How to Find Internet Password on Windows 10

This guide shows you how to locate saved Wi-Fi passwords on a Windows 10 PC, whether you need to reconnect a new device, share access with a guest, or recover a forgotten network key. You can retrieve passwords for the network you are currently connected to, as well as any previously connected networks, using built-in Windows tools—no third-party software required.

What You’ll Need

• A Windows 10 computer that is currently connected to the Wi-Fi network (for the quickest method) or has connected to it in the past.
• Administrator access to the PC (required for viewing saved passwords of past networks).
• The network name (SSID) you want the password for, if it is not the one you are currently using.

Step-by-Step

Method 1: Find the Password for Your Current Network (Quickest)

1. Click the Wi-Fi icon in the system tray (bottom-right corner of your screen, near the clock).
2. Click Network & Internet settings (the link below the list of available networks).
3. In the Settings window, click Network and Sharing Center (you may need to scroll down).
4. Next to Connections, click the name of your current Wi-Fi network (e.g., “HomeWiFi”).
5. In the Wi-Fi Status window, click Wireless Properties.
6. Switch to the Security tab.
7. Check the box that says Show characters. The password will appear in the Network security key field.

Method 2: Find Passwords for Any Previously Connected Network (Command Prompt)

1. Type cmd in the Windows search bar (next to the Start button).
2. Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Click Yes if prompted by User Account Control.
3. Type the following command and press Enter:
   netsh wlan show profiles
4. You will see a list of all Wi-Fi networks this PC has ever connected to, under User profiles. Note the exact name of the network you need.
5. Type the following command, replacing NetworkName with the actual profile name (keep the quotes), and press Enter:
   netsh wlan show profile name="NetworkName" key=clear
6. Scroll down to the Security settings section. Next to Key Content, you will see the plain-text password.

Method 3: Find the Password Using PowerShell (Alternative)

1. Right-click the Start button and select Windows PowerShell (Admin) or Terminal (Admin).
2. Type the following command to list all saved profiles and press Enter:
   netsh wlan show profiles
3. Note the network name you want the password for.
4. Type the following command, replacing NetworkName with the actual name, and press Enter:
   (netsh wlan show profile name="NetworkName" key=clear | Select-String "Key Content")
5. The line with Key Content shows the password.

Common Mistakes

• Typing the network name incorrectly: The profile name must match exactly, including spaces and capitalization. Copy it from the profile list rather than typing from memory.
• Running Command Prompt without admin rights: The key=clear option only works in an elevated (administrator) Command Prompt. Without it, the Key Content field will show blank or Unable to display.
• Looking in the wrong place: The password is not visible in the Settings app’s Wi-Fi properties directly; you must open the Network and Sharing Center and then Wireless Properties.
• Confusing the network security key with the PIN: The security key is the actual password used to join the network, not the router’s admin PIN.
• Using a guest network profile: If you are connected to a guest network, the password shown is for that guest network, not your main network.

Tips

• Use the Settings method for the current network: It is faster and requires no command typing.
• Export all profiles at once: If you need passwords for multiple networks, use this command in an admin Command Prompt to export them to a single file:
  netsh wlan export profile key=clear folder=C:\WiFiBackup
  This creates XML files in the specified folder; open each file and look for the keyMaterial tag.
• Write it down somewhere safe: Once you retrieve the password, store it in a password manager or a secure note to avoid this process again.
• Check the router sticker: If you have access to the router itself, the default password is often on a label on the bottom or back. This works if the password has not been changed.
• Forget and reconnect: If the password shown does not work, it may be outdated. Forget the network (Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks > Forget) and reconnect using the correct password.

Troubleshooting

• “Key Content” is blank: You are not running Command Prompt as administrator. Close it, right-click, and select Run as administrator.
• Profile not listed: The network may have been forgotten or the profile was removed. You can only recover passwords for networks this PC has successfully connected to while the profile was saved.
• Password shows but does not connect: The password may have been changed on the router after the PC last connected. Try connecting to the network with the displayed password; if it fails, you need to reset the router or contact the network owner.
• No Wi-Fi icon in the system tray: You may be using an Ethernet connection. Use the Command Prompt method (Method 2) which works regardless of the current connection type.
• Access denied error: Your user account may not have administrator privileges. Log in with an administrator account or ask the system administrator to run the command.
• Network name contains special characters: Enclose the name in quotes exactly as shown in the profile list. If the name includes a double quote, escape it with a backslash (\”).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I find the Wi-Fi password without administrator access?

No. Viewing saved passwords for previously connected networks requires administrator privileges. For the current network, you still need to access the Wireless Properties, which generally requires admin rights as well.

Will these methods work on Windows 11?

Yes, the same commands and the Network and Sharing Center path work on Windows 11, though the Settings layout is slightly different. The Command Prompt method is identical.

Can I see the password for a network I am not currently connected to?

Yes, use the Command Prompt method (Method 2) to list all saved profiles and then display the password for any of them, as long as the PC has connected to that network before.

What if the password field shows dots but “Show characters” is greyed out?

This happens when you are not the administrator or the PC is managed by an organization. You will need to contact the system administrator to retrieve the password.

Does this work for a mobile hotspot or a hidden network?

Yes, if the PC has connected to that network before, it will appear in the profile list. For hidden networks, the profile name is the SSID you manually entered during setup.

Is there a way to recover the router’s admin password (not the Wi-Fi password)?

No. The methods above only recover the Wi-Fi network key. The router’s admin password is stored on the router itself and cannot be retrieved from Windows. You would need to reset the router to factory settings.

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