Forgot Your WiFi Password? How to Find it with One CMD Command

Need your WiFi password but forgot it? Windows stores all previously connected WiFi passwords. Here's how to retrieve them.

Show Current WiFi Password

Open Command Prompt and run:

netsh wlan show profile name="YOUR-WIFI-NAME" key=clear

Replace YOUR-WIFI-NAME with your network name (SSID).

Look for line that says:

Key Content : your-wifi-password-here

That's your password.

Find Your WiFi Network Name

If you don't know the exact network name:

netsh wlan show profiles

Lists all WiFi networks you've ever connected to. Find your network name in the list.

Step-by-Step Example

1. List all saved networks:

netsh wlan show profiles

2. Copy the network name exactly

3. Show password for that network:

netsh wlan show profile name="Home WiFi" key=clear

4. Find "Key Content" line in output

Show All Saved WiFi Passwords

PowerShell one-liner to show all networks and passwords:

(netsh wlan show profiles) | Select-String "\:(.+)$" | %{$name=$_.Matches.Groups[1].Value.Trim(); $_} | %{(netsh wlan show profile name="$name" key=clear)} | Select-String "Key Content\W+\:(.+)$" | %{$pass=$_.Matches.Groups[1].Value.Trim(); $_} | %{[PSCustomObject]@{ PROFILE_NAME=$name;PASSWORD=$pass }} | Format-Table -AutoSize

Outputs table with all network names and passwords.

Common Issues

"The wireless local area network interface is powered down"

WiFi adapter is disabled. Enable it in Network settings.

"Profile not found on the interface"

Network name is wrong. Check exact spelling and capitalization with netsh wlan show profiles.

Network name has spaces

Put name in quotes:

netsh wlan show profile name="Home WiFi 5G" key=clear

No "Key Content" line appears

Either:

• You never connected to this network
• Network doesn't use password (open network)
• Running without administrator privileges (shouldn't need admin, but try)

Mac Command

Open Terminal:

security find-generic-password -wa "WIFI-NAME"

Prompts for Mac password, then shows WiFi password.

Linux Command

sudo cat /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/WIFI-NAME

Look for psk= line with password.

Or use:

nmcli -s -g 802-11-wireless-security.psk connection show "WIFI-NAME"

Why This Works

Windows stores WiFi passwords in system profiles. The netsh wlan command accesses this stored data.

key=clear parameter tells it to show password in plain text instead of hiding it.

Security Note

Anyone with physical access to your Windows computer can retrieve saved WiFi passwords using these commands. No special privileges needed.

If security is a concern:

• Use strong Windows account password
• Enable BitLocker encryption
• Don't leave computer unlocked

Alternative: WiFi Settings UI

Windows 11:

1. Settings > Network & Internet > WiFi
2. Click your network
3. Click "Edit" next to password field
4. Check "Show characters"

Windows 10:

1. Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center
2. Click your WiFi network
3. Wireless Properties > Security tab
4. Check "Show characters"

Bottom Line

Quick command to show WiFi password:

netsh wlan show profile name="WIFI-NAME" key=clear

Look for "Key Content" line in output.

List all saved networks first with:

netsh wlan show profiles

Works on Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11. No admin rights required.