How to View Saved Wi-Fi Passwords in Windows 11

When you connect your Windows 11 laptop to a Wi-Fi network at a coffee shop, an office, or your own home, the operating system securely saves the password. This convenience means you never have to type it again when you return. However, if a friend comes over and asks for your home Wi-Fi password, or if you need to connect your phone to an office network and have forgotten the complex string of characters, you can easily ask Windows 11 to reveal the password it has saved.

How to View the Password for Your Current Network

If you are actively connected to the Wi-Fi network right now, finding the password is very straightforward through the Settings app.

1. Click the Start button and select the Settings gear icon (or press Windows Key + I).
2. In the left-hand navigation menu, click on Network & internet.
3. In the main pane, click on Wi-Fi.
4. Click on the specific network you are currently connected to (it usually says “Properties” underneath the network name).
5. Scroll down this page until you find the section labelled Wi-Fi network password.
6. Next to a row of hidden dots, you will see a button that says View. Click it.
7. Windows will immediately prompt you for security authentication. You must enter your computer’s PIN, password, or use fingerprint/facial recognition to prove you are the authorized user of the PC.
8. Once authenticated, the hidden dots will transform into plain text, revealing your Wi-Fi password.

How to View Passwords for Previously Saved Networks

If you want to find the password for a network you connected to last week (like a friend’s house) but are not currently connected to it right now, you need to look slightly deeper in the settings.

1. Open Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi.
2. Click on Manage known networks.
3. You will see a list of every single Wi-Fi router your computer has ever connected to.
4. Locate the specific network name you need the password for and click on it.
5. Scroll down to the Wi-Fi network password section.
6. Click the View button.
7. Authenticate with your Windows PIN or password when prompted.
8. The saved password for that specific historical network will be revealed in plain text.

This feature makes it incredibly easy to manage your connections and share access without having to dig out the physical router to check the sticker on the back.