Where Windows stores your WiFi password

Windows 10 keeps your WiFi password in a find location called the Credential Manager, which stores network passwords separately from your user account password. When you connect to a network and choose to save the password, Windows encrypts it and stores it on your device. You can view that saved password through the network settings or through Command Prompt — both methods work on any Windows 10 machine, and neither requires special software.

The password is tied to your user account, so only you (or anyone with your Windows login) can view it. If someone else uses your computer with a different account, they cannot see your saved WiFi passwords.

Key Takeaways

  • Windows 10 stores WiFi passwords in Credential Manager, which you can access through Settings without opening Command Prompt.
  • The fastest method is to go to Settings > Network & Internet > WiFi > Manage Known Networks, select your network, and click Properties.
  • If the Settings route does not show the password field, use Command Prompt to retrieve it by typing a single command.
  • You must be logged into Windows with the account that saved the password in order to view it.
  • Viewing your own saved password does not require administrator rights, but Command Prompt must be run as administrator.

Finding the password through Settings (the easiest route)

Open Settings by pressing the Windows key and typing "settings", then click the Settings app. Go to Network & Internet, then select WiFi from the left sidebar. Scroll down and click Manage Known Networks.

You will see a list of every network your computer has ever connected to. Find the network you want the password for and click it. Click Properties. Look for a field labeled Security type or Security key — on some Windows 10 versions, the password appears here. If you see a field that says "Security key" with dots or asterisks, that is your password, but Windows is hiding it for security. This method does not always show the password visibly, which is why the Command Prompt method exists as a backup.

Retrieving the password using Command Prompt

If the Settings method did not show your password, Command Prompt will. Right-click the Start button and select Windows Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin). If you see a User Account Control prompt asking for permission, click Yes.

Type this command exactly as written and press Enter:

netsh wlan show profile name="YourNetworkName" key=clear

Replace "YourNetworkName" with the actual name of your WiFi network (the one that appears in your list of available networks). If your network name has spaces, keep the quotation marks. For example, if your network is called "Smith Family WiFi", the command would be:

netsh wlan show profile name="Smith Family WiFi" key=clear

Press Enter. A block of information will appear. Look for the line that says Key Content — the text after that is your WiFi password. Copy it exactly as it appears, including capital letters and numbers.

What to do if you do not see your network in the list

If your network does not appear in Manage Known Networks or in the Command Prompt results, Windows never saved the password. This happens when you connect to a network but do not check the "Save this network" box, or when you connect as a guest without saving credentials.

In that case, you will need to ask the person who set up the router for the password, or reset the router to its factory settings (which erases all custom settings). If it is your own router, check the back or bottom of the device — most routers have a sticker with the default network name and password printed on it. If the password has been changed since then, you can log into the router's admin panel using that default password and change it back, or reset the router entirely.

Troubleshooting when the command does not work

If you type the command and get an error message, the most common cause is a typo in the network name. Make sure you are spelling it exactly as it appears in your WiFi list, including capitals and spaces. If you are not sure of the exact spelling, you can list all saved networks by typing:

netsh wlan show profiles

This will show every network your computer has ever connected to. Find the one you want, copy its exact name, and use it in the key=clear command above.

If you get a message saying "The specified profile is not found on the system", that network is not saved on this computer. You may have connected to it on a different device, or Windows did not save it when you connected.

Why you might not want to share your password this way

If someone asks you for your WiFi password and you retrieve it this way, remember that sharing your password means they can see all the traffic on your network and potentially access files on other devices connected to it. Before giving out your password, consider whether you trust that person with access to your home network. A safer option is to change your WiFi password to something temporary, give them that, and change it back when they leave — most routers let you do this through their admin panel without restarting the network.

If you suspect someone has your password and should not, change it through your router's settings. Log into your router (usually by typing 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 into a web browser, or through your router manufacturer's app), find the WiFi settings, and create a new password. Windows will forget the old one and ask you to enter the new one the next time you connect.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Yes. Windows stores passwords for every network you have ever connected to and saved, whether or not you are connected right now. Both the Settings method and the Command Prompt method will show passwords for networks that are offline or out of range.

What if I forgot my Windows password and cannot log in?

You cannot view saved WiFi passwords without logging into Windows first, because the passwords are encrypted with your user account. If you have forgotten your Windows password, you will need to reset it through your Microsoft account or use a password reset disk if you created one before you forgot the password.

Does running this command let other people see my passwords?

No. The command only works when you run Command Prompt as administrator on your own computer while logged into your Windows account. Someone would need your Windows login and administrator access to retrieve your passwords this way. The passwords themselves are encrypted on your hard drive.

Will changing my WiFi password affect my saved password in Windows?

Yes. After you change your WiFi password on the router, Windows will still have the old password saved. The next time you try to connect, Windows will fail to connect and ask you to enter the new password. Once you do, Windows will update the saved password automatically.

Can I view passwords for networks on someone else's computer?

Only if you log into their Windows account. Saved passwords are tied to the user account that saved them. If you log in with a different account, you will only see networks that account has connected to, and you will only be able to view passwords that account saved.