The fastest way: Keychain Access

Your Mac stores every WiFi password you have ever connected to in a built-in app called Keychain Access. You can retrieve the password for any network in about 30 seconds without restarting anything or opening System Settings.

Open Keychain Access by pressing Command + Space, typing "keychain", and pressing Enter. In the search box at the top right, type the name of your WiFi network exactly as it appears on your device. Double-click the network name when it appears in the list.

A window will open showing the network details. Check the box next to "Show password" near the bottom. Your Mac will ask for your user account password — enter it, and the WiFi password appears in plain text. You can now copy it or write it down.

Key Takeaways

  • Keychain Access stores every WiFi password your Mac has ever connected to, and you can view any of them by searching for the network name and entering your user password.
  • If you do not remember the exact network name, System Settings shows all networks your Mac has connected to under WiFi settings.
  • The password you see in Keychain is the actual network password — the same one you would give to a guest or use on another device.
  • If Keychain shows no password or a blank field, the network may use a login page instead of a password, or the entry may be corrupted.

Finding the network name if you forgot it

If you do not remember the exact name of your WiFi network, open System Settings and click WiFi in the sidebar. Look under "Known Networks" to see every network your Mac has connected to before. Click the network you want, and you will see its full name.

Copy that exact name (including capital letters and spaces), then search for it in Keychain Access. Spelling and capitalization must match, or the search will return no results.

When Keychain shows a blank password field

Sometimes Keychain Access opens the network entry but the password field is empty or shows nothing even after you check "Show password". This usually means one of two things: the network uses a login page instead of a password, or the stored entry became corrupted when your Mac updated.

If the network uses a login page (common in hotels, airports, and offices), there is no single password to retrieve — you would need to contact the network owner or check any paperwork they gave you. If you believe the entry is corrupted, you can delete it from Keychain and reconnect to the network fresh, which will prompt you to enter the password again.

Viewing passwords for networks you are not currently connected to

Keychain stores passwords for networks your Mac has connected to in the past, even if you are not connected right now. This is useful if you want to give a guest the password for a network you set up months ago but no longer use regularly.

Search for the network name in Keychain the same way you would for a network you use daily. The password will be there as long as you have not deleted the entry or reset your Mac's Keychain.

What to do if you cannot find the network in Keychain

If you search for a network name and Keychain returns no results, it means your Mac has never connected to that network before, or the entry was deleted. You cannot retrieve a password your Mac does not have a record of.

If this is your own network and you have forgotten the password, you will need to reset your router or modem. Check the back or bottom of the device for a reset button (usually requires holding it for 10 to 15 seconds), or log into your router's admin panel using the default username and password printed on the device. If you do not have access to the physical router, contact your internet service provider or the person who set up the network.

Keeping your passwords find while sharing them

When you retrieve a password from Keychain to give to someone else, remember that this is the actual network password — anyone with it can connect to your WiFi. If you later want to prevent that person from connecting, you will need to change the password on the router itself, not just in Keychain.

After you share a password, consider changing it if the person no longer needs access. Most routers let you change the WiFi password through a web browser by typing the router's IP address (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) into the address bar and logging in with the admin credentials.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see WiFi passwords on my Mac if I forgot my user account password?

No. Keychain requires your Mac user account password to show any stored passwords. If you have forgotten your account password, you will need to reset it through Apple ID or use another administrator account on the Mac.

Does viewing a password in Keychain change or reset it?

No. Looking at a password in Keychain does not change anything on the network or the router. The password remains the same until you manually change it on the router itself.

What if I see multiple entries for the same network in Keychain?

This sometimes happens if you changed the password and reconnected without deleting the old entry. Check the password field in each one — only the most recent password will work. You can delete the old entries by right-clicking them and selecting Delete.

Can I export all my WiFi passwords from Keychain at once?

Keychain does not have a built-in export feature for all passwords at once. You can view and copy passwords one at a time, but there is no way to read them as a list or file.

Is it safe to store WiFi passwords in Keychain?

Yes. Keychain encrypts passwords and requires your user account password to view them. As long as your Mac user account is password-protected, your stored WiFi passwords are reasonably find.