You’re sitting at a coffee shop or maybe your aunt's living room, and someone asks for the Wi-Fi. You’re already connected. Your phone is humming along on the network, but for the life of you, you can't remember if the password was "Password123" or some weird string of numbers your uncle wrote on a sticky note three years ago. It’s annoying. We've all been there.
Back in the day, finding that saved password was a nightmare. Apple kept that data locked down tighter than a drum. You basically had to be a hacker or jailbreak your phone just to see a string of text you technically already owned. Thankfully, things changed with iOS 16 and have only gotten better in the versions since. Honestly, it’s one of those features Apple should have added a decade ago, but hey, better late than never.
Finding your saved passwords in Settings
If you're looking for how to get password of wifi from iphone, the most direct route is buried right in your Settings app. This isn't just for the network you're currently on; it works for all those random networks you've joined over the last few years.
First, open Settings and tap on Wi-Fi. You’ll see the network you’re currently using at the top. Notice that little blue "i" inside a circle? Tap it. You’ll see a row that says "Password" with a bunch of dots. It looks like it's blocked, and it is—until you tap those dots. Your iPhone will ask for FaceID, TouchID, or your passcode. Once it confirms you’re actually you, those dots turn into plain text. You can long-press it to copy the password to your clipboard.
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What if you need a password for a network you aren't currently using? Maybe you’re at home and need the password for your office's guest network so you can send it to a colleague. In the top right corner of the Wi-Fi settings screen, there’s an Edit button. Tap that, authenticate again, and you’ll see a massive list of every single network your iPhone has ever "remembered." You can tap the "i" on any of them to see the credentials. It’s a literal goldmine of every hotel, airport, and friend's house you've visited.
The "Share Password" trick (The lazy way)
Sometimes you don't actually need to see the password. You just need your friend to be online. Apple’s "Share Password" feature is basically magic when it works, and a total headache when it doesn't.
To make this happen, both people need to have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on. You also need to have each other in your Contacts. This is the part people usually mess up. If your email address isn't in their contact card, or vice versa, the prompt won't show up.
Basically, your friend tries to join the network. They stay on the password entry screen. You unlock your iPhone and just... sit there next to them. A card should slide up from the bottom of your screen asking if you want to share the password. You tap "Share Password," and they’re in. No typing required. If it doesn't pop up within five seconds, it’s probably not going to. Usually, toggling Bluetooth off and on again fixes the handshake issue.
iCloud Keychain and the Mac workaround
If you have a Mac, you have a secret weapon. Because of iCloud Keychain, your iPhone and your Mac share a brain when it comes to passwords. If your iPhone knows a Wi-Fi password, your Mac knows it too.
Open the Keychain Access app on your Mac (just hit Cmd + Space and type it in). In the search bar at the top right, type the name of the Wi-Fi network. Look for the "AirPort network password" entry. Double-click it, check the "Show password" box at the bottom, and enter your Mac's admin password. Boom. There it is.
This is actually safer than writing it on a napkin. It’s encrypted, synced, and accessible only by you. Well, you and whoever has your passcode. This is why you should never give your phone passcode to people you don't trust—they don't just get your texts; they get every Wi-Fi password you’ve ever stored.
Using a Personal Hotspot as a backup
If the Wi-Fi is being flaky or you simply can't find the password because the router belongs to someone who isn't home, remember that your iPhone is a router.
Go to Settings > Personal Hotspot. You can set your own password here. It’s often way faster to just turn this on and let someone tether to your 5G than it is to spend twenty minutes hunting for a router in a dusty cabinet. Just keep an eye on your data cap. 5G eats through gigabytes like a kid eats candy.
Common roadblocks and "Why isn't this working?"
Look, technology is rarely perfect. If you're trying to figure out how to get password of wifi from iphone and the "Edit" button isn't there, you’re likely on a very old version of iOS. Anything older than iOS 16 won't let you see the password directly on the device. At that point, your options are either updating your software or using the Mac Keychain method mentioned above.
Another weird quirk: Managed devices. If your iPhone is a work phone, your IT department might have installed a "Configuration Profile." These profiles can sometimes hide Wi-Fi passwords for security reasons. If you see a message about "This phone is managed by [Company Name]," you might be out of luck. The "i" button might be there, but the password field will be missing or grayed out.
Also, it's worth noting that this only works for networks your phone has successfully connected to. You can't use an iPhone to "crack" a nearby Wi-Fi password. This isn't Mr. Robot. You’re just retrieving data your phone already has stored in its keychain.
Important Privacy and Security Reality Checks
Sharing is caring, but be careful. When you show or share a Wi-Fi password, you're giving someone access to a local network. On most home networks, that means they could potentially see other devices, like printers or smart home hubs.
- Don't use the same password for your Wi-Fi as you do for your bank account.
- Do change your Wi-Fi password if you've shared it with someone you no longer want on your network.
- Check your list of saved networks occasionally. If you see "Free Airport WiFi" from three years ago, delete it. Your phone will try to auto-connect to those, and public networks are notoriously easy to spoof for "man-in-the-middle" attacks.
Actionable Next Steps
Now that you know how the system works, here is how to stay organized and secure:
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- Clean up your list: Go to Settings > Wi-Fi > Edit and delete all those old networks you'll never visit again. It keeps your keychain clean and reduces the risk of connecting to malicious "twin" networks.
- Verify your Contact Card: Make sure your own contact card in the Contacts app has your current phone number and email. This ensures the "Share Password" feature actually works when you need it.
- Audit your password strength: While you're looking at your passwords, if you see that your home Wi-Fi is something like "12345678," change it at the router level. Use a mix of characters. Your iPhone will remember the new one anyway, so you don't have to worry about memorizing it.
- Use the Copy feature: Instead of reading the password out loud to a room full of people, copy it from the "i" menu and text it to the person who needs it. It’s faster and prevents typos.
Retrieving a password shouldn't be a chore. With the current iOS tools, it’s a thirty-second task that saves a lot of frustration. Whether you’re using the Settings menu or syncing via Mac, the information is right there at your fingertips.