How to Locate Saved Wi-Fi Passwords on Mac – Guide
If you’ve forgotten your Wi-Fi password, don’t worry. There’s an easy way to recover it on a Mac. Just follow these steps and you’ll be connected again in no time.
View keychain saved Wi-Fi passwords
Mac Keychain is a password manager that comes pre-installed on macOS. It stores all local passwords, including those for networks, and can sync with iCloud to save login data from Safari across Apple devices.
Want to know how to access saved Wi-Fi passwords stored in your Keychain? Follow these steps.
To quickly access Spotlight Search, press Command + Space or click the search menu in the upper right corner of your screen.
Open Keychain Access by typing it into the search bar or navigating to Launchpad > Another folder > Keychain Access.
Choose a system from the left sidebar’s key menu.
Go to the bottom menu bar and select “Passwords” from the categories section.
Users can access their Wi-Fi system settings by navigating to the right side of their device.
To connect to a Wi-Fi network, double-click its name to open a dialog box.
Tap the “Show Password” option at the bottom of the screen to authenticate your device with a fingerprint or password.
Users must provide their username and password to verify their identity when accessing system information.
To change your username, tap the Apple logo in the top left corner.
You can now access your username and password with ease - simply add it to the Keychain and you’re good to go.
Tap the small key icon to open the password wizard menu and use the suggested password to save changes for a Wi-Fi network. However, if another administrator controls it, you won’t be able to modify passwords.
Use macOS Terminal
Terminal is an application that lets Mac users control their device with command prompts. For a simpler solution, users need to know the exact name of their Wi-Fi network in order to access its password via Terminal.
Open the Terminal by using the Command + Space keyboard shortcut or navigating to Launchpad > Other > Terminal.
To set up a new user, users must enter the command “adduser” into their terminal.
Security experts have discovered a way to uncover the password for a Wi-Fi network. By using the command “security find-password-generic -ga WIFI NAME | grep “password:”, users can now easily access the password for their desired network.
Change the network name on your device to the exact name of the WiFi network for which you need the password.
Set the return button and authenticate with your username and password.
Click ‘OK’ to reveal the Wi-Fi password for the network.
Discover the 11 essential Terminal commands for macOS and unlock the full potential of your Mac.
Apple users should consider iCloud Keychain for their password management needs, and an upgrade is expected with the iOS 14 update. Alternatives include Enpass, 1Password, LastPass and Dashlane – all of which are cross-platform solutions available on Android and Windows.
Final note
If you need help finding saved Wi-Fi passwords on Mac, this guide can help. Got questions? Reach out to us. Spread the love and share the guide with your friends.
