How to View an Existing Wi-Fi Password on Android: 5 Working Methods

You connected your phone to a Wi-Fi network a month ago, and now you need to connect another device—but you've forgotten the password. Sound familiar? There are several ways to retrieve a saved password on Android, even if you don't remember it. The key is knowing where to look and what tools to use.

In this article we will look at all current methods to view Wi-Fi password on Android smartphones, including proprietary shells MIUI, One UI, EMUI and pure Android. Some methods work without root rights, while others require additional steps. Select the appropriate option depending on your phone model and firmware version.

Important: The methods vary for different Android versions. If you have Android 10+, the chances of successfully extracting a password are higher than on older versions (where this feature was often blocked by manufacturers). Check your version in Settings → About phone → Android version.

1. The standard method through settings (Android 10 and newer)

Starting from Android 10Google has added a built-in feature for viewing Wi-Fi passwords—but only for the networks your phone is currently connected to. This method does not require root rights and works on most modern smartphones.

Instructions:

• 📱 Open Settings → Wi-Fi (or Network and Internet → Wi-Fi on some models).
• 🔍 Find your current network in the list (there will be an inscription next to it) Connected) and tap on its name.
• 🔑 Choose Share (or Share (on English firmware).
• 🔐 The system will ask PIN code, pattern or fingerprint - enter it.
• 📋 A text password will appear under the QR code. You can copy it or show it in full (sometimes hidden under dots).

⚠️ Limitations of the method:

• ❌ Doesn't show passwords for saved but inactive networks (for example, if you connected to Wi-Fi at a cafe a month ago).
• ❌ On some firmware (for example, EMUI (from Huawei) the function may be disabled by the manufacturer.
• ❌ If your phone is not connected to the network right now, the password will not be displayed.

2. Viewing the password via QR code (universal method)

If there is no "Share" button in the settings, but there is an option to generate a QR code, you can extract the password from it. This method works on Samsung, Xiaomi and other brands where the standard method is blocked.

How to do it:

1. Open Wi-Fi settings and tap on the name of the current network.
2. Select QR code (or Share via QR).
3. Take a screenshot of the QR code (press and hold the buttons) Power + Volume Down).
4. Open the screenshot in any QR scanner (for example, via Google Lens or the Camera app with a scanning function).
5. The QR code data will contain a string like this:

   WIFI:S:Network_name;T:WPA;P:your_password;;

   Where P:your_password - this is the key we are looking for.

🔹 Example: if the QR code contains WIFI:S:MyWiFi;T:WPA;P:12345678;, then the password is 12345678.

3. Using a file manager (for advanced users)

On Android, all Wi-Fi passwords are stored in a system file. wpa_supplicant.confAccess to it is possible. only with root rights Or via ADB (USB debugging). If you have root access, follow these instructions:

Steps:

• 📁 Install a file manager with root support (for example, Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
• 🔍 Follow the path:

  /data/misc/wifi/WifiConfigStore/

  or (on older versions of Android):

  /data/misc/wifi/

• 📄 Find the file wpa_supplicant.conf and open it with a text editor.
• 🔐 Look for blocks like:

  network={
  ssid="Network_Name"
  psk="password_in_quotes"
  key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
  }

  Where psk — this is the password.

⚠️ Attention: Changing or deleting this file may result in loss of all saved Wi-Fi networksDon't edit it unless necessary!

Make sure your phone is bootloader unlocked

Install Magisk or SuperSU to manage permissions

Make a backup copy of your data (in case of failure)

Use only trusted file managers-->

4. Methods for specific brands (Xiaomi, Samsung, Huawei)

Manufacturers often customize Android to suit their needs, so universal methods may not work. Below are some examples. branded instructions for popular brands.

🔹 On Huawei And Honor With EMUI Standard methods are often blocked for security reasons. If you absolutely need to extract the password, you'll have to use ADB (see next section) or root.

5. Extracting the password via ADB (without root, but from a PC)

If you don't have root rights but have access to your computer, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB)This method works on most devices but requires enabling USB debugging.

Step-by-step instructions:

1. 🖥️ Install ADB Tools on PC (Windows/macOS/Linux).
2. 📱 On your phone, enable:
   • 🔧 Settings → About phone → Build number (tap 7 times to unlock Developer mode).
   • 🔌 Settings → System → Developer Options → USB Debugging.

adb shell
su
cat /data/misc/wifi/WifiConfigStore/SoftApWifiConfigStoreFile.xml

adb pull /data/misc/wifi/WifiConfigStore.xml

⚠️ Attention: on some firmware (for example, MIUI 13+) Wi-Fi file access via ADB is limited. In this case, rooting is the only solution.

6. Third-party applications: risks and alternatives

IN Google Play There are dozens of apps that promise to show Wi-Fi passwords without root. Most of them are either don't work, or require suspicious permissions. We tested several popular utilities—the results are in the table below.

🔸 Conclusion: If you don't have root access, third-party apps are unlikely to help. It's best to use built-in methods (QR code or ADB). If you do have root access, WiFi Password Viewer or Root Browser will simplify the task.

⚠️ Attention: Many "Wi-Fi hackers" in the Play Market are fraudulent software, which can:

• 🕵️‍♂️ Steal your data (passwords, contacts, SMS).
• 📱 Install malicious software in the background.
• 💸 Subscribing you to paid services without consent.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

When trying to extract a Wi-Fi password, users often encounter common problems. Here are the most common ones and their solutions:

• 🚫 "The 'Share' button is missing from the settings." → Check if you're currently connected to the internet. If not, connect and refresh the settings page. Huawei And Samsung After 2019, this button may not exist in principle.
• 🔄 "The QR code cannot be scanned." → Try a different scanning app (eg. Google Lens instead of the standard camera). Make sure there are no glare in the screenshot.
• 🔒 ADB returns a 'permission denied' error. → This means you don't have permission to read system files. Try gaining root access or using another method.
• 📱 "The phone is not detected by the PC when connected." → Install the drivers for your model (for example, Samsung USB Driver or Xiaomi ADB Driver). Switch the USB mode to File transfer.

🔹 If none of the methods worked, there is one last option: reset the router settings (press the button Reset on the back panel) and set a new password. This is a radical solution, but it's guaranteed to work.

FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions