Where to find your hotspot password on your phone

Your hotspot password is stored in your phone's settings, not sent to you by email or text. The exact location depends on whether you use an iPhone or Android device, but both keep it in the Wi-Fi or hotspot section of settings.

The password you see in settings is the one you created when you first turned on hotspot, or the one your phone generated automatically. If you never set a custom password, your phone assigned a random one — usually a mix of letters and numbers that appears in your hotspot name or separately in the settings menu.

Your hotspot password is completely separate from your phone's lock screen password and your carrier account password. Each one controls access to a different part of your phone or service, so forgetting one does not affect the others.

Key Takeaways

  • Your hotspot password lives in your phone's settings under Wi-Fi or Mobile Hotspot, not in your carrier's app or account.
  • iPhone shows the password in Settings > Personal Hotspot, and Android shows it in Settings > Network & Internet > Hotspot, though the exact path varies by manufacturer.
  • If you changed your password and forgot it, you can reset it to the default by turning hotspot off and back on, which generates a new one.
  • Your hotspot password is separate from your phone's lock screen password and your carrier account password.

Finding the password on an iPhone

Open Settings and tap Personal Hotspot. You will see a Wi-Fi password field — that is the password other devices need to connect to your hotspot. The password appears in plain text, so you can read it directly or tap and hold to copy it.

If you do not see Personal Hotspot in your Settings menu, your carrier plan may not include hotspot, or you may need to turn it on first. Scroll down in Settings to check whether the option exists. If it does not appear at all, contact your carrier to confirm hotspot is part of your plan.

On some iPhone models, you may also see a toggle switch next to Personal Hotspot that you need to turn on before the password field becomes visible. Make sure the toggle is switched on, then look for the Wi-Fi password below it.

Finding the password on Android

The path varies slightly by phone manufacturer, but the general route is: open Settings, tap Network & Internet (or Connections), then tap Hotspot or Mobile Hotspot. Look for a Wi-Fi password or security password field — that is what you need to share with other devices.

Some Android phones label it differently: Samsung devices may show it under Mobile Hotspot settings as "Password", while Google Pixel phones display it under Hotspot. If you cannot find it in Network & Internet, try searching "hotspot" in your Settings search bar at the top — most phones have one.

If your Android phone does not show a password field at all, turn on the hotspot toggle first. The password field usually appears only when hotspot is active or enabled.

What to do if you forgot your password

The simplest fix is to reset it. Turn off your hotspot completely by going back to the hotspot settings and toggling it off. Wait a few seconds, then turn it back on. Your phone will generate a new password automatically, which you can then view in the same settings location.

If you want to set a custom password instead of using the auto-generated one, most phones let you edit the password field directly in hotspot settings. Type in whatever you want — just make sure it is at least 8 characters long, as most carriers require that minimum length.

When you change your password, any devices currently connected to your hotspot will be disconnected. They will need to reconnect using the new password.

Why your password might look different than expected

Some phones display the hotspot name and password together, while others show them separately. The hotspot name (also called SSID) is what appears when other devices search for Wi-Fi networks — the password is what they type in to connect. Do not confuse the two.

If your hotspot name includes numbers or letters, those are not necessarily part of the password. Check the specific password field in your hotspot settings to see what others actually need to type. The password field is usually labeled clearly as "Password" or "Security Password".

Sharing your password securely

When you give your password to someone, send it through a private message or text rather than saying it out loud in public. If you are concerned about security, you can change the password anytime by editing it in your hotspot settings — there is no limit to how many times you can change it.

If someone connects to your hotspot and you want to remove them, you cannot disconnect them directly from most phones. Instead, change your password, and they will be disconnected automatically. They will need the new password to reconnect.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my hotspot password the same as my phone's lock screen password?

No. Your hotspot password is separate and only controls who can connect to your mobile Wi-Fi. Your lock screen password protects your phone itself. You can have different passwords for each.

Can I see my hotspot password if I forgot it?

Yes. Go to your hotspot settings and look at the password field — it will display in plain text. If you cannot find the field, turn hotspot off and back on to generate a new password you can then view.

What if my carrier's app shows a different password than my phone settings?

Use the password from your phone settings, not the carrier app. Your phone's hotspot settings are the source of truth. Carrier apps sometimes show outdated information or do not sync with your current hotspot password.

Can I use special characters in my hotspot password?

Most carriers allow letters, numbers, and some special characters, but the safest choice is letters and numbers only. If you use special characters and someone cannot connect, try a password with only letters and numbers instead.