Don’t know how to find your Wi-Fi password on Windows 11?
With so many encrypted apps, it’s no surprise that we often forget our passwords. And when it comes to something as important as the Wi-Fi Network, you may be concerned about how to reconnect to it on your Windows 11 PC.
If you’ve never changed the default password set by the service providers, simply refer to the back of the modem next to the SSID to obtain it. However, if you did change it and now want to share it with friends or feed it on a new device, you’ll need to search through the computer.
Similar to how Apple lets you recover forgotten iCloud passwords, Windows OS also offers this function. Although it’s not a new feature and was available in the previous versions, the settings have slightly changed in Windows 11. This makes it challenging for some users to find their way through.
If you’re in a similar situation, then you’ve landed on just the right page. Here, we’ll be looking at different ways you can access passwords for all networks your device has ever accessed.
So without further delay, let’s dive straight in!
1. Find Wi-Fi Password on Windows 11 via Settings.
Microsoft has one program where you can change the system configuration, connectivity settings, and user preferences—the Windows Settings. This is also where you can access all information related to your internet connection, including the password of the Wi-Fi you’re connected to.
One thing to note here is that this method is only applicable if you want to obtain the password of the Wi-Fi network your computer is already connected to. You will not be able to access any previously saved passwords on the system.
These are the steps you’ll need to follow to find your Wi-Fi password on Windows 11 Settings:
- First, click on the Start button and select the Settings icon to open System Settings. You can also do this by pressing Windows key+i on your keyboard.
- Once the Settings open, go to the Network & internet tab from the left pane.
- From there, click on Advanced network settings.
- Next, scroll down to Related settings and click on More network adapter options.
- This will direct you to the Network Connections Control Panel. Right-click on your Wi-Fi adapter and select Status. This will open a dialog box.
- From there, open Wireless Properties.
- Finally, in the next pop-over dialog box, go to the Security tab and check the box next to Show characters.
Your Wi-Fi password will then be displayed in the Network security key field.
2. Use Control Panel to Find Wi-Fi Password.
If you find it difficult to access your Wi-Fi password using Windows Settings, the Control Panel is another program you can utilize. The steps differ, but in the end, you’ll come across the same Network Connections window.
Similar to Windows Settings, the Control Panel only allows you to access the password for the current Wi-Fi network. Here’s what you have to do:
- First, click on the Start menu and type ‘Control Panel’ in the Windows search bar, then click Open.
- In the Control Panel window, go to the View network status and tasks under the Network and Internet option.
- Now, on the left-hand panel, click on Change adapter settings to go to Network Connections in the Control Panel.
- Steps 1 to 3 can be replaced by a single step if you access the Run command box by pressing Windows key + R on the keyboard. From there, then type ncpa.cpl and click on OK.
- In the Network Connections window, right-click on your Wi-Fi adapter and choose Status.
- Then a dialog box will appear. Click on Wireless Properties.
- After that, go to the Security tab on the next pop-over dialog box.
- Finally, check the Show characters box to reveal the password in the Network security key field.
You can now use that password to connect other devices with the Wi-Fi network.
3. Find Wi-Fi Password Using Command Prompt.
Another popular option to find your Wi-Fi password is to run a couple of commands in the Command Prompt. This will be less time-consuming as it only requires a single command with options to display the Wi-Fi passwords.
Even better, this method lets you view not only the password of the current Wi-Fi Network but also all the networks you’ve previously connected to on your computer.
To do so, here are the steps you should follow:
- Start by opening Command Prompt under administrator permissions. For that, click on the Windows icon and search ‘cmd’ in the search bar. Then, choose Run as administrator from the right pane.
- When the prompt opens, type the following command and press Enter to open a list of all saved network profiles on your computer.
netsh wlan show profiles
- Next, run the following command and replace “Wi-Fi Name” with the name of the Network that you wish to reveal the password for. The name, however, has to be listed in the User Profiles that appeared when you ran the previous command.
netsh wlan show profile name=“Wi-Fi NAME” key=clear
- All the information related to the Wi-Fi network will then be displayed. Scroll down to Security Settings, and your password will appear next to Key Content.
- You may also use the command below to get the password without any extra details. Don’t forget to replace the “Wi-Fi Name” with your network name.
netsh wlan show profile name="Wi-Fi Name" key=clear | find /I "Key Content"
4. Use Windows PowerShell.
Windows PowerShell and Command Prompt are Microsoft’s command-line programs. The difference between them is that the former can execute multiple cmdlets put together while the latter is only capable of executing a single command at a time.
With that, using Windows Powershell is a viable alternative to using Command Prompt to find your Wi-Fi password quickly with only one command.
Here’s what needs to be done:
- To begin, launch the program by typing ‘Windows PowerShell’ in the search bar and clicking on Run as administrator.
- When the program window opens, type the following command and hit Enter.
(netsh wlan show profiles) | Select-String "\:(.+)$" | %{$name=$_.Matches.Groups[1].Value.Trim(); $_} | %{(netsh wlan show profile name="$name" key=clear)} | Select-String "Key Content\W+\:(.+)$" | %{$pass=$_.Matches.Groups[1].Value.Trim(); $_} | %{[PSCustomObject]@{ PROFILE_NAME=$name;PASSWORD=$pass }} | Format-Table -AutoSize
Windows PowerShell will then display all the saved networks your computer has ever connected to alongside their passwords.
5. Use Third-Party Apps.
Using third-party apps is also a very common approach to obtaining a Wi-Fi password on Windows 11. This is especially useful if you frequently forget network passwords as it only requires a click to display all the related information.
There are two most popular and free applications named WirelessKeyView and Magical Jelly Bean Wi-Fi Password Revealer. The former is most often preferred over the latter because of its convenient user interface and functionality.
WirelessKeyView can be used by following these steps:
- Firstly, download the WirelessKeyView app for free.
- The application is provided in a zip file. To unzip the file, right-click on the app and choose Extract All from the context menu.
- Then, launch the application. The software will automatically search through all the saved Wi-Fi networks and provide their passwords under the Key (Ascii) column. You can also view further details about a network by double-clicking on it.
If you face difficulty downloading the above app, you also have the option to use Magical Jelly Bean Wi-Fi Password Revealer. Here’s how to do it:
- Simply download the Magical Jelly Bean Wi-Fi Password Revealer app on your computer.
- Then, install it and run its application. The program will show you passwords for all saved Wi-Fi networks and even allow you to copy them if you desire.
This is it! These are the five methods you can employ to find Wi-Fi Passwords on Windows 11. We hope you found this guide helpful. If you have more questions, leave them in the comment section below. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
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