How to retrieve saved Wi-Fi passwords

Forgot a saved Wi-Fi password? Don’t worry—you can easily recover it from your computer! This guide will walk you through retrieving saved Wi-Fi passwords on both Windows and Linux systems.

Recovering a Saved Wi-Fi Password on Windows

Steps:

1. Open Windows PowerShell:

   • Press ⊞ Win + X on your keyboard to open the Windows-X Menu.
   • Select Windows PowerShell by pressing I.

2. View Saved Wi-Fi Profiles:

   • Type the following command and press Enter:

     netsh wlan show profiles
     

   • You will see a list of saved Wi-Fi profiles. For example:

     User profiles
     --------------
     All User Profile : ProfileNameOne
     All User Profile : ProfileNameTwo
     

3. Retrieve the Password for a Profile:

   • Replace ExampleProfile with the name of the profile you want and enter:

     netsh wlan show profiles ExampleProfile key=clear
     

   • The “Key Content” row will display the saved Wi-Fi password in plain text.

Recovering a Saved Wi-Fi Password on Linux

Steps:

1. Open the Terminal:

   • Press Ctrl + Alt + T to open a terminal window.

2. List Network Profiles:

   • Run this command to see all network profile files:

     ls /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/
     

   • The output will display the names of your saved network profiles.

3. Find the Password for a Profile:

   • Replace ExampleProfile with the name of the network profile you identified and type:

     sudo grep psk= /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/ExampleProfile
     

   • The line containing psk= will reveal the saved Wi-Fi password.

Important Notes

• Always handle saved passwords responsibly.
• Only use this information for authorized purposes to protect privacy and security.

By following these instructions, you can quickly recover saved Wi-Fi passwords on your computer.