Learning how to find your Wi-Fi password directly on your Mac is incredibly useful. No more fiddling with the tiny type on the back of your router or trying to search through all your notes and documents to track it down.
Throughout this step-by-step guide, I‘ll be sharing multiple methods for revealing and sharing your network password right from your Mac. You‘ll learn:
- The easiest copy/paste option for accessing your current password
- How to view passwords through your network settings
- A quick Terminal command to surface any password instantly
- Tips for accessing old or unused Wi-Fi passwords with Keychain
- Extra troubleshooting if your password won‘t appear
Along the way, I‘ll provide technical insights and examples based on my 10 years as an IT consultant specializing in Apple products and networking infrastructure. My goal is to answer all your questions about finding and managing passwords on a Mac!
Let‘s get started with the fastest way to access your current Wi-Fi password.
Copy/Paste Your Wi-Fi Password in Seconds
When you just need your password quickly for a friend or to connect another device, this method can‘t be beat for speed:
- Click the Wi-Fi icon (looks like radiating waves) in your Mac‘s menu bar at the top.
- Select Wi-Fi Settings from the dropdown menu. This will open the network settings panel.
- Under the "Known Networks" section, find the name of the Wi-Fi network your Mac is currently connected to. Click the information (i) icon to the right of the network name.
- A dropdown will appear. Click Copy Password.
Your full network password has now been copied to your clipboard!
- To paste the password and view it, use the CMD + V keyboard shortcut in any app like Notes, Messages, TextEdit, etc.
And that‘s it! Within about 5 seconds you can access and share your network credentials.
When to Use This Method
The copy/paste approach works great when:
- You‘re currently connected to the Wi-Fi network whose password you need
- You want to quickly share the password with someone else
- You don‘t know or remember your administrator username/password for the Mac
The only downside is that it doesn‘t work for passwords from old Wi-Fi networks your Mac is no longer connected to. But for speed and convenience with your current network, it can‘t be beat!
Next, let‘s look at…
Viewing Your Password in Network Settings
If you need a more manual walkthrough instead of just copy/paste, viewing your password in System Preferences offers a direct method with just a few more steps:
- Click the Apple icon in your Mac‘s menu bar and select System Preferences
- Click Network (or Wi-Fi depending on your Mac OS version)
- On the left sidebar, select your Wi-Fi network‘s name
- An information popup will appear. Click the information icon
- Finally, select Copy Password from the dropdown menu.
Then follow step 5 from the previous method to paste your Wi-Fi password anywhere you need it.
Key Advantages
Going through your network settings allows you to:
- View additional details about your Wi-Fi connection like the network address, router model, etc.
- Triple check that you have the current password for the network you‘re connected to
- Works reliably across all versions of Mac OS
So if you need more confirmation or lack menu bar access, using System Preferences can be beneficial.
Now, let‘s explore an advanced technique using the command line.
Securely Reveal Passwords with the Terminal (For Advanced Users)
For those comfortable using Terminal commands, you can surface any currently connected Wi-Fi password in seconds.
Here are the steps:
- Use CMD + Spacebar to open Spotlight and search for
Terminal - In the Terminal window, carefully type (or copy-paste) the following command with your network name in place of "YourWiFiNetwork":
security find-generic-password -ga "YourWiFiNetwork" | grep "password:" -
Press Enter/Return. A dialog box will pop up requesting your administrator password. Enter your Mac‘s password to confirm access.
-
Your full Wi-Fi password will now be revealed in the Terminal window!
This method works great because:
- It‘s incredibly fast when you have the Terminal command ready
- Bypassing the GUI allows you to access the password directly in OS tools
- Seeing the password typed out can help you ensure accuracy
Just be certain that:
- You are currently connected to the Wi-Fi network whose password you are trying to access
- You substitute the correct network name in the command
- You type everything exactly as shown, including capital letters
With practice, this expert-level technique can save you tons of time hunting for passwords!
Rediscover Lost Passwords Buried in Your Keychain
Have you ever gone back through old phones or laptops and found forgotten passwords saved in the browser or notes? Similarly, your Mac stores every password you‘ve ever entered for Wi-Fi networks in an encrypted database called the Keychain.
If you‘ve ever logged into a network on your Mac, you can rediscover the password through Keychain Access even if your computer is no longer connecting to that network.
Here‘s how:
- Open Spotlight (CMD + Spacebar) and search for the Keychain Access app. Open it.
- In Keychain Access, click the search bar in the top right corner and enter your Wi-Fi network‘s name.
- In the list, double click on the network entry to open a details popup.
- Check the box for Show Password at the bottom and enter your Mac account password when prompted.
The Wi-Fi password field will then display the credential you‘re looking for!
This allows you to access old passwords that have long since vanished from memory. Just be aware that Keychain history only lasts as long as you‘ve owned your Mac. Once you wipe and reload the OS, all password data gets erased.
Keychain is enabled automatically on modern versions of Mac OS. But if you want to confirm, check out Apple‘s support article on enabling and managing Keychain access.
Troubleshooting Tips
If you follow the steps for the method you want but your password isn‘t showing up, here are a few things you can check:
- Confirm your Wi-Fi connection: Some methods like copy/paste and Terminal only work for the currently connected network. Disconnect and reconnect if needed.
- Check Keychain settings: Keychain must be enabled under your iCloud settings for old password lookup to work properly.
- Enter administrator username/password when prompted: Running the Terminal command or viewing certain passwords requires admin access.
Still having issues? Apple‘s customer support offers world-class assistance by phone, chat, email, or scheduling remote screen share sessions. Their experts can troubleshoot why a password isn‘t appearing and help improve your comfort and skill with using Keychain Access.
Share Your Network Password Seamlessly
Once you have your Wi-Fi password copied or displayed using one of the above methods, sharing it is a breeze on a Mac.
For small passwords, you can simply copy and paste the password into a Messages chat, email, AirDrop file transfer, etc.
For longer, more complex passwords, macOS has a special Wi-Fi password sharing feature. As long as your Mac is logged into your iCloud account, you can securely beam the password to another Apple device logged into the same iCloud account.
The steps:
- Sign into the same iCloud account on both devices.
- Under Wi-Fi settings on the device receiving the password, browse nearby networks and select the target network.
- The sending Mac will prompt the owner to share the password securely to the second device. Click Send.
- The password will automatically transfer without ever being revealed as plain text!
This keeps your home network nice and secure while still allowing you to share access when needed.
Recap and Next Steps
Finding your Wi-Fi password directly on a Mac is really handy once you know a few go-to techniques. I summarized the key options in this table for easy reference:
| Method | Pros | Cons | Works When… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copy/Paste | Very fast, easy sharing | Only current network | Connected to Wi-Fi |
| System Preferences | More details, reliable | Slower | Connected to Wi-Fi |
| Terminal | Extremely quick, reveals full password | Need admin access and coding skills | Connected to Wi-Fi |
| Keychain Access | Retrieve old unused passwords | Keychain must be enabled | Password existed previously |
As you can see, Mac makes it simple to find and share important passwords when you need them. No more excuses for hiding the Wi-Fi password from guests!
Now you have the complete guide to accessing any password right on your Mac. Let me know if any questions come up while putting these steps to work. Happy connecting!
