Have you ever needed to share your Wi-Fi password with a friend or family member? Or perhaps you got a new phone and realized you forgot what the password was. It can be frustrating not having easy access to wireless passwords you set up, especially when you need to connect another device.
Thankfully, Android includes a simple way to view saved Wi-Fi passwords directly on your phone. As long as your device is running Android 10 or later, you can access passwords for all networks you‘ve previously connected to.
In this step-by-step guide, I‘ll explain exactly how to view Wi-Fi passwords on Android. I‘ll also provide some background on keeping your wireless network secure once you have the password. Let‘s get started!
Overview: Why View Wi-Fi Passwords on Android
Your Android device saves the passwords for any Wi-Fi network you‘ve connected to, which allows it to automatically reconnect without entering it each time. The operating system stores these passwords in your system settings for future reference.
But why would you need to reveal a Wi-Fi password you‘ve already connected with? Here are three common reasons:
- To allow a friend, family member or guest to connect another device like a laptop or tablet to the same wireless network.
- To set up a new smart home device like a security camera, smart display or voice assistant. Most of these require the Wi-Fi password during initial configuration.
- Because you forgot the exact password when setting up a new phone or tablet. Viewing the password on your old device makes reconnecting simple.
Of course, sometimes you‘ll run into issues accessing saved passwords, which is why I included troubleshooting tips as well. But when you just need a quick reminder, having the ability to reveal Wi-Fi credentials right on your Android device is extremely convenient.
Requirements for Viewing Wi-Fi Password
Before we get into the steps on accessing your password, its important to review the requirements:
- Android version: Your phone must be running Android 10 or later. Earlier versions do not have this capability without third party apps.
- Previous connection: You can only view passwords for networks that device has previously connected to. It won‘t show passwords to available networks you‘ve never accessed.
To check your Android version number:
- Go to Settings
- Scroll down and tap About Phone
- View the Android version
As long as you meet these two conditions, then the following steps will work. Now let‘s view that Wi-Fi password!
Step 1: Navigating to Wi-Fi Settings
The first step is accessing your Wi-Fi connections screen, which shows all of your configured networks. You can get to it through the notifications shade or via Settings:
Option 1) Swipe down from the top to open notifications and long press on the Wi-Fi icon. Then tap it.
Option 2) Go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi
Both methods take you to the same connections screen where you can see configured networks and connect to available ones being broadcast.
This screen lists Wi-Fi networks ordered from strongest signal to weakest. Any network with a checkmark is one your device has successfully connected to before.
You may also see a signal strength graph and frequency band indicator. The signal strength waves give you an idea of connection quality, while the band tells you if its 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz.
| Wi-Fi Signal Quality | Description |
|---|---|
 |
Full signal bars indicate the strongest possible signal and best quality |
 |
Fewer signal bars means lower signal but likely still connected |
 |
Only one bar signifies a weak signal and possible connectivity issues |
Now let‘s view the password for the network you need!
Step 2: Tap the Connected Network
From the connections screen, simply tap the name of the Wi-Fi network you want to expose the password for. Make sure its one that has successfully connected before on this device.
Tapping the network name opens the network details popup. this shows you additional information like:
- IP Address
- Frequency band
- Link speed
- Security type
Scroll down further to find the Share button, which is how you view the password, as I‘ll demonstrate next.
Step 3: Tap Share and Authenticate to View Password
On the network details screen, scroll down and tap the Share button on the far right (it looks like a box with an arrow).
Tapping Share will prompt you to authenticate before actually showing sensitive information. You can use your lock screen password, PIN or fingerprint to validate.
After successfully authenticating, the Share Wi-Fi screen appears displaying both your Wi-Fi network name (SSID) and password in plain text underneath.
With the password fully exposed, you can now easily share it with others or simply reference it yourself for another device.
So in just 3 quick steps – 1) Open Wi-Fi settings 2) Tap network 3) Authenticate and tap Share – you‘ve revealed your hidden Wi-Fi password directly on an Android 10+ device. Pretty easy right?
Of course, keep reading for some best practices around handling Wi-Fi passwords.
Securing Your Wi-Fi After Viewing Password
Now that you‘ve accessed your Wi-Fi login credentials, its also important to understand how to keep your wireless network safe. Here are my top tips:
- Treat the Wi-Fi password carefully – only share when absolutely necessary
- Create a very strong password that would be difficult to guess
- Enable modern WPA3 Wi-Fi encryption if your router supports it
- Use MAC address filtering to limit devices allowed on the network
- Change Wi-Fi password periodically
Enabling some of these security mechanisms provides additional protection beyond just the wireless password itself.
Utilize Stronger Encryption
Let‘s take a closer look at those wireless encryption protocols – WPA2 versus the newer WPA3 standard used on Wi-Fi 6 devices:
| Security Protocol | Encryption Method | Release Year |
|---|---|---|
| WPA2 | AES | 2004 |
| WPA3 | SAE + forward secrecy | 2018 |
Without getting overly technical on encryption, WPA3 offers better overall security through more advanced authentication and encryption mechanisms. It also provides forward secrecy ensuring previously encrypted data is still protected even if the password leaks later on.
So when buying a new router or access point, look for WPA3 compatibility to have the strongest defenses enabled.
Change Wi-Fi Password Periodically
Another good practice is changing your Wi-Fi password every so often. Updating credentials prevents unauthorized users from accessing your wireless network if they somehow obtained the password.
I recommend changing the password 2-3 times per year at minimum. More frequently if you believe the password has been compromised.
To change the password, simply log into your Wi-Fi router admin interface and update the wireless credentials. Then connect all your devices again with the new password.
Troubleshooting: Why Can‘t I View my Password?
Despite following the steps, you may run into issues accessing your stored Wi-Fi passwords. Here are some troubleshooting items to check in that scenario:
- Ensure your Android device is running version 10 or later
- Check that your device has connected successfully to that network before
- Try rebooting your Android device
- Confirm you are authenticating when prompted after tapping Share
- Verify Wi-Fi is actually turned on and functioning
If you still can‘t view the password, there may be deeper connectivity issues or inconsistencies with stored credentials. At that point, consult your wireless router admin and Wi-Fi logs.
Forgotten Wi-Fi Password? How to Find Again
Lastly, I wanted to mention the scenario where you‘ve forgotten or lost the Wi-Fi password entirely. Being disconnected means you won‘t be able to view passwords from Android settings.
Here are a few options to find forgotten Wi-Fi credentials:
- Check the sticker or documentation that came with your Wi-Fi router
- Try using a default password like "password" or the router model number
- Access your router admin interface to view the configured wireless password
- Factory reset the router to restore default password
Hopefully with this guide, you should always have easy access to view Wi-Fi passwords from your Android device as needed. Let me know if you have any other questions!
