Friday, March 29, 2024

Ways to Recover WiFi Password

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Most people fail to remember their passwords many times. Also, there is one such class of passwords that almost no one keeps in mind: the WiFi password. Usually, once people configure WiFi networks, they enter the password on all their devices and let it slip from memory! Until you purchase a new phone or your friends ask to login into your smartphone’s WiFi – that’s when you will feel agitated and start searching for your WiFi password.

It can be a bit difficult to find WiFi Password on Windows 10 (obviously unless you have noted it down somewhere) since almost all devices conceal the characters with asterisks (star). However, straight up, it doesn’t call for much technological proficiency to recover a lapsed WiFi password, given that you have accessibility to the router or a minimum of one device.

Before abandoning hope and resetting your wireless router (the last way out), here we have a few tips for you to follow to recover your saved WiFi passwords.

Please Note: Here, we are not entailing a guide to hack into the WiFi networks of others. Hacking is illegal, and it may land you into a way more severe issue than you think! The steps explained below are only for recovering your own/private WiFi password. Also, if you don’t have access to the network on one of your devices already, it is impossible to recover your WiFi password by following these steps.

A) Steps to Recover Forgotten WiFi Password on Windows

Although various apps you might come across that claim to help you recover your WiFi passwords, you still do not require any such application on Windows PCs. If an individual does not have administrator access on their PC, they can also recover the lost WiFi password by following these step-by-step instructions.

The point that should be noted here is that this method only works when the security is Personal. It means if you are connected to an Enterprise network, for instance, your office WiFi, then this method will not recover the password.

First Method: Without Password Recovering Apps

  1. Operate a PC that is connected to your WiFi network (whose password you want to recover), then click on Start > Control Panel > Network and Sharing Centre.
  1.  On the left sidebar, select Change adapter settings.
  1.  Next, Right-click the WiFi network you are using and then click on the Status option.
  1.  Select Wireless properties and then click the Security tab.
  1.  Here, you will see the name of the WiFi network and its concealed password. Select on Show characters to unveil the saved password.

Second Method: With a third-party app – WiFi Password Revealer App

  1.  You have to download and install WiFi Password Revealer. [Here, you will be instructed to install Skype and AVG TuneUp also by the installer, you must deselect these while the installation.]
  1.  Next, run the program after the installation process gets finished.
  1. Now, you can see all the WiFi network names and their saved passwords. You only have to run the program, nothing else!

B) Steps to Recover Forgotten WiFi Password on Mac

On the Mac, the saved WiFi passwords can be found through the Keychain Access app. Let’s explore!

  1.  Open Applications/Utilities.
  1.  Select Keychain Access and go to the System keychain listed under the Keychains on the top left.
  1.  Now, search for the WiFi network whose password is lost by typing the network name (SSID) in the search box or simply by manually scrolling in the list.
  1.  Double-click on the network’s name, and in the box that pops out, select Show password.
  1.  Next, enter the user account password when called for, and you will get the saved WiFi password in an unencrypted-text form.

C) Steps to Recover Forgotten WiFi Password through the Router

If you are trying to recover your WiFi password with your phone/tablet because you have got no Windows or Mac PC device with the WiFi password saved, you can find the saved WiFi password through the router. This way will only work if you are connected to the network of a router. Notably, you can connect to the router with an Ethernet cable also.

Note:

 Smartphones/Tablets cannot proceed further unless they are previously connected to the WiFi network.

Okay! so the steps will slightly differ with each router. It means changing the wrong settings may ruin the WiFi network for everyone, so proceed at your own risk!!

  1.  Open your browser and visit the router’s local address. The URL differs as per the router, so you should check your router’s manual (or its official site) to find the exact address.
  1.  Then, enter the username and password. Now, this will vary from product to product, and you can change the passwords as well. You should check this with the router manufacturer or ISP.
  1.  Select Internet and then click Wireless (the Wireless option in some routers may be visible on the main screen). This section will show the security type (WPA, WEP, etc.) and the key. Also, some routers have these options under a Security tab.
  1.  Here, the box next to the key-field comprises the password for the WiFi network. On many routers, this is as unencrypted text so, you can note it.

What If all else fails…?

If everything else fails, then you might have to reset the router. It is the last resort, don’t do this unless you can’t connect to the network using any device! Doing a router reset is the utmost step, and you will have to restructure the network to restore your Internet connection.

There is no accurate step-by-step guide for this because it varies depending on the manufacturing of the router. Check your router’s user manual before attempting this. There is a reset switch in every router. Some have a tiny reset button, whereas some routers have this button hidden in a small hole (tip: it can be hit by a paperclip). You have to press it for a few seconds for the router to reset. The lights flashing on the router will tell you that it has been reset now.

 Once it is done, you should wait for it to reboot and reconfigure the network.

If you don’t know how to do that, it is recommended that you should contact your ISP for help.

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