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How to Find a Wi-Fi Password on Android

View your passwords when you need to share it but can't remember it

By Nicholas Congleton Nicholas Congleton Writer William Patterson University Nick Congleton has been a tech writer and blogger since 2015. His work has appeared in PCMech, Make Tech Easier, Infosec Institute, and others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 17, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Android Switching from iOS

What to Know

Root your Android, install Solid Explorer File Manager, then go to Menu > Storages > Root > data > Grant to grant root permissions. Tap misc > wifi > wpa_supplicant.conf, choose a text editor, then look under the network block to find the entry for psk (your password). Alternatively, use ADB to view the Wi-Fi configuration on a PC, or use a terminal emulator to access the file containing the Wi-Fi password. This article explains how to check Wi-Fi passwords on an Android device. The information below should apply no matter who made your Android (Samsung, Google, Huawei, Xiaomi, etc.).

Find WI-Fi Passwords on Android Using Solid Explorer

The Solid Explorer app is one of the best Android file browsers. Use it to retrieve your Wi-Fi password. To use these methods, enable root access to the Android device. This may void the warranty. Back up your data before attempting to root a smartphone or tablet. Open the Google Play Store app and search for Solid Explorer. Tap Solid Explorer File Manager, then tap Install. Open Solid Explorer. The home screen lists your major directories, which are the media folders that you access on a regular basis. Tap the stacked lines in the upper-left corner of the screen to open the menu. In the Storages section, tap Root. In the root filesystem, tap data. Tap Grant to give Solid Explorer root permissions. Tap misc. Tap wifi. Tap wpa_supplicant.conf, then choose a text editor such as SE Text Editor from Solid Explorer. The wpa_supplicant.conf file contains the Wi-Fi configuration information. Do not change this file. Look under the network block and find the entry for psk. That's the password. If you connect to multiple Wi-Fi networks with the device, you'll find a network block for each one. Check the ssid entry in each block for the network name. Store the password in a secure place so that you can use it later.

Can You Show Wi-Fi Passwords on Android

When you enter a Wi-Fi password, the device remembers it indefinitely; however, for security reasons, it will never share the password willingly. There are ways to display a Wi-Fi password on Android if you have a rooted device. It's also possible to access all your password-protected Android folders with a command-line tool called ADB.

How to See WI-Fi Passwords on Android Using a Terminal Emulator

If you don't want to install a new file manager, use a terminal emulator on the Android device to access the file that contains the Wi-Fi password. There are several terminal emulators, but Termux is a clear stand-out. It's more than a terminal emulator, as it brings command-line utilities, such as SSH, to Android so that you can use a mobile device like a Linux distribution. To view Wi-Fi passwords with Termux: Search for Termux in the Google Play Store and install the app. Open Termux. Enter the following text in the command line: $ pkg install termux-tools To add root (superuser) permissions, enter the command: $ su When prompted, grant superuser permissions to Termux. Enter the following text on the command line: # cat /data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf Look under the network block to find an entry for psk. If you connect to multiple Wi-Fi networks with the device, you'll find a network block for each one. Check the ssid entry in each block for the network name. Store the password in a secure place.

How to Show WI-Fi Passwords on Android Using ADB

If you prefer to do everything from a computer, the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is just the tool to do that. Use the ADB to pull the Wi-Fi configuration directly from a phone and view it on a computer. Install the ADB on your computer. This works best from Linux, but you can use Windows or Mac.

Linux

Open a terminal and run the following command: $ sudo apt install android-tools-adb android-tools-fastboot

Windows

On Windows, download the latest platform-tools from Google. After unzipping the compressed file, open the folder and right-click inside of it. Select the option to open a terminal window.

macOS

Download the latest Google platform tools for Mac. After unzipping the compressed file, open the Mac Terminal app and run this command: $ cd /path/to/android/tools Connect the Android device to the computer with a USB cable. To copy the configuration file from Android, switch the connection on the device from charging to MTP for file transfer. On the computer, enter the following into a terminal window: $ adb devices A notification appears on the device asking you to enable USB debugging. Allow it, then run the command above to see the Android device's serial number. Run the following commands from the terminal: $ adb shell
$ su
# cat /data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf To copy the configuration, run: # cp /data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf /sdcard/
# exit
$ exit
$ adb pull /sdcard/wpa_supplicant.conf ~/Downloads/ Then, open the file on the computer and access everything. Look for the network blocks in the file. Locate your network by the ssid. The password is listed under psk. To exit the shell, enter: # exit
$ exit Disconnect the Android device. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire What Is a Network Security Key and How Do You Find It? How to Connect Google Home to Wi-Fi How to Find a Wi-Fi Password on an iPhone How to Unlock the Bootloader on Your Android Phone How to Share Your Wi-Fi Password on Android How to Fix Wi-Fi Authentication Problems on Android How to Install Android Debug Bridge (ADB) How to Change Your Wi-Fi Password Remotely Reset Android Lock Screen Password and PIN How to Install APK on Android How to Find Wi-Fi Password in Windows 11 How to Connect an Apple TV to Wi-Fi Without a Remote How to Use Chromecast Without Wi-Fi How to Flash Custom ROMs on Android With TWRP How to Share a Wi-Fi Password From iPhone to Android How to Measure Your Wi-Fi Signal Strength Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies