How to find Wi-Fi password on Windows 11

Here are three easy ways to find the Wi-Fi password for the active connection or saved wireless networks on Windows 11.

Windows 11 find WiFi password
Windows 11 find WiFi password
  • To find the Wi-Fi password on Windows 11, open Settings > Network & internet, click on “Wi-Fi,” click on the “Manage known networks” setting, choose the active network, and click the “View” button to reveal the wireless network password.
  • Alternatively, from the “Advanced network settings” tab, on the “Network & internet” section, open the “Network Connections” page, right-click the adapter and select the “Status” option, click on “Wireless Properties,” open “Security,” and check the “Show characters” option.
  • It’s also possible to view your Wi-Fi password with commands through PowerShell and Command Prompt.

UPDATED 10/17/2023: On Windows 11, you have multiple ways to find the Wi-Fi password for the active network or saved wireless profiles using the Settings app, Command Prompt, or PowerShell. Typically, this will come in handy when you’re trying to connect your phone or another device, need to help someone else connect their laptop to the same wireless network, or want to note the information for future reference.

Regardless of the reason, on Windows 11, you can find the Wi-Fi password of the current connection or saved wireless networks through the Settings app and Command Prompt or PowerShell. (Starting with build 23466, Windows 11 allows you to view the password for saved wireless networks from the “Network & internet” settings page without having to open Control Panel.)

This guide will teach you three quick ways to find a Wi-Fi password on Windows 11.

View Wi-Fi password on Windows 11 through Settings

To view the Wi-Fi password on Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

  2. Click on Network & internet.

  3. Click the Wi-Fi tab.

  4. Click the “Manage known networks” setting.

    Manage known networks

  5. Click on the saved wireless network.

    Saved Wi-Fi network profile

  6. Click the View button for the “View Wi-Fi security key” setting to reveal the wireless network password.

    Settings view Wi-Fi security key

After you complete the steps, the Settings app will unveil the Wi-Fi password that you can use to connect to other devices or share the connection with other people.

It’s important to note that this option is available after installing the Windows 11 October 2023 update or version 23H2.

View Wi-Fi password through Control Panel

To find the Wi-Fi password with Control Panel on Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Click on Network & Internet.

  3. Click the Advanced network settings tab.

  4. Under the “Related settings” section, click on “More network adapter options.”

    More network adapter options

  5. Right-click the wireless adapter and select the Status option.

    Open WiFi Status page

  6. Under the “Connection” section, click the Wireless Properties button.

    Open Wireless Properties

  7. Click the Security tab.

  8. In the “Network security key” setting, check the “Show characters” option to reveal the Wi-Fi password for Windows 11.

    Windows 11 find WiFi password

Once you complete the steps, the wireless password will be revealed so you can use it on other devices or save it for future reference.

View Wi-Fi password from Command Prompt or PowerShell

Using Settings, you can only view the Wi-Fi password for the active network. To check the password for the active or saved Wi-Fi networks, you must use Command Prompt or PowerShell.

To show the Wi-Fi passwords from saved networks with Command Prompt or PowerShell, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.

  2. Search for Command Prompt (or PowerShell), right-click the result, and select the Run as an Administrator option.

  3. Type the following command to view a list of previous Wi-Fi network connections and press Enter:

    netsh wlan show profiles
  4. Type the following command to determine the Wi-Fi password for a specific network on Windows 11 and press Enter:

    netsh wlan show profile name="Wi-Fi-Profile" key=clear

    The password will the displayed in the Key Content field under “Security settings.”

    Show WiFi password with CMD

    In the command, replace Wi-Fi-Profile with the name of your current or saved network to see the password in with CMD.

After you complete the steps, the Wi-Fi password for the Windows 11 connection will appear in the “Key Content” field.

Update October 17, 2023: This guide has been revised to make it clear that the easiest way to find your Wi-Fi password is through the new option available on the Settings app in the most up-to-date version of Windows 11.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].