Wondering how to find saved WiFi passwords on Windows 10 ? The SSID and password of a WiFi network are stored in your system once they are authenticated. This not only works for smartphones but also for Personal Computers. However, you may end up forgetting your password and this article will show you how you can recover them in several simple steps.
Windows 10 is the second latest version of the Operating System designed by Microsoft. Despite being a bit older, it is the most popular even compared to Windows 11. The steps shown in this article will also work for Windows 11 PCs. Let’s look at the 4 main methods to easily do this.
PS: This method will help you find the passwords of WiFi networks that have already been connected to your PC.
1. View Saved WiFi Passwords Using the Control Panel
The control panel is the headquarters of your PC. From here, you can perform many computer management tasks and monitor security options. Use of the control panel to recover your passwords is very easy, Just remember that you must be connected to the network at that moment to proceed.
Follow the steps below:
- Click on the Windows icon on your keyboard to open the search bar and type Control Panel.
- Open the Control Panel and select Network and Internet.
- Next, open the Network and Sharing Center. You will see the currently connected WiFi network on the dashboard.
- Click on the WiFi network name in blue next to Connections
- A new window will pop up showing you the status of your network. Click on the Wireless Properties button.
- Another window will pop up with network connection wireless properties on the first tab. Click on the Security tab.
- You will see the network security type, encryption type, and security key.
The security key is hidden as dots. To view the password, check the Show characters box. If you are signed in as the PC admin, the password will be shown instantly. If signed in as a standard user, enter the admin password to view the password.
Read: How to View Saved WiFi Passwords on Android in 2023
2. View Saved WiFi Passwords Using Command Prompt
Command Prompt is Windows’ default command terminal. The previous method can only be used to view the passwords of a currently connected network. Using command prompt will help you view the password of any network you have previously connected to without the need of having a current connection to them.
Follow these steps one by one.
- Press the Windows key and type cmd on the search bar. Right-click on the result and click Run as administrator. A black window will pop up.
- To view the names of the saved networks, type in the command
netsh wlan show profilesand press Enter.
- A list of all saved networks will load immediately. Note the name of the WiFi network whose password you want to recover.
- Type in the command below and replace ‘profilename’ with the name of the target saved network.
netsh wlan show profile name=profilename key=clear
- Press the Enter key. A list of details for the network will load immediately.
- Scroll down to the Security settings menu. The password is written on the Key Content line.
Simply copy the password and paste it then save it somewhere for future reference. The password will however become obsolete when the network administrator changes it to a new one.
3. View Saved WiFi Passwords Using PowerShell
When using command prompt, you can only view the saved passwords on the current user account. Windows PowerShell enables you to view the saved networks for all users by simply following these steps one by one.
- Press Windows key + X simultaneously to open the WinX menu. Select Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- Choose Yes on the Windows permission pop-up. A blue PowerShell window opens.
- Next, copy and paste the command below as a whole and press Enter.
(netsh wlan show profiles) | Select-String "\:(.+)$" | %{$network=$_.Matches.Groups[1].Value.Trim(); $_} | %{(netsh wlan show profile name="$network" key=clear)} | Select-String "Key Content\W+\:(.+)$" | %{$password=$_.Matches.Groups[1].Value.Trim(); $_} | %{[PSCustomObject]@{ NETWORK_NAME=$network;PASSWORD=$password }} | Format-Table -AutoSize
This allows you to view all the network profiles and their passwords with one command. Therefore, this method is more efficient than the command prompt method.
4. View Saved WiFi Passwords Using Third-Party Apps
The above methods are usable by someone who is tech conscious. You may need to direct a friend on how they can do that and it turns out to be hard for them. The best option is for the to use applications that will do it for them. These apps will do the scan automatically before presenting the WiFi password on the screen without any effort.
Such apps include WiFi Password Revealer and WirelessKeyView. All that is needed is to install the apps from the setup and run them.
Conclusion
These methods will help anyone view their saved WiFi passwords on Windows 10 in a few simple steps. Simply follow each of the steps carefully and share the trick with a friend. Feel free to browse through a website for more related articles. Leave a review n the comment section.
