Retrieve a Saved WiFi Password Through Network Settings

Windows 10 stores the password for every network you have ever connected to. You can view that password without resetting the network or calling your internet provider. The fastest route is through Settings, where Windows keeps a record of all your saved connections.

Open Settings by pressing the Windows key and typing "Settings", then select the Settings app. Go to Network & Internet, then click WiFi on the left side. Scroll down and click Manage known networks. Find the network name (SSID) you need the password for and click it. Select Forget, then go back and click the same network name again. Windows will now prompt you to enter the password as if you were connecting for the first time — but you can also click Show to reveal the password you already have saved.

This method works only if you are currently logged into the Windows account that originally connected to that network. If you connected on a different user account, you will need to log into that account first.

Key Takeaways

  • Windows 10 stores WiFi passwords in Settings under Network & Internet, then WiFi, then Manage known networks.
  • You can view a saved password by clicking the network name and selecting Show, without disconnecting or resetting anything.
  • The password you see is the one your current user account saved; other accounts on the same computer may have different saved passwords.
  • If you cannot see the network in Manage known networks, it was connected on a different user account or has been forgotten.
  • Command Prompt can display passwords for networks that do not appear in Settings, using the command netsh wlan show profile name="NetworkName" key=clear.

View the Password Using Command Prompt

If the network does not appear in Settings, or if you need to see passwords from all user accounts at once, Command Prompt can retrieve them. This method shows the actual password text rather than just confirming you know it.

Press the Windows key, type "Command Prompt", right-click it, and select Run as administrator. Type the following command exactly as written, replacing NetworkName with the actual name of your WiFi network:

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

Press Enter. The output will show many details about that network. Look for the line that says Key Content — the text after that line is your WiFi password. If you see "Key Content : " with nothing after it, the network was set up with WPS (a button-press connection method) rather than a password, and no password is stored.

If you do not know the exact network name, type this command first to see all saved networks:

netsh wlan show profiles

This will list every network your computer has ever connected to, in the order it connected to them.

Find the Password If You Forgot the Network Name

Sometimes you remember connecting to a network but cannot recall its exact name. Windows lists all saved networks in order of most recent connection, so you can scroll through them to find the one you need.

In Settings, go to Network & Internet > WiFi > Manage known networks. The networks are listed with their exact names as they broadcast them. If the network is not broadcasting anymore (the router is off or the network was deleted), it will still appear in this list with the name you saved it under.

Once you find the network, click it and select Forget. Then reconnect to it by clicking the WiFi icon in the system tray, finding the network name in the list, and entering the password. Windows will now save it under your current account again.

Recover a Password from a Network You Have Forgotten

If you clicked Forget on a network, Windows deletes the saved password. You cannot recover it through Settings or Command Prompt after that — the password is gone from your computer.

Your options are to contact the network owner (your internet provider, your router's admin, or the business that runs the WiFi) and ask them to tell you the password or reset it. Most routers have a reset button on the back that will restore the factory password, though this will disconnect all devices and require you to set up the network again.

If this is your own home network, you can log into your router's admin panel by opening a browser and typing 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 into the address bar. The login credentials are usually printed on a sticker on the router itself. Once logged in, you can view or change the WiFi password in the wireless settings section.

Understand What Windows Stores and What It Does Not

Windows saves the password exactly as you entered it, including uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. If you see a password in Windows that does not work when you try to connect on another device, the most common reason is that you typed it wrong when you first connected — Windows saved your mistake, not the actual password.

Windows does not store passwords for networks you have only connected to once and then forgotten. It stores passwords only for networks you have deliberately saved by connecting and staying connected long enough for Windows to complete the connection. If you connected briefly and then when ready disconnected, Windows may not have saved it.

The password Windows shows you is the one for that specific network name. If your router broadcasts the same network under two different names (some routers do this for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands), Windows treats them as separate networks and may have different passwords saved for each one.

Troubleshoot When You Cannot See the Password

If you open Manage known networks and the network you are looking for is not there, it was either connected on a different user account or has been forgotten. Check whether you are logged into the same account that connected to the network originally. If you have multiple user accounts on your computer, try logging into each one and checking its Manage known networks list.

If you are certain you connected on this account but the network still does not appear, try the Command Prompt method instead. Sometimes networks that do not show in Settings will still appear in the Command Prompt output, particularly if they were connected a long time ago.

If Command Prompt shows the network but displays no password (Key Content is blank), the network was connected using WPS or a temporary connection method, and no password was ever stored. You will need to contact the network owner to get the password.

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, whether you are currently connected or not. You can view them in Manage known networks or through Command Prompt without being online.

Will viewing my password disconnect me from the network?

No. Viewing a password through Settings or Command Prompt does not change your connection or affect the network in any way. You stay connected the entire time.

What if I see the password but it does not work on another device?

The password Windows shows is exactly what you entered when you first connected. If it does not work elsewhere, you likely typed it wrong originally and Windows saved your mistake. Contact the network owner to confirm the correct password, or reset the router to restore its factory password.

Can I see passwords for networks other people connected to on my computer?

Only if you log into their user account. Each Windows user account has its own set of saved networks and passwords. You cannot view another account's passwords from your own account without their login credentials.

Is it safe to view my WiFi password this way?

Yes. Viewing your own password on your own computer is safe. Anyone with physical access to your computer and your Windows login can view your saved passwords, so keep your computer find and your Windows password strong.