X

The Ultimate Guide to Viewing, Copying and Sharing Wi-Fi Passwords on Your iPhone

As of iOS 18, you can view, copy and share Wi-Fi passwords from your phone without needing the planets to align.

Headshot of Nelson Aguilar
Headshot of Nelson Aguilar
Nelson Aguilar
With more than a decade of experience, Nelson covers Apple and Google and writes about iPhone and Android features, privacy and security settings, and more.
Headshot of Blake Stimac
Headshot of Blake Stimac
Blake Stimac Writer
Blake has over a decade of experience writing for the web, with a focus on mobile phones, where he covered the smartphone boom of the 2010s and the broader tech scene. When he's not in front of a keyboard, you'll most likely find him playing video games, watching horror flicks, or hunting down a good churro.
Nelson Aguilar , 
Blake Stimac
3 min read
Apple iPhone 13 Pro

You can use your iPhone to share Wi-Fi networks and passwords much easier than ever before. 

 James Martin/CNET

If you've ever wished there were a more convenient way to share wi-fi passwords with your iPhone, you should know that big changes came with the introduction of iOS 18. 

Personalizing your lock screen and editing iMessages is great and all, and the ability to view and copy your Wi-Fi passwords much easier than previous versions introduced in iOS 16 is incredibly useful. But with iOS 18, Apple's Passwords app took things even further and made them gel in a way that they never quite did before.

This story is part of 12 Days of Tips, helping you make the most of your tech, home and health during the holiday season.
CNET 12 Days of Tips logo
CNET

Before iOS 16, when trying to connect to Wi-Fi, other iOS devices on the same SSID would be pinged that someone was trying to connect to the network, which could easily be shared. It worked (and still does) in a very Apple "magic" sort of way but only with iOS devices. Below, we'll show you how to view and copy Wi-Fi passwords on iOS 16 Plus and iPadOS 16 Plus.

For more, check out the settings you should change after your install iOS 18.

How to view your Wi-Fi network password in iPhone or iPad Settings

For this to work, you must be either connected to the Wi-Fi network or have connected to it in the past and be near enough to the router for the network to appear in your settings. If you meet these requirements, launch the Settings application on your iPhone or iPad running iOS 16 or iPadOS 16 or later and do the following:

1. Go to Wi-Fi.

2. Find the Wi-Fi network you want the password for and tap the blue information icon to the right of the network name.

3. Tap Password and use Face ID, Touch ID or enter your passcode to view the password.

4. Finally, hit Copy to save the password to your clipboard.

Wi-Fi network settings on iOS 16

You can view passwords for any Wi-Fi networks you've ever connected to, as long as you're currently connected to it or near enough that it appears under My Networks.

 Nelson Aguilar/CNET

You can then paste the Wi-Fi network password into a text message or email to share it with someone or just tell them the password.

How to view, copy, and share your Wi-Fi network password in the Passwords app

In iOS 18, Apple introduced the Passwords app, which also stores your Wi-Fi credentials, though anyone with an iPhone or iPad running anything below iOS 18 don't have access to it. This also means that those with iOS 18 or above have two places to access their Wi-Fi network information, though this may be the best one to remember. We'll explain. 

  1. Open the Passwords app (requires authentication via Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode).
  2. Tap on the Wi-Fi network you want.
  3. Tap on the password itself to reveal it.

Upon showing you the password, an option to copy it will appear immediately. From here, you can send it in a message or however you want. That said, if you're sharing the password with someone you're currently in the company of, you can tap the Show Network QR Code to reveal a QR code that can be scanned by someone else's camera to immediately login to the Wi-Fi network. This is especially helpful if you just want to allow someone to login to your Wi-Fi network without giving them the password. This method is easier and faster, too. 

For more on iOS, don't miss how to shoot video and play music at the same time on iOS 18 and the helpful new feature iOS 18 brings to Apple Maps.