How to Find a Wi-Fi Password on Your PC or Mac

This article explains how to retrieve a forgotten Wi-Fi password on Windows 10, 8, or 7 and a Mac. Instructions slightly vary when changing the password on Windows 10 vs. Windows 8 and 7. 

Find Your Wi-Fi Password With Windows 10

If you use a Windows PC, here's how to retrieve the password for your Wi-Fi network.

1. Go to the Start menu.

2. Select Settings.

   The Settings icon appears as a white gear above the Power icon.

3. In the Windows Settings window, select Network & Internet.

   

4. In the Change your network settings section, select Network and Sharing Center.

   

5. In the Network and Sharing Center window, go to Connections and select the name of your Wi-Fi network.

   

6. In the Wi-Fi Status dialog box, select Wireless Properties.

7. In the Wireless Network Properties dialog box, go to the Security tab and select the Show characters check box.

   

8. Copy the Wi-Fi password.

Find Your Wi-Fi Password With Windows 8 and Windows 7

It's just as easy to find your Wi-Fi password on a slightly older version of Windows. If you use Windows 8 or Windows 7, here's how to retrieve the password for your Wi-Fi network.

1. Select the Start menu.

2. In the Start Menu search bar, enter Network and Sharing Center and press the Enter key when the selection is highlighted.

3. In the Network and Sharing Center window, select the name of your Wi-Fi network.

4. Select Wireless Properties.

5. Go to the Security tab and choose Show Characters to reveal the Wi-Fi password.

Find Your Wi-Fi Password on Mac

If use an Apple computer with macOS, access the Keychain Access app on your Mac.

1. Open Spotlight. Hold ⌘ on the keyboard and press the spacebar. Then, enter Keychain Access and choose Enter.

   Here's another way to open Spotlight. Click the magnifying glass icon located in the upper-right corner of the screen.

   

2. In the Keychain Access window, go to the Keychains panel and select System.

   

3. In the Category list, select Passwords.

   

4. The right pane lists of all the System passwords stored by your Mac. Double-click the name of your Wi-Fi network to open its settings.

5. In the settings window, click the Show password check box. When prompted, enter your Mac username and password, then select Allow.

   

   Only a system administrator can enter a username and password. If you're the only account on the Mac, you are the system administrator. Otherwise, enter the username and password of an administrator to see the password.

6. The Mac displays the password to your Wi-Fi network.