How To Find WiFi Password on Mac?

admin, How To , March 9th, 2023 , 0

Just like how a pirate may bury their treasure and forget where it is, we may bury our WiFi password deep in our memory and forget where we put it. Or, like a key that hasn’t been used in a while, our memory of the password may become rusty and difficult to recall. So, yes, forgetting a WiFi password is quite natural, rather inevitable. Yes, it happens to all of us.

Wondering how to find WiFi password on Mac? You’ve come to the right place. In this post, we have listed a variety of methods that you can use to find your lost password on macOS within no time.

Let’s get started.

How to Find WiFi Password on Mac?

Method 1: Via Keychain Access

Keychain Access is a built-in app on Mac computers that manages passwords, encryption keys, and other sensitive information. It stores passwords for Wi-Fi networks, websites, applications, and other online services.

So, yes, you can use the Keychain Access app on your Mac to quickly find the lost WiFi password. However, if your WiFi network details were previously saved in the Keychain Access, only then you would be able to recover your password using this method.

Here’s how you can find your lost WiFi password on Mac using Keychain Access:

Step 1: Open the Keychain Access app on your Mac by searching for it in Spotlight (press Cmd + Space to open Spotlight and then type “Keychain Access”) or by simply heading to Applications > Utilities > Keychain Access.

Step 2: In the Keychain Access app, switch to the “Passwords” section. Select the Wi-Fi network whose password you have lost and then tap on the “i” icon placed on the top.

Step 3: A new window will now appear on the screen. Check the box next to “Show password” and enter your administrator username and password when prompted.

Step 4: The password for the Wi-Fi network should now be visible in the password field.

Step 5: Once you have the password, you can use it to connect to the Wi-Fi network.

Also read: How To Password Protect Folder on Mac

Method 2: Use the Terminal App

You can find the lost WiFi password on your Mac using the Terminal app by following these steps:

Step 1: Open the Terminal app by going to Applications > Utilities > Terminal or searching for it in Spotlight.

Step 2: In the Terminal window, type the following command and press Enter:

security find-generic-password -ga “Wi-Fi name”

Step 3: Replace “Wi-Fi name” with the name of the network you want to find the password for. You can find the name of the network in the Wi-Fi menu at the top of your screen.

Step 4: If the network password is stored on your Mac, the Terminal app will display the password. It will be listed as “password: ” followed by the password in quotation marks.

You may be prompted to enter your administrator username and password before the password is displayed. If the network password is not stored on your Mac, this method will not work. In that case, you may need to reset the network password or contact the network administrator for assistance.

Also read: Best PDF Password Remover for Mac in 2023

Method 3: Use the WiFi Router

Fortunately, if you are a Mac user, there is a way to recover a lost WiFi password by resetting your WiFi router. But you should only use this method as a last resort. Here’s what you need to do:

Step 1: Locate the reset button on your WiFi router

The first step in recovering your lost WiFi password is to locate the reset button on your WiFi router. This is usually a small button located on the back or bottom of the router.

Step 2: Press and hold the reset button

Once you have located the reset button, press and hold it for 10-15 seconds using a paperclip or similar tool until the lights on the router start flashing.

Step 3: Wait for the router to reboot

After pressing the reset button, wait for the router to reboot. This may take a few minutes, so be patient.

Step 4: Reconnect to your network

Once the router has rebooted, reconnect your Mac to your WiFi network using the new default password provided by your router.

Finally, it’s important to change your WiFi password after resetting the router to ensure the security of your network. To do this, log in to your router’s web interface and look for the wireless settings. You should be able to find an option to change your WiFi password there. Create a new strong and secure password for your WiFi and keep a note of it to save it for future reference.

Also read: 10 Best Password Managers For Mac 2023

Conclusion

Finding a lost WiFi password on Mac is not as challenging as you think, isn’t it? So, this wraps up our guide on how to find WiFi password on Mac using various methods. You can either use the Keychain Access app to retrieve stored passwords or use the Terminal app to access passwords saved in your system keychain. Or if nothing helps then you can try resetting the WiFi router to set a new password.

With the right tools and techniques, you can easily recover lost WiFi passwords on your Mac and stay connected to your favorite networks. Was this post helpful? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments box.