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Do you need to know your network security key? Your network security key, or Wi-Fi password, is easy to find! This wikiHow article teaches you how to find your network security key on five common devices.
Things You Should Know
- Your wireless router has a sticker with the default network security key.
- You can usually find your network security key in your Wi-Fi details in your active connection settings.
- If you have a Mac, use Keychain Access or Settings to find your network security key.
Steps
On Android
-
Open your Android's Settings . Tap the gear icon in the Quick Panel or tap the app icon that looks like a gear.
- The newest version of Android doesn't show you the network security key (Wi-Fi password) directly, but you can scan a QR code and connect to the network without having to know the password.
-
Tap Connections. It's usually the first menu option after your name. You'll see it next to a Wi-Fi icon on a blue tile.
-
Tap Wi-Fi. This will open more details about your current network and a list of available nearby networks.
- If you're looking for your hotspot password, tap Mobile Hotspot and Tethering instead. Tap Mobile Hotspot again and you'll see the password for your hotspot next to "Password."
-
Tap the gear icon next to your current network. The gear icon is on the right side of your screen.[1]
-
Tap QR code. You'll see this QR code in the bottom left corner of your screen.
On iPhone/iPad
-
Tap Wi-Fi. You'll see this next to a Wi-Fi icon on a blue background.
-
Tap the password. For now, the password is hidden behind dots.
-
Enter your iPhone or iPad's passcode. Use Face ID, Touch ID, or enter your passcode to your iOS device.
- After entering your device's passcode, you'll see the network security key in plain text.[2]
On Windows 10 & 11
-
Press ⊞ Win+i. This will open Settings. You can also get to Settings by clicking the gear icon in the Start menu.
-
Click Network & Internet. If you're using Windows 11, you'll see this menu option next to a Wi-Fi icon in the menu on the left side of the window. For Windows 10, this menu option is in the second row of tiles next to an icon of a globe with a grid on it.
-
Click Advanced network settings (Windows 11 only). This will expand the menu. If you're using Windows 10, the menu is already expanded, so you can skip this step.
-
Click More network adapter options (Windows 11) or Change adapter options (Windows 10). The wording varies slightly between the two versions, but they both take you to the same page in Control Panel.
-
Right-click your current network. If you left-click it instead, you'll still be able to proceed.
-
Click Status. If you used a left-click instead, click View status of this connection at the top of the window.
-
Click Wireless Properties. It's a button near the middle of the window.
-
Click the Security tab. You'll see this tab at the top of the window, to the right of Connection.
-
Click the box next to "Show characters" to check the box . You'll need to enter an admin password if you aren't logged into an admin account.[3]
On macOS Ventura or Later
-
Go to System Settings. Navigate here by clicking the Apple menu and selecting System Settings.
-
Click Network. You'll see this menu option in the panel on the left side of the window next to an icon of a globe.
-
Click Wi-Fi. It's on the right side of the window and will show a green dot to indicate that you're currently connected to a network.
-
Click Advanced. This button is in the bottom right corner of the window.
-
Find your network. Scroll through the list of saved networks to find the one you want to get the password for.
-
Select ••• next to your network and click Copy password. Although you can't see it from this menu, if you paste it into something like TextEditor, you can see the network security key in plain text![4]
On macOS Monterey or Earlier
-
Open Keychain Access. You can find it using the search feature or in your Applications folder in Finder.
-
Search for your Wi-Fi network. Use the search bar in the top right corner to search for your network.
- Double-click it once you've found it to open more information about that key.
-
Enter your computer's password to see the password. It'll remain hidden until you enter the password for the computer.
- Once you see the password, you can copy and paste it wherever![5]
Expert Q&A
Tips
-
If you changed your default password, you can recover it by resetting your router.Thanks
References
- ↑ https://support.google.com/android/thread/196752290/network-security-key?hl=en
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213410
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/find-your-wi-fi-network-password-in-windows-2ec74b2e-d9ec-ade1-cc9b-bef1429cb678
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204070
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/keychain-access/view-the-information-stored-in-a-keychain-kyca1085/11.0/mac/12.0