How to Find Your WiFi Password when You Forgot It

You want to log onto a WiFi network with your mobile device. Your computer logs on automatically, but you've forgotten the password to get access with your smartphone or tablet. Fortunately, you have several options for finding your WiFi password.

Steps

Method 1: Find Your WiFi Password on Your PC Using Command Prompt

1. 1
   Go to Start. In the search box, type in "cmd". If your Start menu has the Run command, click Run and type "cmd" in the field.
   
   
   
2. 2
   Look for a black box that will pop up on your screen. At the top, you will see either C:/Documents and Settings/ or C:\Users\(Name)>
   
   
   
3. 3
   Type"ipconfig" using the cursor.
   
   
   
4. 4
   Hit Enter. On your screen, you will see a series of names and numbers. Look for the line that says Default Gateway. Write down the number that you see next to Default Gateway, including the periods between the numbers (e.g., 912.982.1.5. When you're done, exit the box.
   
   
   
5. 5
   Navigate to Google or another search engine. In the address bar, type in the number that you just wrote down.
   
   
   
6. 6
   Hit Enter. You will see another screen that has fields to enter your username and password. The username is "admin", and the password is either "admin" or "1234" or "password". Enter that information into the appropriate fields.
   
   
   
7. 7
   Click the "Log In" button.
   
   
   
8. 8
   Go to the Wireless tab on the website that pops up. If you scroll down, you should find something called password. Write down your password and put it in a safe place in case you forget it again.
   
   
   

Method 2: Find Your WiFi Password on Your PC in Windows

1. 1
   Find the wireless icon in the System Tray next to the clock. Click on the icon, which is usually next to the clock, and then right-click your connection.
2. 2
   Retrieve your password. The instructions will vary depending on what version of Windows you are running.
   • Windows 7: Select Properties and then check the Show Characters box. Doing this will display the passcode.
   • Windows Vista: Select either Connect or Disconnect. Then, select Properties, check the box next to Show Characters and retrieve your password.
   • Windows XP: You will need to download WirelessKeyView, which is explained in the next section.^[1]

Method 3: Find Your WiFi Password On Your PC Using WirelessKeyView

1. 1
   Download WirelessKeyView.
2. 2
   Extract the zip file to your desktop. Then, run the program.
3. 3
   Write down the security information for your network. Write down either the hex number or the ASCII number depending on how your network is encoded.^[2]

Method 4: Find Your WiFi Password on a Mac

1. 1
   Click on System Preferences. Then, choose Utilities.
   
   
   
2. 2
   Choose Keychain Access.
   
   
   
3. 3
   Select the name of the WiFi network that you need to access.
   
   
   
4. 4
   Click the "i" icon on the bottom toolbar.
   
   
   
5. 5
   Check the "Show Password" box. You will be prompted to enter the password for your Mac. Then, your WiFi network password will appear.^[3]