WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.840 I think we've all been in the situation where we need to connect a new phone or PC 00:00:03.840 --> 00:00:08.480 to our Wi-Fi network and we forgot the password. Sometimes it's because you're using an ISP 00:00:08.480 --> 00:00:14.480 provided router that has a complicated default security key and you lost the piece of paper it 00:00:14.480 --> 00:00:20.160 was on. While other times we just can't remember the custom password we set ourselves. So is there 00:00:20.160 --> 00:00:26.000 a way to look it up? Let's start with what's probably the easiest way. Using an Android device 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:30.240 that's already connected to the same network. Android 10 and newer actually make it quite 00:00:30.240 --> 00:00:34.480 straightforward. Open up your Wi-Fi settings and tap on the network you're currently connected to 00:00:34.480 --> 00:00:38.960 or a previous one that's already saved. Then you should see an option that says share. Go ahead 00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:44.080 and tap that and you'll see a QR code that another device can scan to connect. But you'll also get 00:00:44.080 --> 00:00:49.680 the password you need in plain text right below it. It's just that easy. But what if you're more of 00:00:49.680 --> 00:00:56.800 an iPhone household? Well iOS has lagged behind Android in this department. Imagine that. But 00:00:56.800 --> 00:01:02.880 Apple is finally adding a feature to view saved Wi-Fi passwords to iPhones and iPads and followed 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:07.920 this year when iOS 16 comes out. You'll need to have an iPhone 8 or newer or an iPad with at least 00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:12.640 an A9 CPU in order to do this though. Open up your Wi-Fi settings and tap the network you want 00:01:12.640 --> 00:01:17.680 similar to what you do on Android. Then you'll see a field that says password. So as you'd expect 00:01:17.680 --> 00:01:21.600 tap on it, authenticate yourself with either your biometrics or your unlock code 00:01:21.600 --> 00:01:25.760 and the Wi-Fi password will pop right up. But what if your mobile device is too old to 00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:30.080 use these methods or you just you don't have it on you? We'll tell you what to do in that case 00:01:30.080 --> 00:01:33.920 right after we thank our buddy Joel Crane for collaborating with us on this episode. You can 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:38.160 also look up a lost Wi-Fi password on a Windows PC that's already connected to the network you want. 00:01:38.160 --> 00:01:41.520 Fire up the old school control panel and go to network and sharing center. You'll be able to 00:01:41.520 --> 00:01:46.320 click on the name of the network and from there select wireless properties then the security tab 00:01:46.320 --> 00:01:51.280 and finally check the box that says show characters. If you're logged in with administrator privileges 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:55.280 the password will pop right up. There's also a way to view passwords from previous networks you 00:01:55.280 --> 00:02:00.000 connected to and it's only a tiny bit more complicated. Open up a command prompt or power 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:04.320 shell window as administrator and then enter this command. Just replace the X's with the 00:02:04.320 --> 00:02:08.560 name of the network you want. You'll then see a field called key content. The password will be 00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:13.680 listed right there. If you've got macOS the process is actually a little simpler. All you 00:02:13.680 --> 00:02:18.000 have to do is search for a built-in app called Keychain Access. From there you can search for 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:23.520 any saved wireless network you want then click on the show password box and then it'll spill its 00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:27.840 secrets for you. But all of these methods require that you have a device previously connected to 00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:32.720 the network. What if you're like really in a bind and you don't have all of that? Well assuming 00:02:32.720 --> 00:02:38.560 it's your own network you might be able to brute force the password if you've left WPS on. WPS 00:02:38.560 --> 00:02:43.200 stands for Wi-Fi protected setup and it's that feature that allows you to connect your devices 00:02:43.200 --> 00:02:48.640 by just pushing a button on your router. Unfortunately WPS is also a huge security risk 00:02:48.640 --> 00:02:53.120 which is why we recommend disabling it in the router settings in most circumstances. But if 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:57.840 your router happens to have it enabled anyway which many of them unfortunately do by default 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:02.720 you might be able to take advantage of that weakness to hack the WPS feature by using free 00:03:02.720 --> 00:03:06.960 software tools that you can find online. If you succeed you'll probably have your password 00:03:06.960 --> 00:03:12.400 in a matter of hours but for the love of god do not do this on any network that isn't your own. 00:03:12.400 --> 00:03:17.600 Not only is it extremely not nice but it's also illegal in many places and if you get caught 00:03:17.600 --> 00:03:22.880 yeah don't say we didn't warn you. Thanks for watching guys like dislike check out some of our 00:03:22.880 --> 00:03:26.960 other videos comment with video suggestions down below and don't forget to subscribe and follow.