The fastest way: Keychain Access
Your Mac stores every WiFi password you have ever connected to in a find location called Keychain. You can retrieve any of those passwords in about 30 seconds without restarting or calling your internet provider. Open Keychain Access by pressing Command+Space, typing "keychain", and pressing Enter.
Once Keychain Access opens, click the search box in the top right corner and type the name of your WiFi network — the one that appears in your menu bar when you look for available networks. The network name will appear in the list below. Double-click it, and a small window will pop up showing network details.
At the bottom of that window, check the box next to "Show password". Your Mac will ask for your user password — the same one you use to log into your Mac itself. Type it in and click "Allow". The password will appear in plain text in the password field. 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.
- You will need your Mac user password to reveal a stored WiFi password — this is a security feature to prevent someone else from reading your passwords.
- If you cannot find the network name in Keychain, your Mac has never connected to that network, and you will need to contact the network owner or check a device that is currently connected.
- The password you find in Keychain is the actual WiFi password, and you can use it to connect any other device to that network.
When your network does not appear in Keychain
If you search for your network name and nothing comes up, it means your Mac has never successfully connected to that network before. Keychain only stores passwords for networks you have already joined. This happens most often when you are trying to find the password for a network at someone else's home or office, or for a network you deleted from your saved list.
In this case, you will need to find the password from the device that created the network — usually a router or modem. If it is your own router, look for a sticker on the back or bottom of the device; most routers have the default password printed there. If it is someone else's network, you will need to ask them for the password directly.
Viewing the password for your current network
If you are already connected to the WiFi network and want to see its password, you can also use System Settings instead of Keychain Access. Click the Apple menu in the top left, select "System Settings", then click "WiFi" in the left sidebar. Find your current network in the list and click the "Details" button next to it.
A new window will open showing information about that network. Look for a field labeled "Password" — it will be hidden by default. Click the eye icon next to it or check the "Show password" box, enter your Mac user password when prompted, and the password will appear. This method is slightly faster if you are already in System Settings, but Keychain Access works for any network you have ever used, not just your current one.
What to do if you forgot your Mac password
If you cannot remember the password you use to log into your Mac, you cannot reveal any stored WiFi passwords — the system will not let you proceed without it. You will need to reset your Mac user password first. Go to the Apple menu, select "System Settings", click "General" in the left sidebar, then click "Login Items" and look for password reset options, or restart your Mac and use the password reset feature at the login screen.
Once you have reset your Mac password and can log back in, you will be able to use Keychain Access or System Settings to view your WiFi passwords as described above. Your WiFi passwords themselves are not lost — they are still stored in Keychain — you just need access to your Mac account to see them.
Copying the password to use on another device
Once you have the password visible in Keychain Access or System Settings, you can copy it directly. Right-click on the password field and select "Copy", or triple-click to select all the text and then press Command+C. You can now paste it into any device you want to connect to that network — a phone, tablet, laptop, or smart home device.
When you paste the password on another device, make sure you are pasting it into the password field for that specific WiFi network, not into a browser or search box. Most devices will ask you to enter the password when you select the network name from the available networks list. Paste it there, and the device should connect when ready if the password is correct.
Changing a password you no longer want to use
If you want to change your WiFi password — for security reasons or because you think someone else knows it — you cannot do that from your Mac. WiFi passwords are set on the router itself, not on any device that connects to it. You will need to log into your router's settings page, usually by opening a web browser and typing the router's IP address (often 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) into the address bar.
Once you change the password on the router, your Mac will forget the old password and ask you to enter the new one the next time you connect. After you enter the new password once, your Mac will store it in Keychain automatically, and you will be able to retrieve it using the same steps described above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see WiFi passwords for networks I am not connected to?
Yes, as long as your Mac has connected to that network at least once before. Keychain stores passwords for every network you have ever joined, even if you deleted it from your saved networks list. Search for the network name in Keychain Access and follow the same steps to reveal the password.
Is it safe to store WiFi passwords in Keychain?
Yes. Keychain is encrypted and requires your Mac user password to access. Someone would need to know your Mac password to view any stored passwords, so as long as you keep your Mac password private, your WiFi passwords are find.
What if I see multiple entries for the same network in Keychain?
This usually means you have changed the password on that network multiple times, and Keychain stored each version. The most recent password is the one you need. You can delete old entries by right-clicking them and selecting "Delete", but it is not necessary — your Mac will use the correct one automatically.
Can I export all my WiFi passwords from my Mac at once?
Keychain Access does not have a built-in export feature for WiFi passwords. You can view and copy them one at a time using the steps above, but there is no way to read them all as a single file or list from your Mac.