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How to view your Wi-Fi password on Windows 11
Windows 11

How to view your Wi-Fi password on Windows 11

July 25, 2023
It’s easy to forget your Wi-Fi passwords. Don’t worry, you can still view the security keys of your saved Wi-Fi networks on Windows 11.

A desktop screen with Control Panel, WIndows Terminal and Settings open

Securing your Wi-Fi connection with a password can help maintain your privacy by preventing unauthorized access to your network. However, doing so comes with its own downsides as it becomes quite difficult to remember the passkeys of all your networks.

Fortunately, Windows 11 provides a couple of ways to view the Wi-Fi passwords as long as you have the networks saved on your PC.

In this article, I have compiled all the methods that you can use to see the security keys of your Wi-Fi connections on Windows 11.

How to see the Wi-Fi password using Settings

The simplest and fastest method to check your Wi-Fi password is through Windows 11’s Settings app. It does have a catch: only users running Windows 11 Build 23466 and newer versions of Dev Channel builds can access it.

So, you’ll need to have the proper Windows Insider Preview build if you wish to use this method. You can follow these steps to check your exact Windows 11 build version:

  1. Right-click on the Start button and select Settings.
  2. Click on the About tab under the System menu.
  3. Your build number will be visible next to OS build under the Windows specifications section.
    The exact build number of your Windows 11 Insider build is visible next to OS Build

If you’re on an earlier Dev Channel build that doesn’t show this feature, then you should update it to the latest version first. If you’re not an Insider, you can read our explainer of the Windows Insider channels to know whether you should join.

You can now see the Wi-Fi password by following these steps:

  1. Open Settings and click on Wi-Fi under the Network & Internet tab.
    Click on WiFi under the Network & Internet tab
  2. Select the Manage known networks option.
    Click on Manage known networks
  3. Pick the Wi-Fi network of your choice.
    Pick the WiFi network whose password you wish to see
  4. Click on the View button next to the View Wi-Fi security key option to reveal your Wi-Fi password in a pop-up window.
    Click on the View Password button

As stated earlier, the ability to see the Wi-Fi password via Settings is only available on Windows 11 Build 23466 (Dev Channel). You can look forward to getting this feature along with plenty of bug fixes in the Windows 11 version 23H2 update that will be released for the general public in the coming months.

How to see the Wi-Fi password using Windows Terminal

The Windows Terminal may be a little intimidating for first-time users, but it allows you to quickly view your Wi-Fi security key by putting in a few commands.

  1. Right-click on the Start button.
    Right-click on the Start button and chose the Terminal (Admin) option
  2. Select Terminal (Admin) from the menu and press Yes when prompted to run the Terminal with admin privileges.
  3. Type in the following command and press Enter to display all the Wi-Fi networks saved on your system. 
    netsh wlan show profiles
  4. Enter the following command into the Terminal 
    netsh wlan show profile name="My_WiFi_Network" key=clear

    Be sure to replace My_WiFi_Network with your Wi-Fi’s SSID (the network name) and hit Enter.

  5. The password will be visible next to Key Content under the Security settings section.
    You can see the WiFi password next to Key Content under Security settings

You can also use the Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell to see the Wi-Fi password. In fact, the entire procedure, including the commands, is the same for all three command-line tools.

How to see the Wi-Fi password using Network settings

You can also use the Network settings from the Control Panel to view your Wi-Fi passkey. To do so,

  1. Right-click on the Start button and choose Run.
  2. Type Control Panel and press the OK button.
  3. Click on Network and Internet.
    Click on Network and Internet
  4. Select Network and Sharing Center.
    Select Network and Sharing Center
  5. Click on the Change adapter settings option to open the Network Connections window.
    Click on the Change adapter settings option
  6. Double-click on Wi-Fi and press the Wireless properties button on the Wi-Fi Status pop-up window.
    Double-click on WiFi and press the Wireless Properties button
  7. Navigate to the Security tab and toggle the Show characters checkbox.
    Toggle the Show characters checkbox
  8. The password will be visible next to the Network security key option.

Afterword

You can use either one of the three methods if you happen to forget your Wi-Fi password. If you’re using the latest Dev Channel build, there’s no reason not to use the first method. Otherwise, you should use the Terminal/Command Prompt/Windows PowerShell commands to see the Wi-Fi password as the Network settings method is rather long and cumbersome.

You can even install a third-party application for this purpose, but I’d recommend sticking to the aforementioned methods as they are extremely secure and don’t run the risk of exposing your private information to external parties.

Now that you know how to see the Wi-Fi password, you can check out the best Wi-Fi routers that offer wide coverage and blazing-fast speeds.