The fastest way to see your WiFi password on Mac

Open Keychain Access, search for your network name, and view the password in plain text. Keychain Access is a built-in Mac app that stores all your saved passwords — including WiFi — and lets you see them without typing anything into Terminal or hunting through router settings.

The whole process takes about 30 seconds. You do not need to restart your Mac, know your router's IP address, or have administrator access to the router itself. If you are already connected to the network, you can see the password right now.

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 need your Mac login password to view a stored WiFi password, but you do not need the router password or administrator access.
  • If Keychain does not show the password, the network may have been added by another user account on the same Mac, or the password may have been changed since you last connected.
  • For networks you do not remember connecting to, check your WiFi history in System Settings to see which ones your Mac has joined.

Open Keychain Access and find your network

Press Command + Space to open Spotlight, type "keychain access", and press Enter. The Keychain Access window opens to a list of stored items.

In the search box at the top right, type the exact name of your WiFi network — the one that appears in your WiFi menu. For example, if your network is called "Linksys-5G", type that exactly. Keychain filters the list as you type.

Look for an entry with a lock icon and your network name. Click it once to select it, then double-click to open the details window.

View the password in plain text

A window opens showing information about the network. At the bottom, you see a checkbox labeled "Show password". Click it.

Your Mac asks for your login password — the one you use to unlock your Mac or sign in. Type it and click "Allow". The password appears in plain text in the "Show password" field.

You can now copy the password, write it down, or read it to someone else. The password is exactly what you need to connect another device to that network.

What to do if the password does not appear

If you search for your network name and nothing shows up, the network may have been added by a different user account on your Mac. Each account has its own Keychain. Sign out of your current account, sign in to the other account, and repeat the search.

If the network appears but the password field is blank or grayed out, the password may have been changed since your Mac last connected. Your Mac still has the old password stored, but it will not work on the network anymore. You will need to get the current password from whoever manages the router, then forget the network and reconnect with the new password.

To forget a network, go to System Settings, click WiFi, find the network name, click the info icon next to it, and select "Forget This Network". Then reconnect and enter the new password.

Check your WiFi connection history

If you are not sure which networks you have connected to, or you want to see all of them at once, open System Settings and click WiFi. Scroll down to "Known Networks" to see every network your Mac has ever joined.

This list does not show passwords — it only shows network names. But it helps you figure out which network you are looking for before you search Keychain. Networks you connected to years ago still appear here unless you manually forgot them.

Using Terminal as an alternative method

If Keychain Access does not open or you prefer using Terminal, you can retrieve the password from the command line. Open Terminal (Command + Space, type "terminal", press Enter) and paste this command:

security find-generic-password -ga "NetworkName" | grep password

Replace "NetworkName" with your actual network name. Press Enter, type your Mac login password when prompted, and the password appears on the next line. This method works the same way as Keychain — it reads from the same stored data — but some people find it faster if they use Terminal regularly.

Why your Mac stores WiFi passwords

When you connect to a WiFi network and check "Remember this network", your Mac stores the password in Keychain so you do not have to type it every time. This is convenient, but it also means anyone with access to your Mac login can see all your WiFi passwords.

If you share your Mac with other people or you are concerned about security, consider using a password manager like 1Password or Bitwarden instead of relying on Keychain alone. You can also remove a network from Keychain by forgetting it in System Settings, which forces your Mac to ask for the password the next time you connect.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need the router password to see my WiFi password on Mac?

No. Your Mac login password is all you need. The router password and the WiFi password are different things — the router password controls access to the router's settings page, while the WiFi password is what devices use to connect to the network.

Can I see passwords for networks I am not currently connected to?

Yes. Keychain stores every network your Mac has ever connected to, even if you have not used it in months or years. As long as you were connected at some point and chose to remember the network, the password is in Keychain.

What if I forgot my Mac login password?

You cannot view stored WiFi passwords without your Mac login password. You would need to reset your Mac login password through System Settings or contact Apple Support. Once you regain access to your account, you can use Keychain normally.

Can I see WiFi passwords from other user accounts on my Mac?

No. Each user account has its own separate Keychain. You can only see passwords stored in the account you are currently signed into. To see passwords from another account, you must sign into that account first.

Will viewing my password in Keychain change it?

No. Viewing the password in Keychain does not change anything on your Mac or your router. It only shows you what is already stored. The password remains the same until you or someone with router access changes it.