice list of all the wireless networks that computer has ever connected to. Just double-click on the one you are interested in.

Then just click on the Security tab and check the Show characters box again to see the password.

In Windows 8 and 10, you have to open a command prompt by going to Start and typing in CMD. When the command prompt opens, type in the following command:

You’ll find all the wireless profiles listed under User Profiles. The name of the WiFi network is on the right. In my case, I only have one WiFi network listed. Now to see the password for a profile, type in the following command:

Go ahead and replace profilename with the actual name of the WiFi network listed from the previous command. In my case, the WiFi network is named VFTJM. You do not need to use quotes anywhere in the commands.

When you run the second command, you’ll get a lot of output, but you are only interested in finding the line that starts with Key Content. To the right will be the WiFi password. I’m not sure why Microsoft removed the convenience of seeing all your previously connected WiFi networks in Windows 8 and 10, but thankfully there is still a way to get all of the information. If you have any questions, feel free to comment. Enjoy!

Founder of Online Tech Tips and managing editor. He began blogging in 2007 and quit his job in 2010 to blog full-time. He has over 15 years of industry experience in IT and holds several technical certifications. Read Aseem’s Full Bio

Find the WiFi Password in Windows 10 Using CMD

Get a list of every computer on the network’s passwords

Did you forget one of your WiFi passwords? Do you need access to it right away?

Using the command prompt (CMD), you can see a list of every wireless network your computer has ever connected to and their passwords.

This article details how you can find out the WiFi password or change WiFi settings using CMD.

We also created a short YouTube video that goes over some of the information below in case you don’t feel like reading a bunch of text. Be sure to check it out and subscribe to our sister-site Online Tech Tips YouTube channel!

WLAN Profile

There comes a time when users like yourself forget your own WiFi password. This happens more commonly than you think. With WiFi routers running nonstop and WiFi connections establishing themselves automatically, there’s very little reason why you’d recall a complicated WiFi password.

Some users wind up using secure passwords consisting of random characters which are very easy to forget. Others just keep using the random one given to them by their ISP.

Either way, there’s no need to panic yet. WLAN profiles are created whenever users enter WiFi credentials and establish a new connection. The profile of that WiFi includes essential information like the network name, settings, and password.

We’re going to tap into these network profiles through the command prompt. This method will work regardless if you’re currently connected to the WiFi network you’re trying to gain access to or not. However, your computer had to have connected to that WiFi network at some previous point at least once.

Using CMD to Find the WiFi Password

Here’s how to find the WiFi password using the command prompt:

Open the command prompt by opening Run (Windows + R) and typing CMD. Hit Enter.

Note: Alternatively, you can use Search and type CMD. Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run As Administrator.

Type the following command line and hit Enter:

You will see a list of WLAN profiles stored on the PC. Take note of the network name you’d like to explore.

Type the following command and replace “WIFI” with the network name.

Completing these steps successfully will bring up the WLAN profile of the network you want to connect to. Scroll down and you’ll find the password under the Key Content field.

MAC Addresses

Every device that connects to a WiFi network has an identifying number commonly referred to as a MAC address. And while some network technologies are dependent on MAC to function, some use them to track people or restrict access.

This is a bigger issue for mobile users. For example, some use specialized equipment to log a phone’s MAC address as their victims jump from one network to another. This means your steps can be traced to see just where you’ve been.

This breach of privacy can be prevented by changing your MAC address.

Changing Your MAC Address

Take a closer look at your WLAN profile. If MAC randomization is turned, chances are your MAC address is vulnerable to tracking. Consider changing your MAC address as an added measure for protecting your privacy.

Here’s how you change your MAC address on Windows:

Go to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change Adapter Settings.

Right-click on the network you’d like to configure and select Properties. A new window will pop up.

On the new window, click Configure.

Go to Advanced tab. In the Property field, select Network Address or Locally Administered Address.

Note: If you can’t find the Network Address option, there are third-party programs you can use to replace the MAC address.

In the Value field, type in a new MAC address. Click OK once you’re finished to exit. Enjoy!

Christopher Jan Benitez is a freelance writer for hire who provides actionable and useful web content to small businesses and startups. In his spare time, he religiously watches professional wrestling and finds solace in listening to ’80s speed metal. Read Christopher’s Full Bio

4 Ways To Find Out Windows 10 Wi-Fi Password

It’s not uncommon to forget your WiFi password as you only need to enter it once on your PC, and it will automatically connect to it when the network is near.

I personally use strong passwords (and you should too) for my WiFi and often forget them, but thankfully, Windows 10 makes it easy to view network password when needed.

If you don’t remember your WiFi password and need to give it to someone or use it on a different device, there are multiple ways to view it right inside your Windows computer.

Today, I am going to show your different ways to view the WiFi password. Each method is useful depending on your preference and how much access you have to the PC settings if you are not the administrator.

If you need help to generate a complex password then check out the password generator.

#1. Use Windows settings to view WiFi password

As I am the administrator of my PC and don’t have any restrictions, this is my go-to method for finding the WiFi password.

From the Start menu, click on Settings and then click on Network & Internet.

In the Status section, scroll down and click on Network and Sharing Center.

Now click on your WiFi name in the View your active networks section.

When the WiFi Status window opens, click on Wireless Properties here.

Afterward, move to the Security tab and check the checkbox next to Show characters to view your WiFi password.

#2. View WiFi password directly from the control panel

Although the above method works fine, what if you cannot access Windows 10 settings at all?

Or maybe you prefer a faster method and don’t mind remembering a small command. Well, you can directly access your WiFi network settings using the Run command. As long as you can access your network settings, this method should work for you.

Open the Run dialog by pressing Windows+R keys and type ncpa.cpl in the text field and then click on OK.

This command will directly open your network connection in the control panel—Right-click on your WiFi network here and select Status from the context menu.

Click on Wireless Properties in the WiFi Status window.

Now click on the Security tab and then click on Show characters to reveal your WiFi password.

#3. Use a Power Shell command

Coming to a more advanced method – in the Power Shell, you can use a Network Shell (Netsh) command to view a bunch of details about your network, including its password.

Furthermore, you can also use this method to view the passwords of all the networks your PC has connected to previously. For example, if you want to know your office network password while you are home, you can do so using this method without needing to connect to the office network. However, this will not work if you have used the Forget option to forget a network’s details.

First, you need to know the name (SSID) of the WiFi network to use the netsh command. This isn’t an issue if you are already connected to the network as you can see the name, but it will be a problem if you need to see a previously connected network’s password. Thankfully, you can use a Power Shell command to see the list of all the networks you have connected to before.

Note: You can use these same commands in Command Prompt, too, if you cannot access Power Shell for some reason.

Right-click on the Start menu and select Power Shell from the list.

Here enter this command netsh wlan show profiles and press the Enter key. You will see all the saved networks name under the User profiles section.

Just copy the name of the network(s) from here so you could easily use it in the next command.

To know the password of any one of the saved networks, use the below-mentioned command and replace the wifiname part with the actual name of the network.

netsh wlan show profile «name=wifiname» key=clear

For example, in my case, the command will be netsh wlan show profile «name=SSID hidden» key=clear .

Once you press the Enter key, you will see loads of information about this network. Here in the Security settings section, the password will be written next to Key content.

#4. Use a third-party WiFi password viewer

You can also use a third-party app to help you view all your saved networks and their passwords in one place. If you frequently need to view your WiFi password, then using a third-party is useful as it makes it a single-click process view all the data. Additionally, you may like to use third-party software if you need to perform more advanced tasks like importing WiFi passwords from another PC/Windows or exporting them.

If you are up for it, I’ll recommend you give WirelessKeyView from NirSoft a try. Although there are many apps for this purpose, I like WirelessKeyView for its simple interface and is completely free.

The software comes as a .zip file, so you’ll have to extract it first. Once you launch the program, it will automatically search and list all the saved WiFi networks with their password listed under the Key (Ascii) section. You can also double-click on a network to view all its details.

If you don’t like WirelessKeyView for some reason, you can also use WiFi Password Revealer. It’s an installable program that shows all the saved network passwords and lets you quickly copy them in bulk.

Bonus methods 😎

The above methods should work fine for finding the WiFi password inside Windows 10. However, there are some other methods as well.

From Router web-interface

You can access the web-interface of your router to access its settings. There is usually an option to both change the password and view it. There are no universal instructions I can provide you to help with this as routers have different addresses to access the web-interface and the interface itself is different depending on router manufacturer.

However, to give you an idea, you need to use your router’s IP address to access the web-interface. Inside, you need to look for a wireless setting or WiFi setting option. There should be an option to reveal the password in it.

At the back of the router device

If you didn’t change the default WiFi password, then most probably, the default password is written behind or under the router. Just pick it up and search for a password on it; usually, it’s an 8-digit password.

Reset the router

You can also reset your router, which will reset all your settings along with the WiFi password. You can then use the default password to connect to the network. There should be a reset button on the router to press and hold for 5-10 seconds to reset the router. It’s inside a hole on most routers, so you’ll have to use a paper pin or something similar to press and hold it.

Ending words

I am sure for most users; the first two methods will be more than enough to view the WiFi password. Although if you are a system administrator and need to handle multiple computers and connections, I’ll recommend using a third-party WiFi password viewer.

Next, find out how to optimize Windows power options.