How to see a Wi-Fi password on iPhone

What you need

• iOS 16 or later to view Wi-Fi passwords in Settings.
• iOS 18 or later for the Passwords app, which lists every saved network.
• Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode to reveal a password.
• The network must be one this iPhone (or another device on your iCloud Keychain) has joined.

Check your version in Settings › General › About. If you are on iOS 15 or earlier, see the other options below.

How to see a Wi-Fi password on iPhone, step by step

1. Open Settings and tap Wi-Fi.
2. Find the network you are connected to, or tap Edit at the top right to see known networks.
3. Tap the info (i) button next to the network.
4. Tap the Password field, which shows dots.
5. Unlock with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. The password appears.
6. Tap Copy to paste it into a message or note.

Using the Passwords app

The Passwords app arrived with iOS 18. Open it, unlock it, and tap the Wi-Fi category. Every network saved on your devices through iCloud Keychain is listed, sorted by name. Tap a network to see its password, or tap Show Network QR Code to let someone scan it with their camera. You can also search by network name, which helps if you have dozens saved from hotels and cafes.

Share Wi-Fi with another iPhone

Apple's sharing feature avoids typing the password. Make sure Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are on for both iPhones, your iPhone is unlocked and connected to the network, and each of you is in the other's Contacts with the Apple Account email. Have your friend select the network on their iPhone. A prompt appears on yours: tap Share Password, then Done. It also works with Macs and iPads.

Share Wi-Fi with an Android phone

Android cannot accept Apple's share prompt. Show a QR code from the Passwords app on iOS 18 and the Android phone can scan it with its camera. On older iOS, copy the password and send it by text, or read it out. Many Android phones can also scan a QR code printed on the router.

See a Wi-Fi password on a Mac

On macOS Sequoia and later, open the Passwords app and click Wi-Fi. On older versions, open Keychain Access, search the network name, double click it and check Show password. You will need your Mac login password. Networks your iPhone joined appear here if iCloud Keychain is on for both.

Find your Personal Hotspot password

Your own hotspot password is in Settings › Personal Hotspot › Wi-Fi Password. Tap it to change it. Keep it at least eight characters. If devices will not connect, see Personal Hotspot problems on iPhone.

No password shown?

• Open network: no password exists. Coffee shops often use a sign-in page instead.
• Work or school network: uses a username and certificate, often installed by a profile. Ask IT.
• Network added by your carrier: some carrier hotspots sign in with your SIM, with no password to view.
• Old iOS: update in Settings › General › Software Update.
• Network forgotten: if you tapped Forget This Network, the password is removed.

Other ways to find your home Wi-Fi password

If no device has it saved, check the sticker on your router or gateway. Many US internet providers (Xfinity, Spectrum, AT&T, Verizon Fios) show the network name and password there, and in their apps. Open the provider's app, find your network or gateway, and the password is listed with an option to change it. You can also sign in to the router's admin page from a computer, usually at 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1, using the admin login on the sticker.

Change your Wi-Fi password

Seeing a password you never changed? It is a good idea to set your own. Do it in your provider's app or the router admin page, not on the iPhone. Every device must then reconnect with the new password. Our guide to changing your Wi-Fi password walks through the main US providers.

Is it safe to share Wi-Fi passwords?

Sharing with friends at home is fine. Anyone on your network can see other devices, so for visitors use a guest network if your router has one. Never share a work Wi-Fi password without permission. If someone you no longer trust has your password, change it, then reconnect your own devices.

Can't connect even with the right password?

If the password is correct but the iPhone will not join, forget the network and join again, restart the router and the iPhone, and turn off Private Wi-Fi Address for that network. Our guide to fixing Wi-Fi on iPhone covers more steps.

iPhone on iOS 15 or earlier

Older iOS versions do not show Wi-Fi passwords on iPhone. If you have a Mac signed in to the same Apple Account with iCloud Keychain on, open Keychain Access there and search the network. You can also share the password nearby with the share prompt, which works on iOS 11 and later, even though you cannot see it. Updating iOS is the simplest fix if your iPhone supports a newer version.

Find a Wi-Fi password through iCloud on Windows

iCloud for Windows includes iCloud Passwords, which can show saved website passwords on a PC. Wi-Fi passwords are not always included, so the Passwords app on an Apple device is more reliable. If you only have a Windows PC connected to the network, Windows can show its own saved password in the network's properties.

See the password of a network you are not connected to

You do not need to be connected. In Settings › Wi-Fi, tap Edit to see all known networks, or use the Passwords app, which lists networks from every device on your account. If the network is not in either list, your iPhone never saved it, and the password has to come from the owner or the router.

Delete old Wi-Fi networks

Over time, iPhones save dozens of networks. Remove ones you will not use again so the iPhone does not join them by accident. In Settings › Wi-Fi › Edit, tap the red minus next to a network, or in the Passwords app, open the network and tap Delete. Forgetting a network removes its saved password too.

Turn off auto join for a network

If your iPhone keeps joining a weak network, tap the info button next to it and turn off Auto-Join. The password stays saved, and you can join manually when you want.

Quick recap

1. Current network: Settings › Wi-Fi › (i) › Password.
2. Older networks: Passwords app › Wi-Fi.
3. Share: hold your iPhone near theirs, or show a QR code.
4. No saved copy: router sticker or your provider's app.

Why your iPhone hides Wi-Fi passwords

Passwords are stored encrypted in iCloud Keychain and on the device. iOS asks for Face ID, Touch ID or the passcode before showing one, so a person who picks up your unlocked phone cannot read your saved passwords at a glance. Keep your passcode private for the same reason. If someone knows it, they can see every saved password, not just Wi-Fi.

If you share an iPhone with family, consider a separate passcode for the Passwords app's shared groups, or keep sensitive passwords out of shared groups entirely.

Most people only need the first method: Settings, Wi-Fi, the info button and the Password field. It takes about ten seconds once you know where to look.