How to View Saved Wi-Fi Passwords in Windows 11

If you have friends visiting your house and they ask to connect their phones to your Wi-Fi network, trying to remember the complex, randomized 16-character password printed on the back of your router is incredibly frustrating.

If your Windows 11 laptop is already successfully connected to the network, you do not need to crawl under your desk to read the sticker on the router. Windows actively saves the password (the “network security key”) for every single Wi-Fi network you have ever connected to, and you can retrieve it directly from the system settings.

How to Find the Password for Your Current Network

If you are actively connected to your home Wi-Fi network right now, finding the password requires navigating through the modern Settings app.

1. Click the Start Button and open the Settings app (the gear icon).
2. In the left-hand sidebar, click on Network & internet.
3. At the top of the screen, click on Wi-Fi.
4. Click on the row labelled Wi-Fi network properties (it will display the name of your currently connected network).
5. Scroll down to the absolute bottom of this page.
6. Look for a row labelled View Wi-Fi security key.
7. Click the View button next to it.

A small pop-up box will appear containing your Wi-Fi password in plain, readable text. You can highlight it, copy it, and send it to your guests, or simply read it aloud.

How to Find Passwords for Previously Saved Networks

If you are currently sitting in a coffee shop, but you need to retrieve the Wi-Fi password for your office or a hotel you visited last week, you can still view it, even if you are not actively connected to that network.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Navigate to Network & internet > Wi-Fi.
3. Click on Manage known networks.
4. You will see a list of every single Wi-Fi router your computer has ever connected to.
5. Click on the specific network name you need the password for.
6. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the View button next to “View Wi-Fi security key.”

(Security Note: Because viewing saved passwords is a sensitive action, Windows 11 may pause and ask you to enter your Windows PIN, your fingerprint, or your Microsoft Account password before it reveals the Wi-Fi security key on the screen).

The Command Prompt Alternative (For Power Users)

If the modern Settings app is crashing, or if you prefer using the command line, you can retrieve the password instantly using the Network Shell (netsh) command.

1. Click the Start Button, type cmd, right-click on Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
2. Type the following command (replacing “MyNetworkName” with the exact name of your Wi-Fi network):
   netsh wlan show profile name="MyNetworkName" key=clear
3. Press Enter.
4. Look through the output text for the section labelled “Security settings.” The row named Key Content will display your Wi-Fi password in plain text.