When all the phones and computers in the house are automatically connected to the Wi-Fi network, there is a great risk of forgetting the password. And when the password is forgotten, connecting a new device to the Internet will be problematic. However, there are loopholes in operating systems that will help you to see the key used to enter the World Wide Web. All of them are described in this article.
Windows 10
Before you learn the password for Wi-Fi on Windows 10, there are a few simple steps to follow. To begin with, the computer should be connected to a wireless network, the password from which is forgotten, so if the key is not saved on the PC, further steps do not make sense.
After connecting to the Internet, follow these steps:
- Expand the menu by right-clicking on the network connection icon in the tray, then select “Network Settings” and then click on the “Related Settings” text. Click on the "Network Control Center" here.
- A pop-up window will display a list of all network adapters and connections. Double-click on the wireless network that the computer uses to access the Internet.
- In the window that appears, click on the button that says "Properties".
- Click the "Security" tab. Here the key is hidden behind the asterisks.
- Check the box next to the text "Display characters." After that, the stars disappear, and the password is displayed in the input field.
To enter network settings faster, you can use the Run dialog. In its input line, type ncpa.cpl, and then click OK.
Windows 7
How to find out the password from your Wi-Fi if Windows 7 is installed on the computer? On the PC on which the password for accessing the Internet through the wireless network is stored, follow these steps:
- Go to the control panel.
- Click on the text "Network" and then on "Network Control Center". To go to this snap-in, you can also simply right-click on the network connection icon located on the taskbar.
- In the left part of the window that appears, click on the "Manage Wireless Networks" link.
- Right-click on the network connection whose password you want to find out.
- On the tab with the name "Security", check the box next to the text "Display signs." After that, the password used to connect to the Internet will be displayed in the password input field instead of asterisks.
Eighth version of Windows
Before you learn the password for Wi-Fi on Windows 8, you must connect to the wireless network, the key of which is required. After connecting, do the following:
- Open the desktop.
- Expand the network connection menu by left-clicking on the tray icon.
- In the expanded menu, all available network connections will be displayed. Right click on the desired one.
- Click on the text "View Properties".
- As in previous cases, check the box "Display characters" to view the saved password.
If your computer uses Windows version 8.1, the procedure will be different. For this operating system, the instructions above for Windows 10 are suitable.
View a saved key on a mobile device
How to find out a forgotten Wi-Fi password if it is saved only on a smartphone running Android OS? To start, you need to install root on the smartphone. Root - these are superuser rights that allow you to use the undocumented features of the phone.
To view the saved password from the Android device, use any file manager. Go to the data / misc / wifi directory in it, and then view the contents of the file called wpa_supplicant.conf. This is a simple text document that stores all the keys for Wi-Fi networks.
How to find out the password from Wi-Fi, if I cannot find the file using the file manager? Use the Wifi Password Show program. After installing and starting it, a list of all saved wireless networks and passwords that are used to enter each of them will be displayed.
Another program that can show a list of saved passwords for wireless networks is Wi-Fi Passwords. After its launch, the phone will ask whether to grant the application superuser rights. This question must be answered in the affirmative, otherwise the list of passwords cannot be obtained. The utility consists of one window, which lists all the saved wireless networks and passwords for them. A very convenient feature of the program is the ability to sort the list by name, by priority, or by type of encryption.
I must say that different programs see a different number of saved networks, so if using some tool it is not possible to view the key to Wi-Fi, it’s worth trying an application with the same functionality, and there are a lot of them in the "Play Market".
WirelessKeyView
All the methods for viewing the Wi-Fi key stored in Windows above are suitable only for the network that is currently used to access the Internet. How to find out the password from Wi-Fi, if there is no connection to the router, but you need to find out the key? You can use the WirelessKeyView program.
The utility is fully portable, so it does not need to be installed. After downloading and launching the file, a window with a table will appear on the screen, in which information about all the saved wireless networks is presented. The user will be interested in two columns - the first and third. The first displays the network name. In the third - a password to connect to it.
Often, antiviruses identify a utility as a trojan, as it is used to access passwords. Therefore, before starting it makes sense to add the application to the anti-virus screen exceptions.
View password in router settings utility
How to find out the password from Wi-Fi, if the above instructions did not help? You can see the password in the control panel of the router. For this purpose, you need a network cable. To view the password, follow these steps:
- Connect the router to the computer with a network cable.
- Examine the bottom wall of the router. There is a sticker on it with information about which address is used to enter the control panel (4 digits), and a login with a password.
- Open a browser and enter the network address of the router in the input line. Then enter the username and password written on the sticker.
- Go to the "Security" tab. Usually it is located in the left menu.
- In the page that opens, click the "Show password" link.
This manual is approximate and may not be suitable for a number of routers, since today there are many different devices. Before you learn the Wi-Fi password in this way, it would be useful to study the instructions that came with the router. If the documentation is lost, look for it on the official website of the device developer.