If you connect your laptop to your home Wi-Fi network, Windows 11 automatically saves the password so you never have to type it again. However, if a friend comes over and asks for the Wi-Fi password, and you lost the sticky note you wrote it on, you are in trouble. The password is hidden deep inside Windows, masked by asterisks.
You cannot simply click on the Wi-Fi icon to see the password. Instead, you must use a specific Command Prompt utility to safely extract the raw, unencrypted text key directly from the Windows wireless profile database.
How to Safely Extract Windows 11 Wi-Fi Passwords
You must use the `netsh` (Network Shell) command to reveal the stored security key.
- Click the Start button, type cmd, and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.
- First, you need to find the exact name (SSID) of the Wi-Fi network. Type this command and press Enter to list all saved networks:
netsh wlan show profile - Look under the “User profiles” section and find the name of the network you want the password for (for example, “Netgear5G”).
- To extract the password, type the following exact command, replacing “NetworkName” with the actual name of your network. Keep the quotation marks if your network name has spaces in it:
netsh wlan show profile name="NetworkName" key=clear - Press Enter.
- The terminal will output a long list of technical information. Scroll down until you find the section labeled Security settings.
- Look for the line that says Key Content.
The text printed directly next to “Key Content” is your actual, unencrypted Wi-Fi password. You can now read this password out loud to your friend or type it into your new smartphone. The Command Prompt simply reads the database; it does not change or delete your saved network.