How to find the Wi-Fi password in Windows 11

Forgetting your Wi-Fi password can be a big hassle. For example, you may have guests visiting and they need to connect their devices to your network, but you can’t remember the password. Fortunately, Windows 11 has a solution.

This article will show you how to recover your Wi-Fi password in Windows 11. With this knowledge, you will no longer be locked out of your network if you forget your password.

How to find the Wi-Fi password in Windows 11

The most common method to find Wi-Fi passwords in Windows 11 is through the Control Panel. This is what it entails:

1. Press the “Start” button and open the “Control Panel”.
   
2. Click on the first result and go to the “Network and Internet” section.
   
3. Go to the “Network and Sharing Center” option. To reduce confusion and ease visibility, change the view from “Category” to “Large Icons.”
   
4. Select “Connections” and find the name of your Wi-Fi network.
   
5. Find the “Wi-Fi” status and press “Wireless Properties”.
   
6. Choose “Security” and press “Show Characters.” This should display your network password in one of the boxes.
   

Another way to find your Wi-Fi password is to use “Settings”, but this one is a little more complicated:

1. Press the “Home” button and go to “Settings”. Another way to access this window is to use the combination “Windows Key + I”.
   
2. Go to the left sidebar and click “Network and Internet.”
   
3. Go to the bottom of your screen and choose advanced settings.
   
4. Press the message to expand more adapter options in the “Related settings” section. You should now reach the network options in your Control Panel.
   
5. Press “Wi-Fi” and navigate to “Connections.”
   
6. Click “Wireless Properties,” followed by “Security” and “Show Characters.” Check the boxes for your password and write it down.
   

How to Find Wi-Fi Password in Windows with Command Prompt

Windows 11 retains most of the features from previous versions, including the Command Prompt. This tool allows you to discover your current password as well as passwords from previous connections. Follow the steps below to use your command prompt:

1. Press “Start” and type “command prompt.”
   
2. Choose the option to run the tool as administrator.
   
3. Get into “netsh wlan show profiles” to find your Wi-Fi connection. Press the “Enter” button. This should show you the names of all your networks.
   
4. If you are looking for a specific password, type “netsh wlan show profile name=yourwificonnectionname=clear.” Replace the “yourwificonnectionname”with the name of your network. Press enter.”
   
5. The value near “Key Content” is the password you are looking for.

How to find Wi-Fi password in Windows 11 with WirelessKeyView

If you want to avoid fiddling with various system settings, you can use third-party apps to recover your Wi-Fi password. One of your best options is WirelessKeyView. It has an intuitive interface and allows you to find your password with just a few clicks. This is how you can use the program:

1. Download WirelessKeyView from this page.
   
2. Install and run the program.
3. Run the software to view your networks and passwords.
4. To save passwords, press “File” and choose “Export all items.”
5. All your passwords should now be stored in a text file.

How to change the Wi-Fi password in Windows 11

Once you’ve recovered your Wi-Fi password, it may be a good idea to change it and minimize the risk of data theft or forgetting it again. This requires you to log in to your router from your Windows 11 computer:

1. Identify the IP address of the router. Most devices have a default value, such as 192.168.1.100 or 192.168.2.1.
2. Open your web browser and connect to the router. To do this, type the IP address in the address bar.
   
3. Enter your login information to access administrative settings.
   
4. Locate the Wi-Fi password section.
   
5. Enter your new password and save your changes.
   

How to set up a Wi-Fi hotspot in Windows 11

Like other versions, Windows 11 allows you to share your Internet connection over a Wi-Fi network. You will need a functional network adapter to serve as access for other devices to connect. Once you have obtained the necessary hardware, you can create and share your Wi-Fi hotspot:

1. Launch “Settings” and press the “Network and Internet” option.
   
2. Go to the right section of the window and select “Mobile Hotspot”.
   
3. Navigate to the “Share my connection from” tab and choose the Internet-enabled adapter. In this case, choose Wi-Fi.
   
4. Find “Properties” and press “Edit.”
   
5. Name your mobile hotspot and create a strong password.
   
6. Press “Save” and activate the hotspot to share the Internet connection. You should also consider turning off “Power Saver” to maintain the network even if no devices are connected. Otherwise, you will need to turn the feature back on to allow computers or cell phones to establish a link.
   

Once you’ve created a Wi-Fi hotspot, you’ll also need to know how to enable it after the next reboot:

1. Go to the system tray on your taskbar by pressing the “Windows” and “A” key combination.
   
2. Click “Network” and select “Mobile Hotspot.”
   
3. Activate the function by pressing the corresponding button.

Another way to enable your hotspot is to use “Settings”.

1. Launch “Settings”.
   
2. Press “Network and Internet.”
   
3. Turn on your Wi-Fi hotspot using the toggle switch.
   

How to reset network settings in Windows 11

Resetting network settings is an effective way to fix Wi-Fi connectivity issues in Windows 11. Reinstall adapters and reconfigure other components to factory settings to fix certain issues. Before doing this, note that it clears all settings for your adapters. Therefore, use it only if you have exhausted all your options.

Resetting your network looks like this:

1. Press “Start” and type “Settings.”
   
2. Open the first result and press the “Network and Internet” button on the left side of your screen.
   
3. Choose the advanced settings option and click “Reset Network”. This window should explain in depth what is involved in restarting your network. Read it and if everything looks good, select “Reset now.”
   
4. Confirm your decision by pressing the “Yes” button.
   
5. Wait for the system to reset your adapters to factory settings. This shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes.

After resetting your network, you need to set your Windows 11 PC to automatically establish an Internet connection. TCP/IP options are generally automatic and in most cases no adjustments are necessary. If your PC won’t reconnect, follow these steps to resolve the issues:

1. Open “Settings” and go to “Network and Internet.”
   
2. Choose the “Ethernet” option.
   
3. Find your network and click the drop-down symbol to reveal your TCP/IP.
   
4. Continue scrolling until you reach your IP assignment. Check that it says “Automatic.”
   
5. If the task is different, click the “Edit” button in the right section of the screen.
   
6. Expand the menu in the new window and change the setting to “Automatic.” Your PC should now automatically identify itself and link to your network after a reboot.
   

Browse the Internet without problems

Forgetting your Wi-Fi password can be a huge risk, but Windows 11 allows you to quickly mitigate it. We have listed several ways to recover your password and stay on top of your network settings. The next time you don’t remember your combination, choose the method that suits you best, let your friends log in to your Wi-Fi and start your Internet party.

How often do you forget your Wi-Fi password? Have you ever reset your Wi-Fi settings? What problems did you encounter? Tell us in the comments section below.