If you’ve forgotten your WiFi password, you may be wondering whether it’s possible to display the password on a device that’s already connected to the network. Thankfully, when you’re using a computer running Windows 10, this is not only entirely possible but also extremely easy.
To find the WiFi password on your Windows 10 computer, open the Control Panel and click on “Network and Internet,” then “Network and Sharing Center.” Select the WiFi network you want the password for, click “Wireless Properties” and then the “Security” tab. Finally, check “Show Characters.”
This is only one of three easy ways to find your WiFi password from your Windows 10 device. Let’s go through each of the methods in more detail so that you can get reconnected to your network as quickly as possible.
How to Find the WiFi Password on Windows 10
On a computer running Windows 10, there are three different ways to find your WiFi password. You can use the settings menu or the control panel, or you can download a third-party app to find the password for you.
It’s important to note that these three methods will only let you find the password for networks you’ve already connected to previously. These methods won’t work if you’re trying to find someone else’s password or the password to a network you’ve never connected to.
However, figuring out your own network’s password can be very useful if you’ve forgotten (or don’t know) the password to your network. For example, if you have a guest over but you can’t remember the WiFi password, you can simply use your Windows 10 PC to find it out.
To help you with situations like this, let’s go through each of these three methods.
Using Windows Settings
One of the simplest methods to finding the password for the WiFi network you’re currently connected to is by using the Settings on your Windows 10 computer. To do this, just follow these simple steps:
- Click on the “Start” button in the bottom left corner of the screen and select the Settings icon (it looks like a gear).
- In the Settings app, click on “Network & Internet.”
- From there, under “Advanced network settings,” select the option that says “Network and Sharing Center.”
- After this, you should see a list of all of the networks your computer is connected to. Select the one that you would like to see the password of.
- This should open a tab that says “WiFi Status.” Here, choose the option that says “Wireless Properties.”
- In the Wireless Network Properties, select the “Security” tab at the top.
- Finally, select the “Show characters” box under your Network security key.
After following these steps, the password to the network you’re currently connected to should be displayed in the “Network security key” box. From here, you can copy down the password and use it to log in on whatever device you need.
Using the Control Panel
Another way to view the network password for the current WiFi network you’re connected to is by using the Control Panel. This is a program on Windows 10 that specifically exists to help you change system settings.
To use it to check your current WiFi password, all you have to do is follow these steps:
- Access the Control Panel by clicking the Start button in the lower-left corner of your screen and type “Control Panel” in the search bar. Click on the Control Panel app that appears in the search results.
- Once you’re in the Control Panel, click on the “Network and Internet” option and then on “Network and Sharing Center.”
- In the Network and Sharing Center, you’ll see a list of all the networks your computer is currently connected to. Find the WiFi network for which you want to recover the password and click on it.
- Click on the “Wireless Properties” button in the WiFi network’s status window. In the Wireless Network Properties window, click on the “Security” tab.
- You should see a checkbox labeled “Show characters.” Check this box to reveal the WiFi password for the selected network.
Using a Third-Party App
Perhaps the easiest method is to use a third-party app to gather the password for you. There are a couple of different programs you could use for this, but for the purposes of this guide, we’re going to go through how to use WirelessKeyView.
WirelessKeyView is a free app you can download that was specifically made to help people who have forgotten their passwords to recover them.
Let’s quickly go through the steps required to use this program:
- First, you need to download WirelessKeyView from the Nirsoft website (found here).
- Run WirelessKeyView.exe, which you should have gotten from your download.
- After this, you should see a window where you can view every WiFi network your computer has ever connected to.
- Look in the Key (Ascii) column in order to get the passwords for each of these networks.
After this, you can copy down the password and use it to log in on whatever device you need.
If for whatever reason you don’t like the idea of using WirelessKeyView, you can also use WiFi Password Revealer. This free program (found here) does the exact same thing as WirelessKeyView, and you can even use the same steps to use the program.
Can You View Someone Else’s WiFi Password on Windows 10?
In Windows 10, it’s not possible to view someone else’s WiFi password because it’s stored in an encrypted form. This encryption makes it difficult for someone who doesn’t have authorized access to the network to view the password.
The encryption method used is known as the WPA2-PSK (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 – Pre-Shared Key), which is a security protocol that ensures that only authorized devices can access the network.
Another reason why it’s not possible to view someone else’s WiFi password on Windows 10 is due to ethical and privacy concerns. Allowing unauthorized access to someone else’s WiFi network can lead to security breaches, which can compromise personal information and cause harm. Therefore, it’s important to respect people’s privacy and not try to view their WiFi passwords without their permission.
How to Troubleshoot
If entering your password doesn’t work, you may have a different issue with your device’s WiFi. Here are some simple things you can do to troubleshoot a WiFi connection issue on a Windows 10 computer.
Restart Your Computer and WiFi Router
Sometimes, a simple restart is all you need to fix a computer problem. Turn off your computer and unplug your WiFi router, wait for a minute, and then plug the router back in. After rebooting your router, wait for a few seconds before turning on your computer.
Check the WiFi Icon
Check if the WiFi icon is displayed in the taskbar. If it isn’t, click on the arrow icon in the taskbar and look for the WiFi icon. If it’s still not there, your WiFi adapter may not be installed properly, and you may need to reinstall the drivers.
Check Your WiFi Settings
Make sure that your WiFi adapter is turned on. You can do this by clicking on the WiFi icon in the taskbar and making sure that the toggle switch is turned on.
Check That You’re Connected to the Correct Network
Confirm that you’re connected to the correct network. If you see the message “No Internet, secured,” you may have connected to the wrong network.
Run the Windows Network Troubleshooter
Windows 10 has a built-in Network Troubleshooter that can help identify and fix problems with your WiFi connection. To access it, right-click on the WiFi icon in the taskbar and select “Troubleshoot problems.”
Update Your WiFi Adapter Drivers
If your WiFi adapter drivers are outdated or missing, it can cause connectivity issues. You can update your WiFi adapter drivers by going to the manufacturer’s website and downloading the latest drivers for your adapter.