TL;DR: On Windows 11, open Settings > Network & internet > Properties and select Show next to Wi-Fi network password. For networks you joined before, go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks, pick the network and select Show. Windows also shows a QR code that a phone can scan to join. Older routes still exist: Control Panel’s Wireless Properties > Security > Show characters, and the netsh wlan show profile name="NetworkName" key=clear command in an administrator terminal.
Last updated: November 14, 2026. Steps checked against Microsoft Support and Microsoft Learn pages on that date.
A guest wants the Wi-Fi password, a new laptop needs it, or you’re setting up a smart TV, and nobody remembers the 16 random characters printed on the router. If a Windows PC has joined that network before, the password is saved on it. This guide shows how to find a Wi-Fi password on Windows 11 four ways, from the two-click Settings method to the command line, and what to do when no PC has it saved.
How to find the Wi-Fi password on Windows 11 for the network you’re on
Open Settings, select Network & internet, then select Properties for your Wi-Fi connection. Next to Wi-Fi network password, select Show. Windows 11 displays the password and a QR code you can scan from another device.
That’s the method Microsoft gives on its Connect to a Wi-Fi network in Windows support page (checked November 14, 2026). Step by step:
- Press Windows + I to open Settings.
- Select Network & internet in the sidebar.
- Select Properties at the top, next to your Wi-Fi network’s name.
- Find Wi-Fi network password and select Show.
- Read the password, or point a phone camera at the QR code that appears.
Wi-Fi passwords are case-sensitive, so check capital letters before you type one into another device.
How to see passwords for Wi-Fi networks you joined before
Go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks. Windows 11 lists every network the PC has saved. Select one, then select Show next to Wi-Fi network password, and the password appears even when you’re nowhere near that network.
Microsoft first added this in Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23466. The Windows Insider Blog post of May 24, 2023 said: “We have added a way to view Wi-Fi passwords for your known networks via Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi and ‘Manage known networks’.” Before that, Windows only showed saved passwords for other networks through the command line.
- Open Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi.
- Select Manage known networks.
- Select the network you want, such as your office or a relative’s home.
- Select Show next to Wi-Fi network password.
If a network isn’t on the list, the PC never saved it or someone selected Forget. Jump to the router section below.
How to share a Wi-Fi password from Windows 11 with a QR code
Select Show next to Wi-Fi network password in either place above, and Windows 11 displays a QR code beside the password. Anyone can scan it with a phone camera to join without typing, including iPhone and Android users.
Windows Central reported that the QR code arrived with Windows 11 version 24H2, the 2024 Update, which also moved the password setting to the top of the Wi-Fi properties page. If you see the password but no QR code, your PC is likely on an older version of Windows 11.
Scanning works on other PCs too. Microsoft’s support page says a Windows device with a camera can open the Camera app, switch to barcode mode, point at the code and select the link, which opens Settings to confirm the connection. On iPhone, the Camera app reads it the same way, as covered in our guide to finding a Wi-Fi password on iPhone.
How to find a Wi-Fi password on Windows 11 with CMD (netsh)
Open Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt as administrator and run netsh wlan show profiles to list saved networks. Then run netsh wlan show profile name="NetworkName" key=clear, swapping in your network’s name. The password appears on the Key Content line under Security settings.
The commands come from Windows’ built-in netsh wlan tool, which Microsoft Learn’s netsh wlan reference (last updated October 9, 2025) lists for Windows 11 and Windows 10. That page says show profiles “Lists all configured wireless network profiles” and that key=clear displays the security key in plain text. The same two-step sequence is a top-voted answer on Microsoft Q&A.
- Right-click Start and choose Terminal (Admin), or search for Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.
- Type
netsh wlan show profilesand press Enter. - Copy the exact profile name, such as
HomeNet_5G. - Type
netsh wlan show profile name="HomeNet_5G" key=clearand press Enter. - Scroll to Security settings and read Key Content.
Run the commands as administrator. Microsoft Learn notes that netsh only writes keys in plain text when the caller is a local administrator, and users on Stack Overflow report that a standard prompt shows only “Present” instead of the key. The quotes matter when the name has spaces. The commands work the same in PowerShell.
To save every profile at once, netsh wlan export profile folder="C:\WiFi" key=clear writes one XML file per network into a folder that already exists. Those files hold passwords in plain text, so delete them when you’re done.
How to find the Wi-Fi password in Control Panel
Open Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center, select your Wi-Fi name next to Connections, then select Wireless Properties. On the Security tab, tick Show characters. The password appears in the Network security key box.
Microsoft documents the Wireless Properties route under the Windows 10 tab of its Wi-Fi support page, and it’s handy if Settings won’t cooperate. A shortcut: press Windows + R, type ncpa.cpl, double-click your Wi-Fi adapter and select Wireless Properties. The Control Panel route only shows the password for the network you’re on, so use Settings or netsh for older networks.
Which method should you use?
Use Settings for almost everything. It’s built for this, needs no commands and adds a QR code. Reach for netsh when you want every saved password at once or you’re on a PC where Settings is locked down, and use Control Panel as a fallback.
| Method | Where | Shows | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Settings > Properties > Show | Network & internet | Current network + QR code | Quick check while connected |
| Settings > Manage known networks | Network & internet > Wi-Fi | Any saved network + QR code | Networks you joined before |
| Control Panel > Wireless Properties | Network and Sharing Center | Current network | Fallback, older PCs |
netsh wlan show profile ... key=clear |
Terminal (Admin) | Any saved network | Power users, many networks |
| Router label or admin page | The router itself | The router’s password | When no device has it saved |
What if no Windows PC has the network saved?
Then Windows has nothing to reveal, and you need the password from its source: the sticker on the router, the setup card from your internet provider, or the router’s admin page or app. On public Wi-Fi, ask the staff.
The router label usually shows the default network name (SSID) and password, sometimes called the “network key,” which is still in use if nobody changed it. If you manage the router, its app or admin page lets you view or change the password. If someone else set it up, ask them, or reset the router to its defaults as a last resort, knowing that wipes your custom settings.
Some networks have no single password to find. Offices and universities often use enterprise Wi-Fi, where you sign in with your own username and password, so there’s no shared key to reveal.
Our verdict
The Settings method is the one to remember: Network & internet > Properties > Show for the current network, or Manage known networks for any other. It takes seconds, needs no admin terminal, and the QR code saves you reading a long password aloud. Keep netsh for bulk lookups, and Control Panel for the odd PC where Settings misbehaves.
Anyone with your Wi-Fi password can reach other devices on your home network, so a guest network on your router is worth setting up for visitors. If your laptop crawls once it’s online, see our guide to speeding up Windows 11. Shopping for a router? Read Wi-Fi 7 vs Wi-Fi 6E, and for public hotspots, see whether a VPN is worth it.
FAQ
How do I see my Wi-Fi password on Windows 11 without CMD?
Open Settings, select Network & internet, then Properties, and select Show next to Wi-Fi network password. For other saved networks, go to Network & internet, then Wi-Fi, then Manage known networks, pick the network and select Show.
How do I find my Wi-Fi password on Windows 11 using CMD?
Open Terminal or Command Prompt as administrator and run netsh wlan show profiles to list saved networks. Then run netsh wlan show profile name=”NetworkName” key=clear and read the Key Content line.
Why does netsh show “Present” instead of my Wi-Fi password?
The command was run without administrator rights. Close the window, reopen Terminal or Command Prompt with Run as administrator, and run the command again with key=clear.
Do the steps differ between Windows 11 Home and Pro?
No. Microsoft’s support page gives one set of Settings steps for Windows 11, and the netsh tool is built into both editions. A work or school PC may have settings restricted by its administrator.
Can I share my Wi-Fi password from a Windows 11 PC to a phone?
Yes. Select Show next to Wi-Fi network password in Settings, and recent Windows 11 versions display a QR code. Scan it with the phone’s camera to join without typing the password.
Can Windows 11 show the password for a network it has never joined?
No. Windows can only reveal passwords for networks it has saved. Check the router’s label, your internet provider’s setup card or the router’s admin page instead.
Sources
Microsoft Support: Connect to a Wi-Fi network in Windows. Microsoft Learn: netsh wlan, Microsoft Q&A netsh answer. Windows Insider Blog: Build 23466. Windows Central: Windows 11 24H2 networking changes. All checked November 14, 2026.
