We rarely find the need to remember a saved WiFi password since most of us enter it just once when connecting to a wireless network for the first time. Hence, it’s common to forget passkeys easily. What if you want to share them with someone else?
Wi–Fi passwords on iPhone aren’t just listed in your phone’s wireless settings page. This makes it necessary for you to do some gymnastics to discover the passcode to a connection you’ve been using for months, or even years.
Let’s look at the different methods you can employ to check the WiFi password on your iPhone, change it or share it with someone else. Of course, if they’re using iOS too, you can let them auto-save the password on their Apple device even if you don’t remember it. But more on that later.
On a side note, iOS 16 which is slated for release in fall 2022 (this September, most likely), will finally let you see your WiFi network’s password by going to Settings and tapping on the hotspot in question. It even has a copy function for easy sharing of the same.
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How To View WiFi Password On iPhone
Unless you have a jailbroken iPhone or one of the many apps that allow you to view your Wi–Fi password on an iPhone, there’s no one-step way to do so.
This might seem annoying, but it is just one of the things you need to deal with on an iPhone. Even in the latest iOS 15 version, there’s no native feature that lets you view your network’s passphrase, even if they’re saved on Keychain.
Fortunately, there are a few easy ways to work around this.
Personal Hotspot Password
You’re in luck if you simply want to see your personal hotspot password. This is readily available in your wireless settings. The personal hotspot feature lets you create a WiFi connection using your cellular data. This comes in handy if your friends need to get online and don’t want to use their mobile data.
Your iPhone can basically function as a WiFi router when you turn on your personal hotspot. And people in close proximity to your phone can share this connection by using the hotspot password. To enable this, follow the steps below:
1. Make sure your cellular data is on. Then open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Personal Hotspot.
3. Next to Wi-Fi Password, you can see your hotspot password listed.
You can simply share this code with anyone who wants to connect to your personal hotspot.
Using iCloud Keychain
iCloud Keychain is similar to the Keychain program on your iPhone that saves all your passwords for websites, apps, and WiFi networks. But where it differs is in the save location. It saves all your passcodes in your iCloud account instead of on a device.
And as all your devices are synced using your iCloud account, you can use iCloud Keychain to view your iPhone’s WiFi password via a Mac. Note that this will work only if you’re signed on to the same iCloud account on both your iPhone and your Mac. Simply follow the steps below:
1. First off, you need to make sure iCloud Keychain is enabled on your iPhone. Open the Settings.
2. Tap your name at the top left of your screen.
3. Hit iCloud, then tap Keychain.
4. Ensure the iCloud Keychain slider is turned on (green). If it wasn’t already on, it might take some time to sync all your passwords with iCloud.
5. Now, on your Mac, open System Preferences from the Apple menu at the top left of your screen.
6. Click on Apple ID.
7. Make sure that the checkbox next to Keychain is enabled. If it wasn’t already on, it might take some time to sync all your passwords from iCloud to your Mac.
8. Next, open Keychain Access on your Mac. You can do this easily by bringing up Spotlight search by typing Command + Space bar and then typing Keychain Access in the search box. Then simply press the return key.
9. With Keychain Access open, type the name of your WiFi network in the search box and press the return key.
10. Now double-click on your WiFi network in the search results.
11. In the pop-up window that opens, check the box next to Show password.
12. You’ll be prompted to enter your Mac password. Enter it and you’ll be able to see your WiFi passkey in the box next to Show password.
Through Router Settings
The next method you can use to view the WiFi password on your iPhone is by logging in to your router settings and navigating the various sections to find your passcode. Again, this method does not allow you to view your passcode directly in your iPhone settings.
What you’re essentially doing is accessing your router settings directly. This can be done on any device that is connected to a wireless network, provided you have the credentials to access the router that’s the source of said connection.
Simply follow the steps below:
1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap Wi-Fi.
2. Now tap the ‘i’ icon next to your WiFi network name. You’ll see this as a blue encircled letter ‘i’.
3. Next, scroll down, tap and hold the numbers in the Router row, and select Copy. This will copy your router’s IP address which you need to log in to your router’s settings.
4. Now open a browser window on your iPhone, either in Safari or any other web browser.
5. Then paste the IP address you copied into the search bar and tap Go on your keyboard. If you see a message on the webpage saying ‘Your connection is not private’, tap Advanced, then tap Proceed. Your router’s settings page is safe to visit.
6. Next, you’ll be asked for a username and passkey to log in. You can either find these printed on your router or try the usual usernames like ‘admin’ or ‘user’ and passwords like ‘password’ or ‘admin’. Some routers also have a blank password, so you can try that as well.
7. Once you’re logged in, you need to find a tab or section named ‘Wireless’ or something similar. This tab will have the names and passwords of all the WiFi networks of your router (there can be multiple networks in the case of dual band routers). It is usually found under ‘Network’.
8. When you’ve found the correct page in the router settings, you’ll be able to see your Wi–Fi password listed next to your WiFi network name. It can also be called ‘passkey’ or ‘passphrase’ for some routers. Click on ‘Show password’ if it is hidden.
How To Share Your WiFi Password
Finding the WiFi password on your iPhone might take some time, but sharing your passphrase with someone else is fairly simple on iPhones. On iOS 11 and later, iPhones can easily share Wi–Fi passwords between them. There are only a few other conditions that should be met beforehand:
- Your friend’s Apple ID must be in your Contacts app.
- Both you and your friend’s iPhone should have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled.
If these conditions are met, you can share your Wi–Fi password using the steps below:
- Keep your iPhone next to your friend’s iPhone. The devices need to be close to each other for this method to work.
- Now, your friend needs to try connecting to the network in question.
- Automatically, the Share Your Wi-Fi window will pop up from the bottom of your screen. Tap Share Password.
- Your friend will be able to hop onto the same hotspot without needing to manually enter the passcode.
- You can tap on Done once your friend’s iPhone is connected to the network.
How To Change Wi-Fi Password
Viewing your passcode is one thing but what if you want to change it to something else? To do that, you’ll again need to access your router settings using the method shown above. Once you’re logged in to the router settings, follow the steps below to change your passphrase:
- In the settings page where your WiFi network name and password are shown, go to the password box and delete the current one.
- Type a new password of your choice.
- Click Save.
How To Connect To WiFi Without A Password
Unfortunately, you cannot connect to a WiFi network on an iPhone if you don’t know the password. Since the iPhone doesn’t support WPS, a secure method to set up wireless connections without the need for passphrases, you need the passcode to the wireless network you’re trying to connect to.
Wrapping Up
iPhones are brilliant devices and one of the best high-end smartphones you can buy. But a simple action like viewing your WiFi password on an iPhone will involve a bit of legwork until iOS 16 gets launched. Happy surfing.