Forgetting the WiFi password is quite common, even with our home network. That you changed the key and it is no longer the one found in the router? No problem, you can easily recover your WiFi password if you logged in on mobile. We tell you how to do it.
On the mobile, we store almost everything, from the next appointments on the agenda to the contact information. And many other data are also stored on this device, such as access to WiFi networks. This enables automatic connection when the phone is under network coverage, it also allows you to recover the key in case it is lost. Of course, this task can be complicated depending on the phone.
See WiFi passwords on Android phones without root
If we have Android 10 or higher, we can see the saved WiFi passwords without too many complications, even without root. To achieve this, all you have to do is share the network using a QR code: the network information, password included, is stored in said code.
This method generates a QR code with all the network data, including the password. Android 10 and 11 include it as standard, as well as other phone brands (Xiaomi, Samsung, OnePlus…). To generate the QR with the WiFi data, the following process must be carried out:
- Make sure the mobile is connected to the Wi-Fi network you want to recover the password from.
- Go to your phone settings.
- Go to WiFi connections and enter the enabled network.
- Look for the QR code icon to share. An image will be generated with that code.
- Capture the QR with another phone and read the information included: the WiFi name (SSID) and the password should come, which is what you wanted to recover.
- If you do not have another phone to capture the QR code, you can take a screenshot and open the image with Google Lens, for example.
Although it is not the easiest method in the world, it will always be easier than rooting the device. If your mobile is rooted, we are going to tell you how you can see all the WiFi passwords that it has saved, even if it is not connected to the network.
See WiFi keys with root
By default, Android mobiles save all WiFi networks along with their passwords to comfortably access them without having to write all the data again. But what happens when we forget those keys and we need to share them with someone? It is possible to access all these data, but only if the mobile is rooted.
What does it mean that you have to root the mobile? That you need access to the root of the device, an access that is protected by its security. In case you already have administrator access, you can use some of the following apps to recover WiFi passwords.
Wi-Fi Key Recovery
WiFi Key Recovery is one of the easiest apps to use to view saved WiFi passwords since, once installed, you just have to run it and give it root permissions. The application will show you all the networks that you have saved as well as the password for each of them (psk) and its protection protocol.
Wi-Fi Key Recovery
- Developer: Alexandros Schillings
- Download it at Google Play
- Price: Free
- Category: Tools
Wi-Fi Password Recovery
Just as simple as the previous one. In the saved networks tab you will find all those to which you have connected at some point.
By clicking on the button, you can share the key or copy the password to share it with a friend or create a QR code.
Wi-Fi Password Recovery
- Developer: WiFi Password Recovery Team
- Download it at Google Play
- Price: Free
- Category: Tools
With root and a file explorer
If you have root access, you can recover WiFi passwords with a file explorer like Root Explorer. Grant root permissions to your file explorer and look in data/misc/wifi for the WPA.supplicant.conf file. Open it in a text editor and when you run it, you will see the networks and passwords you have connected to in the past.
And on iOS?
Seeing the passwords of WiFi networks in iOS is somewhat more complicated, but not impossible. To do this you need to have macOS and the iPhone synchronized in iCloud.
The first thing you’ll need to do is verify that you have iCloud turned on. To do this, go to Settings > Apple ID > iCloud Keychain and check that the option is activated (this path may vary slightly depending on the version of iOS you have installed).
When you have it activated, go back to Settings and activate the option Internet Sharing.
You are done with the iPhone, so now you must go to the Mac: this is where you will recover the passwords of the WiFi networks.
- Connect your Mac to the Hotspot (Personal Hotspot on your iPhone from the WiFi menu).
- At this point, the passwords saved on the iPhone will start to sync with your Mac.
- On your Mac, open the Keychain app.
- Go to the “System” option located at the top left of the window.
- Select the “Passwords” option, located at the bottom left of the screen.
- Next, all the networks to which you have connected your iPhone will be displayed. Choose the network for which you want to know the password.
- Double click and click on “Show password”.
- Enter your administrator username and password, or identify yourself with your fingerprint if your Mac has Touch ID.
- Once you enter the data, you will see the password you are looking for.
Sharlene Meriel is an avid gamer with a knack for technology. He has been writing about the latest technologies for the past 5 years. His contribution in technology journalism has been noteworthy. He is also a day trader with interest in the Forex market.
