Need to view the password of a saved Wi-Fi network in Windows 10? Windows doesn’t expose Wi-Fi passwords through the Settings app or Control Panel. However, it is still possible to view your password in plaintext using the console.
Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with command-line interfaces – you only need to type a single command. Begin by opening PowerShell (search for it in the Start menu). You’ll see a console window open.
At the prompt, type the following command. You should substitute NETWORK for the broadcast name (SSID) of your Wi-Fi network.
netsh wlan show profile name="NETWORK" key=clear
Press enter to run the command.
You’ll see a lengthy list of information, detailing all the properties of the Wi-Fi connection. Look for the “Security settings” header. Here, you’ll see a property called “Key Content” which will display your saved password in plaintext.
You can now close the Powershell window, to prevent anyone else from seeing the password. Although it’s not an intuitive process, getting your Wi-Fi password is simple once you know the command. You’ll also see many other properties of the connection, including the security settings in use and the Wi-Fi type.
