Forgot Your Wi-Fi Password — How to Find It

Before you reset your router and redo all your settings, check if you can pull the password from a device that is already connected. Here are several ways to recover it.

Method 1: Find It in Windows (Already Connected)

1. Click the Wi-Fi icon in the taskbar, then click Network & Internet settings.
2. Click Wi-Fi on the left, then click Manage known networks.
3. Click your network name, then click View (Windows 11) or Properties (Windows 10).
4. In Windows 11, the password appears under Network security key with a show/hide toggle. In Windows 10, check the box labelled Show characters under the Security tab.

Method 2: Via Command Prompt

This works for any network your PC has ever connected to, not just the current one.

1. Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
2. Type the following and press Enter, replacing YourNetworkName with your exact Wi-Fi name:

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

Look for Key Content under the Security settings section — that is your password.

Method 3: Check the Router Itself

Most routers have a sticker on the bottom or back that shows the default Wi-Fi name (SSID) and password. If nobody has changed the password since setup, it will still match.

Method 4: Log Into the Router Admin Page

1. Open a browser and type 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 in the address bar.
2. Log in with the router’s admin credentials (often printed on the same sticker).
3. Look for a section called Wireless or Wi-Fi — the password (or “passphrase”) will be listed there, sometimes hidden with an option to reveal it.

Last Resort: Reset the Router

If all else fails, hold the pinhole Reset button on the router for 10 seconds. This restores factory defaults. You will need to set up your Wi-Fi name and password again. Need help with that? Ask us.