How to Find Your Wi-Fi Password in Windows 11 and 10 (2026)

Aseem Kishore
·
5 min read

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Person using a smartphone beside a laptop displaying an 'Update password' dialog with a prefilled password and Save button.

You need to connect a new device to your Wi-Fi network but the password is nowhere to be found. Windows already knows it, and you can pull it out in under a minute. Here’s how to retrieve your saved wireless network security key on Windows 11 and Windows 10.

Before you start: You need a local administrator account to view the password in plain text. On a work or school device, IT policy may block this entirely. Contact your IT department if the steps below don’t work. Also, the PC must have the Wi-Fi profile saved (meaning it connected to that network at some point).

Method 1: View Your Wi-Fi Password via Network Settings (Windows 11 & 10)

This method works for the network your PC is currently connected to.

On Windows 11

  1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
  2. Click Network & internet in the left pane.
  3. Click Advanced network settings near the bottom of the page.
  4. Under Related settings, click More network adapter options. This opens the classic Network Connections window.
  5. Right-click your Wi-Fi adapter and select Status.
  6. Click Wireless Properties.
  7. Go to the Security tab.
  8. Check the Show characters box. Your Wi-Fi password appears in the Network security key field.
Windows 11 Wi-Fi Wireless Network Properties dialog, Security tab, with "Show characters" checkbox checked and the Network security key field showing a visible password

On Windows 10

  1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
  2. Go to Network & Internet > Status.
  3. Click Change adapter options.
  4. Right-click your Wi-Fi adapter and select Status.
  5. Click Wireless Properties.
  6. Go to the Security tab.
  7. Check Show characters to reveal the password.
Windows 10 Wi-Fi Wireless Network Properties dialog, Security tab, with "Show characters" checkbox and Network security key field visible

Note: If the Show characters checkbox is greyed out, you’re either not on an administrator account or you’re looking at the wrong adapter. Switch to an admin account and make sure you’ve right-clicked the Wi-Fi adapter specifically.

Method 2: Use Command Prompt to Find Any Saved Wi-Fi Password

This is the most reliable method. It works for any saved Wi-Fi profile on the PC, even networks you’re not currently connected to.

  1. Press the Windows key, type cmd, then right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
  2. Type the following and press Enter to list all saved Wi-Fi profiles:
netsh wlan show profiles
Command Prompt running as administrator showing output of "netsh wlan show profiles" with a list of saved Wi-Fi network names
  1. Find the name of the network you need in the list.
  2. Run the following command, replacing Profile Name with the exact network name (keep the quotes):
netsh wlan show profile name="Profile Name" key=clear
  1. In the output, look for the Security settings section. The line that reads Key Content is your Wi-Fi password in plain text.
Command Prompt showing output of "netsh wlan show profile name=ProfileName key=clear" with the Security settings section expanded and Key Content line highlighted

Method 3: Check Your Router’s Admin Page

If the Wi-Fi profile isn’t saved on any PC you have access to, the router itself always has the password. You’ll need to be connected to the network (via Ethernet or another device on Wi-Fi) to do this.

  1. Find your router’s gateway IP address. Open Command Prompt and run:
ipconfig
  1. Look for the Default Gateway value, typically 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1.
  2. Open a browser and type that IP address into the address bar.
  3. Log in with your router’s admin username and password (often printed on a sticker on the router itself).
  4. Navigate to the Wireless or Wi-Fi settings section.
  5. Look for the Pre-Shared Key, WPA2 key, WPA3 password, or Network password field. Check any Show password option if the field is masked.

Tip: Many ISP-supplied routers print the default Wi-Fi password directly on the label on the bottom or back of the router. Check there first before logging into the admin interface.

Method 4: Use PowerShell (Quick One-Liner)

If you prefer PowerShell, the same netsh command works there too, and you can filter the output to just the password line:

  1. Right-click the Start button and select Terminal (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin).
  2. Run:
netsh wlan show profile name="Profile Name" key=clear | Select-String "Key Content"
  1. The output shows only the Key Content line, your Wi-Fi password.
Windows Terminal (PowerShell, admin) showing the netsh command with Select-String filtering, displaying only the Key Content line with a password value

Other Ways to Find Your Wi-Fi Password

  • Another device already on the network: Android phones can share Wi-Fi via a QR code (tap the network name in Wi-Fi settings > Share). On iPhone, nearby Apple devices signed into trusted Apple IDs can receive credentials automatically.
  • Password manager: If you stored the password in Bitwarden, 1Password, or similar, that’s the fastest lookup.
  • Router sticker: ISP routers almost always have the default Wi-Fi password printed on the hardware label.

Troubleshooting: Common Problems

“I can’t find ‘Manage wireless networks’ anywhere”

That option was removed after Windows 7. On Windows 10 and 11, use Settings → Network & internet → Advanced network settings → More network adapter options instead to reach the same Wi-Fi properties dialog.

“Show characters is greyed out”

You’re not running under an administrator account. Sign in with an admin account, or use the netsh command in Method 2 from an elevated Command Prompt. That works regardless of whether the UI checkbox is available.

“The profile isn’t listed by netsh”

The Wi-Fi profile has been deleted from this PC. Your only option is to get the password from the router (Method 3), another device on the network, or whoever manages the Wi-Fi.

“I’m on a work or school laptop and nothing works”

Corporate and school devices often have Group Policy or Intune restrictions that block access to saved Wi-Fi keys. Contact your IT department. They can provide the credentials or connect the device for you.

A Note on Wi-Fi Security

Anyone with admin access to a Windows PC can reveal stored Wi-Fi passwords using the steps above. If a device is lost, stolen, or handed off, change your Wi-Fi password at the router. Use WPA2 (AES) at minimum, or WPA3 if your router and devices support it, and choose a long, unique passphrase rather than the router’s default.

Wrapping Up

The netsh wlan show profile name="..." key=clear command (Method 2) is the most reliable option. It works for any saved network, not just the one you’re currently on, and it doesn’t care which Windows 11 or 10 build you’re running. If the PC never connected to the network, the router admin page (Method 3) is your fallback. Either way, you should have the password in hand within a few minutes.