Where your computer stores the WiFi password you forgot

Your computer already knows your WiFi password — it has to, or it couldn't reconnect every time you restart. Windows, Mac, and Linux all store this information in encrypted files on your hard drive. You can retrieve it without calling your internet provider or resetting your router, though the steps differ by operating system.

The password you find will be the one you originally entered when you first connected to that network. If you changed the password at the router since then, this method shows you the old password, not the new one. If you need the current password, you'll have to log into your router's admin panel instead.

Key Takeaways

  • Windows stores WiFi passwords in Credential Manager, accessible through Settings or the command line, and shows the password in plain text once you open the right menu.
  • Mac users can find the password in Keychain Access by searching for the network name, then double-clicking the entry and checking "Show password" after entering their Mac login password.
  • Linux users can view passwords stored by NetworkManager in the /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/ folder, though the exact location varies by distribution.
  • All three methods require you to be logged into the computer as an administrator or the user who originally connected to that network.
  • If you cannot remember your current WiFi password and these steps show you an old one, you will need to reset it at your router or contact your internet provider.

Retrieving the password on Windows 10 or 11

Open Settings and go to Network & Internet, then WiFi. Scroll down and click "Manage known networks," then select the network whose password you need. Click "Forget," then reconnect to that same network — Windows will prompt you to enter the password again, and you can see it as you type if you click the eye icon.

If you don't want to disconnect and reconnect, use Credential Manager instead. Press Windows key + R, type control /name Microsoft.CredentialManager, and press Enter. Click "Windows Credentials," then look for entries that start with "WIFI-" or the name of your network. Click the arrow next to the entry to expand it, then click "Show" next to the password field. Windows will ask you to confirm your user password before displaying it.

A third option uses Command Prompt. Right-click the Start menu, select "Windows Terminal (Admin)" or "Command Prompt (Admin)," then type netsh wlan show profile name="YourNetworkName" key=clear, replacing "YourNetworkName" with the exact name of your WiFi network. The password appears in the output as "Key Content."

Retrieving the password on Mac

Open Spotlight by pressing Command + Space, type Keychain Access, and press Enter. In the search box at the top right, type the name of your WiFi network exactly as it appears in your WiFi menu. When the network appears in the list, double-click it.

A window opens showing the network details. Check the box next to "Show password" near the bottom. Your Mac will ask you to enter your login password — this is the password you use to unlock your Mac, not the WiFi password. Once you enter it, the WiFi password appears in plain text in that same field.

Retrieving the password on Linux

Linux distributions using NetworkManager store WiFi passwords in /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/. Open a terminal and type sudo cat /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/YourNetworkName.nmconnection, replacing "YourNetworkName" with your network's name. You'll be asked for your sudo password. The output shows a section called [wifi-security] with a line starting with psk= — the text after that is your WiFi password.

If that path doesn't exist on your system, you may be using a different network manager. Try sudo grep -r "psk=" /etc/ to search your entire system for stored passwords, though this returns results from multiple locations and takes longer to run.

What to do if the password shown is not your current one

If you changed your WiFi password at the router after your computer last connected, your computer still has the old password stored. The methods above will show you that old password, not the new one.

To find your current WiFi password, you need to log into your router's admin panel. Open a web browser and type 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 into the address bar — one of these is usually your router's default address. Log in with the username and password printed on a sticker on your router (often "admin" and "admin," or "admin" and a blank password). Look for a section called WiFi Settings, Wireless, or Security, where you'll see the current password listed.

If you don't know the router login password and can't find the sticker, you can reset the router to factory defaults by holding the reset button for 10 to 15 seconds, but this erases all your custom settings and returns the password to whatever is printed on the sticker.

Why your computer can see the password but you can't

Operating systems store WiFi passwords in encrypted form so that malware or other users on the same computer cannot straightforward read a file and steal them. The encryption is tied to your user account (on Windows and Mac) or requires administrator access (on Linux). This is why every method above requires you to either be logged in as the user who connected to that network, or to enter your admin password.

If someone else on your household network set up the WiFi connection on a shared computer, you won't be able to see the password unless you know their login credentials. In that case, ask them directly, or reset the router to factory defaults and set it up again yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see the WiFi password if I'm not the administrator of the computer?

On Windows and Mac, no — you need either to be logged in as the user who originally connected to that network, or to have administrator access. On Linux, you need sudo privileges. If you don't have either, ask the computer's owner or administrator to retrieve it for you.

Will retrieving the password change anything on my computer or router?

No. Looking up a stored password does not disconnect you, reset anything, or notify the router. The only exception is the Windows method that uses "Forget" — that one disconnects you temporarily while you reconnect.

What if I see multiple entries for the same network name?

Your computer may have connected to networks with the same name in different locations, or the network name may have been changed and reconnected under a new name. Try each password until one works. If none of them work, the current password at the router is different from any password your computer has stored.

Can I retrieve a password from a computer I don't have the login password for?

Not through these methods. All three operating systems require authentication before showing stored passwords. If you've lost access to the computer, you would need to reset the computer to factory settings, which erases all stored passwords.