Learn about 5 quick ways to see the saved Wi-Fi passwords on your Mac if you need to connect a new device or simply want to share the password with someone else.
Just like iPhone and iPad, you can find the password for a Wi-Fi network if you connected your Mac to it in the past. This can come in handy when you want to connect more devices to that network but don’t remember the password, or when you’re trying to share the password to that network with a friend.
1. See the Wi-Fi password in Apple’s Passwords app
The Apple Passwords app on macOS Sequoia and macOS Tahoe features a dedicated Wi-Fi section that lists all the networks your Mac has joined, along with their passwords and other handy options, such as creating a QR code for that network, allowing other smartphones to connect simply by scanning the code.
- Open the Apple Passwords app on your Mac and authenticate with Touch ID or your computer password to go inside.
- Click the Wi-Fi tile on the top left side.
- Now, select a Wi-Fi network and take the mouse pointer over the ‘Password’ field to reveal it. You can also right-click on the Password file to copy it or view the password in a large font.
2. Copy Wi-Fi password from Mac’s System Settings
- Open System Settings on macOS Ventura or later, and select Wi-Fi from the left sidebar.
- You’ll see the Wi-Fi network you’re currently connected to and available networks in your range. If you’ve ever connected to any of these networks, click the more icon next to the network and hit Copy Password.
Now, open Notes, Messages, or another text-based app on your Mac, and paste the copied Wi-Fi password from the clipboard by pressing the Command + V keys to see the Wi-Fi password.
Know the password of all previously connected Wi-Fi networks
The above steps allow you to find the password of the Wi-Fi network you’re currently connected to or are in the range of. Now, we’ll show you how to find out the password of any Wi-Fi network you have ever connected your Mac to. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in range of that network or not.
- Open System Settings and click Wi-Fi. Then, scroll down and click Advanced from the bottom right.
- You’ll see a list of all the known networks your Mac has ever connected to. Click the more icon next to a network and select Copy Password. Finally, paste this password into Notes, Messages, or another such app to see it.
3. Use Keychain Access to view the Wi-Fi password
Keychain Access is an Apple application that is installed on all Macs, including those running macOS Tahoe. You may not have seen it before, but if you have a Mac, it’s there. The advantage of this method is that it can help you find the passcode of any network you have connected to with your computer, whether it is your home network, school, work, or other network.
1) Open the Keychain Access app on your Mac. The best way to do this is to use Spotlight search by pressing the Command + Space Bar keys on your keyboard. In the window that appears, start typing “Keychain Access” and hit the enter/return key to launch the application.
2) In the sidebar, make sure you click on Login, followed by the Password tab. Then search for the network you want the password for by typing parts of this network’s name. Double-click on that network.
Note that depending on your Operating System version, this screenshot may look a little different. The most important thing is that you click Login, then Password, then start searching for the network’s name.
3) Click on Show Password. Type in your administrator user credentials to reveal the Wi-Fi password. Unfortunately, you cannot go through these steps without an admin password. If you’re the only user of your Mac, then you’re the admin, so simply enter the same passcode you use to log in to your Mac.
4) You may be prompted to enter your administrator credentials again. Type in your full name as displayed on your Mac’s login screen and your password again.
5) The Wi-Fi password should appear in the text box next to Show Password.
Keychain Access isn’t only useful to show Wi-Fi passwords on your Mac. It can also store your applications, internet, and web form passwords. If password management is something you struggle with, consider using the Apple Password app or look for 1Password on the Mac App Store. There are very useful apps!
4. Use Terminal to see the Wi-Fi password
Just like Keychain Access, Terminal is an app that comes pre-installed on all Macs, so even if you’ve never seen it before, it’s on your computer. Although very powerful, Terminal is not as user-friendly as Keychain Access; for this reason, we suggest using the method above to retrieve a Wi-Fi passcode. But just like Keychain Access, it will require you to provide your administrator credentials.
1) Open the Terminal app on your Mac.
2) Type in or copy/paste the following command, making sure you replace “YourWifiNetworkName” with the exact name of your network:
security find-generic-password -ga YourWifiNetworkName | grep “password:”
3) Hit Enter and then type in your admin credentials.
4) Terminal will display the password for your network.
5. Look at your Wi-Fi router
This last method will work for most routers, but they require that not only do you have physical access to the router, but that the network name and password have not changed. This is likely the case if your Wi-Fi network was set up by a technician from your cable company. Typically, the technician will leave the default network name and passcode as it’s written behind the router.
So, look for the router (not the modem) and turn it over. You should see a label on the back with details about what your Wi-Fi network name is and what the password is.
Note that the shape and size of your router will vary depending on the manufacturer, but all newer routers have the network information on the back.
How to remember Wi-Fi passwords
The best way to never forget a Wi-Fi (or any other) password again is to use a password manager. Personally, I use 1Password, but there are multiple others that would work just as good for you, such as the built-in Apple Password app for both macOS and iOS.
Another alternative is to use a password-protected note to save your password. Finally, you could, of course, leave the passcode in a non-secured note or on a piece of paper in your desk drawer, but this is not a solution we feel comfortable recommending because it is not secured at all.
Also, check out: How to allow guests to connect to your Wi-Fi network with a QR code