How to View Wi-Fi Passwords on macOS

Cách Xem Mật Khẩu WiFi trên MacOS đơn giản
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    WiFi has become an indispensable part of our daily lives, whether it is at home, at work or at public hotspots. Sometimes you also need to review the wifi password to share with people around you when you forget the password. Or even view it to reset a new password for your wifi. Viewing Wi-Fi password on MacOS is not complicated, but requires the right steps to ensure safety and information security.

    How to View Wi-Fi Password on MacOS simply
    How to View WiFi Password on MacOS simply

    Requirements before you want to see wifi password on macOS

    Make sure the current user’s Access Rights are Admin

    Before proceeding, it’s important to make sure you’re using an admin user on your Mac. This is necessary because only accounts with admin privileges can access sensitive security options like Wi-Fi passwords stored in Keychain Access. To check if you’re an admin user, you can:

    1. Mở System Preferences.
    2. Chọn ‘Users & Groups‘.
    3. Check your username under the ‘ Current User’ tab. If you have admin rights, this will be indicated right below your username.
    How to View WiFi Password on MacOS simply
    How to View WiFi Password on MacOS simply

    Check MacOS Version

    Features may vary depending on the version of MacOS you are using as this tutorial I will be using macOS sonoma 14.2.1 . I recommend you to update to the latest version of macOS to avoid missing security patches. To check your MacOS version:

    1. Open the Apple menu in the upper left corner of the screen.
    2. Select ‘ About This Mac ‘.
    3. In the window that appears, you will see information about the version of MacOS you are using.

    Summary of Ways to View WiFi Passwords on MacOS

    Method 1: View WiFi Password on MacOS in the simplest way

    This method is extremely simple, you will use the Settings menu. This method allows you to copy and paste Wi-Fi passwords, instead of simply viewing them.

    How to View WiFi Password on MacOS simply
    How to View WiFi Password on MacOS simply

    Open Settings and click on WiFi

    First, open the Settings app and tap on Wi-Fi.

    How to View WiFi Password on MacOS simply
    How to View WiFi Password on MacOS simply

    Click the three dots next to the network and select Copy Password

    Now click on the three dots next to the network you want to view the password for. Then select Copy Password.

    How to View WiFi Password on MacOS simply
    How to View WiFi Password on MacOS simply

    Paste into another app (e.g. Notes)

    Open another application and press Cmd + V or right click and select Paste.

    How to View WiFi Password on MacOS simply
    How to View WiFi Password on MacOS simply

    Method 2: Using Keychain Access

    Keychain Access is a powerful password manager built into macOS that lets you access and manage secret keys and certificates. It’s a simple and secure way to view Wi-Fi passwords saved on your Mac.

    Step 1: Open Keychain Access

    • Open Finder, select ” Applications ” then select ” Utilities “.
    • Find and open ” Keychain Access ” or use the shortcut Command + Space to open spotlight and type ” Keychain Access ” to find and open ” Keychain Access
    How to View WiFi Password on MacOS simply
    How to View WiFi Password on MacOS simply

    Step 2: Search and select Wi-Fi network

    • In Keychain Access, look for the ” Passwords ” section on the left.
    • Use the search bar in the upper right corner to enter the name of the Wi-Fi network whose password you need.

    Step 3: View password in details section

    • Double-click the Wi-Fi network entry whose password you want to view. A new window will appear.
    • Check the ” Show password ” box. You may need to enter your machine’s admin password to confirm.
    • After entering the admin password, the Wi-Fi password will be displayed.
    How to View WiFi Password on MacOS simply
    How to View WiFi Password on MacOS simply

    Method 3: Using Terminal

    Terminal is a powerful tool that allows you to perform tasks using the command line, including retrieving Wi-Fi passwords.

    Step 1: Open Terminal

    • Similar to Keychain Access, open Finder, select ” Applications “, then ” Utilities ” and open ” Terminal ” or Shortcut Command + Space type Terminal to open the Terminal application.

    Step 2: Enter the command to show the password

    • Type the following command into Terminal and press Enter:
      security find-generic-password -ga "Tên mạng Wi-Fi của bạn" | grep "password:"
    • Replace ” Your Wi-Fi network name ” with the actual name of the Wi-Fi network whose password you want to view.
    • You may need to enter your machine’s admin password to confirm.
    How to View WiFi Password on MacOS simply
    How to View WiFi Password on MacOS simply

    Explain how it works

    • This command tells the system to search for the password for the specified WiFi network in Keychain and display it. The “grep ‘password:'” part is to filter the results and display only the line containing the password.

    Notes When Viewing and Managing Wi-Fi Passwords

    Once you have viewed and accessed your WiFi password on MacOS, you need to manage this sensitive information carefully. Here are some tips and tricks to ensure your WiFi password is safe.

    Password Security After Viewing

    1. Don’t share passwords over insecure sites : Always be careful when sharing your Wi-Fi password. Avoid sending passwords via email, text messages, or social media as they can be easily stolen.

    2. Store passwords in a safe place : Use a reliable password manager to store all your passwords, including Wi-Fi passwords, instead of writing them down or saving them in easily accessible documents. You can also refer to the top best password manager apps.

    3. Use a strong password for your WiFi network : To increase security, make sure your Wi-Fi password is strong enough, using a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters.

    You Should Change Your Wi-Fi Password Regularly

    1. Why you should change your Wi-Fi password regularly : Changing your password periodically helps prevent the risk of being hacked or used for free and ensures that unauthorized people cannot access your network.

    2. Instructions on how to change the password : To change the Wi-Fi password on your router, access the router’s settings via a web browser by entering the router’s IP address, log in, and go to the Wi-Fi settings section to update the new password. I will make a separate tutorial for this tutorial.

    Conclude

    Viewing WiFi passwords on MacOS can be a little different and more complicated than other devices, but with the above instructions, you can view your WiFi password easily. However, remember, protecting your WiFi password is very important if you don’t want others to use it for free. Always be careful when sharing your password with others and make sure you are connecting to a secure Wi-Fi network.

    In addition, you can also view wifi passwords on any Apple device such as iPhone or iPad or computers running Windows or Android OS.

    Hopefully, through this article, you have been able to clearly understand how to view and manage WiFi passwords on your macbook. Don’t hesitate to explore more and take advantage of other security features that macOS offers, to not only optimize your network connection but also protect your personal data and devices from potential threats.

    Please see the article 5 simple ways to block strange phone numbers on iPhone if you are bothered by too many strange phone numbers.

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