Forgot Wi-Fi Password? Follow These Steps to Recover Your Password

People forget passwords all the time, but if there’s one password no one wants to remember, it’s their Wi-Fi password. Most people configure their Wi-Fi network once, enter the password on all their devices, and then completely forget about it. Unless you bought a new phone, or guests want to access the network via their smartphones, you’ll start frantically searching for the Wi-Fi password before giving up and resetting your wireless router. Before you start down this path, here are some tips for recovering your saved Wi-Fi password.

Please note that this is not a guide to hacking into a Wi-Fi network. This is illegal and could get you into more trouble than you think. These steps are only for recovering your own Wi-Fi password and are not possible if you don’t have access to the network on one of your devices. If you forget your Wi-Fi network password, follow the steps below to recover it.

How to recover forgotten Wi-Fi password on Windows

While you may come across some apps that claim to recover saved Wi-Fi passwords, you don’t need any of these apps on your Windows PC. Even if you don’t have administrator access to your computer, you can follow these steps to find your Wi-Fi password. Note that this method only works if security is set to “Personal” – if you’re connected to a corporate network (such as an office Wi-Fi), this method won’t reveal the password.

1. Using a PC connected to the relevant Wi-Fi network, go to Start > Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center. On a Windows 8 computer, you can click Windows key + Cclick search and look for Network and Sharing Center.
2. Click Change adapter settings on the left sidebar.
3. Right-click on the Wi-Fi network you are using and click status.
4. Click Wireless features.
5. 5. Click Safety tab.
6. 6. Now you will see the name of the Wi-Fi network and the hidden password. Check display characters to display saved passwords.

Another method is to install a third-party application that displays the WiFi passwords stored on your computer. Please follow these steps:

1. Download and install WiFi Password Revealer. The installer will try to get you to install Skype and AVG TuneUp, so we recommend that you uncheck these during the installation process.
2. Run the program after installation is complete.
3. Now you will be able to view all Wi-Fi network names and their stored passwords. You don’t need to do anything other than run the program to view these Wi-Fi SSIDs and passwords.

How to recover forgotten Wi-Fi password on Mac

You can find your saved Wi-Fi passwords through the Keychain Access app on your Mac. Here’s how.

1. Go to /Applications/Utilities.
2. Open keychain access. Go to system The keychain is listed in keychain in the upper left corner.
3. Search for the Wi-Fi network you are trying to find the password for by typing the network name (SSID) in the search box in the upper right corner or looking manually in the list.
4. Double-click the network name and select it in the box that appears show password options.
5. Enter your user account password when prompted, and your saved Wi-Fi password will be displayed in clear text.

How to Recover Forgotten Wi-Fi Password via Router

If you don’t have a Windows or Mac computer with your Wi-Fi credentials saved, or you’re trying to do this using a phone or tablet, you can still try to find your saved Wi-Fi password through your router. Obviously this only works if you’re connected to the router’s network – remember you can also use an Ethernet cable to connect to the router. Tablets and phones cannot continue unless they are connected to a Wi-Fi network.

The steps will be slightly different for each router. Changing the wrong settings here could mess up everyone’s wireless network, so do it at your own risk.

1. First, open a browser and go to your router’s local address – usually http://192.168.1.1 – but the URL varies depending on the brand of router, so check the manual (or official website) to find the correct address.
2. Enter username and password. Again, this will vary by manufacturer, and you can and should change your password. But by default, on routers provided by MTNL and Airtel, the username and password are both “admin” without quotes (other routers usually use “password” without quotes as the default password). If this combination doesn’t work, you must consult your router manufacturer or ISP.
3. Click internet then click wireless. in some routers wireless Options may be visible on the home screen. In this section you will see the security type (WEP, WPA, etc.) and the key. Some routers may have these options under the Security tab.

The box next to the Key field contains the password for the Wi-Fi network. On many routers this is in plain text, so you can just write it down.

If all else fails…

If nothing else works, you may need to reset your router. Don’t do this unless you can’t connect to the network with any device. Resetting your router is an extreme step where you have to reconfigure your network to restore your internet connection. Unless you know how to do this, we recommend contacting your ISP for assistance during this process.

We can’t give you an exact step-by-step guide as it varies greatly depending on the brand of router. You must check the user manual of your router before trying this. Every router has a reset switch. Some routers have a small button, while others hide the button in a small hole (which you can tap with a paper clip). This switch needs to be held down for a few seconds for the router to reset. A flashing light on the router will tell you that it has been reset. Once done, wait for it to reboot and reconfigure the network. The exact steps for this process will also vary depending on your ISP, which is why we recommend contacting your ISP if you need to reset your wireless router unless you know exactly what you’re doing.

This is how you can recover a saved or forgotten Wi-Fi password. If you know of any other simple methods that work for you, please let us know in the comments. For more tutorials, visit our how-to section.