Having difficulty remembering your Wi-Fi password? If you’re using it on a Mac, you have nothing to worry about. macOS actually stores passwords for all Wi-Fi networks you connect to, and it’s relatively simple to get them.
This post describes how to view your Mac’s Wi-Fi password using Keychain Access, the System Settings application, and the Terminal interface.
How to See Wi-Fi Passwords on Your Mac Using Keychain Access
Keychain Access is a built-in utility on your Mac that stores your personal information, such as your credit card information, website usernames and passwords, and Wi-Fi passwords.
For any Wi-Fi network to which you’ve linked your Mac, Keychain Access should contain the network’s password. This is why entering the password is not required each time you connect to the same wireless network.
Follow these procedures to access your previously saved password:
- Search for Keychain Access using Launchpad or Spotlight and launch the utility.
- Select All Items from the Category sidebar on the left.
- Put your cursor in the search box at the top, type the name of your Wi-Fi network, and press Enter.
- Double-click your Wi-Fi network in the list, and a dialog box will open.
- Check the box that says Show password to show your Wi-Fi password.
- Keychain Access will ask you to enter your Mac’s user account details. Type the required details and click OK.
- Your Wi-Fi password will appear in the box next to Show password
How to Copy Passwords to Your Mac’s Clipboard via System Settings
If your Mac runs macOS Ventura or later, the System Settings application allows you to instantly copy the password of any previously saved network to the clipboard. To accomplish this, please follow these steps:
- Open the Apple menu and select System Settings.
- Select Wi-Fi on the sidebar.
- Click on the Advanced button at the bottom of the right pane.
- Under the Known Networks section, select the More (three dots) icon next to a Wi-Fi network.
- Select Copy Password to copy the password to your Mac’s clipboard.
How to Find Your Wi-Fi Password on a Mac Using Terminal
The Terminal application on your Mac allows you to do a variety of activities, including retrieving Wi-Fi passwords. You only need to know the name of your Wi-Fi network to execute this command.
You will need to input the credentials for your macOS administrator account before accessing your saved Wi-Fi password.
Follow these methods to locate Wi-Fi passwords on a Mac using Terminal:
- Open the Terminal app on your Mac. You can use Spotlight search to do this.
- Type the following command, replace MYNETWORK with the name of your Wi-Fi network, and press Enter.
- You will be prompted to provide your administrator credentials. This prompt, unlike most others on macOS, will not contain your username by default. Enter your login and password in the fields provided, then click Allow.
- The Terminal app will display the password for the Wi-Fi network you specified in the command.
If you already have an iPhone linked to your Wi-Fi network and wish to add another iPhone to the same network, you can share Wi-Fi passwords between two iPhones without disclosing the Wi-Fi password.
Getting Your Mac to Reveal All Your Wi-Fi Passwords
If you have ever linked your Mac to a Wi-Fi network, that network’s password is stored on your computer. If you know the name of the Wi-Fi network, use Terminal to show the password immediately. If you are uncertain of the network name, use Keychain Access or System Settings to view a list of all saved Wi-Fi networks.
Even when the right password is entered, your Mac may fail to connect to a Wi-Fi network. This could occur for a multitude of reasons. If this occurs, you will need to investigate to see whether the issue is with your Mac, your network, or both.