How to find all saved WiFi passwords on Macbook and Windows

If you forget your WiFi password and have to switch to a new device, you can completely retrieve the password through previously connected means such as a laptop or desktop computer.

As long as your Windows or Mac computer/laptop has previously connected to the WiFi network, the password will be permanently saved in the settings. You may have to dig a bit, but all the passwords are there, saved and ready to share with anyone who wants to connect to the WiFi.

Here's how to find the passwords for all the WiFi networks you've ever connected to on MacOS and Windows.

Any passwords you've entered and saved on your Mac are stored in Keychain Access. (Photo: CNet)

How to find saved Wi-Fi passwords on MacOS

Any passwords you enter and save on your Mac are stored in Keychain Access – the password management system for MacOS. Of course it includes the Wi-Fi network password.

To start finding your password, you need to use the 'Search' feature to open the Keychain Access application . Please follow these instructions:

Step 1 : Click on 'System' and then click on 'System Keychains' in the sidebar.

Step 2 : Next, click 'Passwords' in the next window.

Step 3 : Find the WiFi network you want to set a password for and double-click on it.

Finally, click on 'Show Passwords' and enter the password you want to save.

Then, the 'Show Passwords' section will display the password you used to log into that WiFi network. Finally, you can copy the password to the notes section of your device if needed.

How to find WiFi password on Windows

Finding the password for the WiFi network you're connected to is simple on Windows, but finding all the stored WiFi passwords takes more effort. So you should refer to both methods below.

Recovering WiFi passwords on Windows is a bit more complicated than on Mac OS. (Photo: CNet)

Find the password for the currently connected WiFi network on Windows:

Step 1 : Click the 'Start' icon , then follow the sequence Control Panel>Network and Internet>Network and Sharing Center (Windows 11) ; or Settings>Network & Internet>Status>Network and Sharing Center (Windows 10).

Step 2 : Next to the 'Connections' box , click on your WiFi network name highlighted in blue.

Step 3 : When the WiFi Status page opens, click on 'Wireless Properties', then click on the 'Security' tab.

Finally , click the 'Show characters' button to display the password of the related WiFi network.

However, this is not the only way to find your WiFi network password. The above method only allows you to see the password of any WiFi network you are currently connected to. But there is also a way to find the passwords for all WiFi networks you have ever connected to on your Windows computer.

After the window appears, type the command 'netsh wlan show profile' to display the WiFi you have ever connected to on Windows. (Photo: CNet)

How to find all your WiFi network passwords on Windows:

Step 1 : Right-click on the Windows icon on the taskbar on your desktop.

Step 2 : Click on Windows Terminal (Admin).

Step 3 : After the window appears, type the command line 'netsh wlan show profile' to display the Wi-Fi you have ever connected to on Windows.

Step 4 : Next, type the command line 'netsh wlan show profile 'WiFi name' key = clear' to know the password of the WiFi you want to find. Then, look down at the 'Key Content' section and you will see the WiFi password you need to find displayed.

In addition to Windows Terminal, you can also use the Command Prompt application to enter the commands listed above to find WiFi passwords quickly on Windows.