How to See WiFi Password on Windows 11 (CMD): A Step-by-Step Guide

Want to recover the Wi-Fi password for a network you already connected to on your Windows 11 PC? Great — you’re in the right place. In this step-by-step guide we’ll show you how to see WiFi password on Windows 11 using Command Prompt (CMD), why that works, when you should use it, and safe alternatives. We’ll keep things friendly and practical — no jargon-first approach, just clear instructions you can follow now.

Table of Contents

Quick summary (key takeaways)

You can view saved Wi-Fi passwords on Windows 11 using Command Prompt (CMD) with just a few commands.
This works only for networks your PC has connected to previously (Windows stores their profiles).
If you don’t have admin rights, you’ll need them to run the commands.
There are GUI alternatives (Settings, PowerShell) and safer options if you don’t want to use CMD.
Always respect network owners — don’t retrieve or share passwords for networks you don’t have permission to access.

Why this guide? (short answer)

Because CMD is fast, reliable, and available on every Windows 11 machine. If you prefer typed commands and precise control (and sometimes need to script or troubleshoot), CMD is the tool to use.

What does this method do?
Do you need administrator rights?
Safety and ethics — a quick note
Step-by-step: See Wi-Fi password on Windows 11 (CMD) — simple method (numbered)
Step-by-step: See password for currently connected network (short method)
Step-by-step: See password for any saved network (detailed)
Using PowerShell (alternative)
Using Windows Settings (GUI alternative)
Troubleshooting common issues and fixes
Extra tips: export, delete, and manage Wi-Fi profiles
Quick commands cheat sheet (table)
When this won’t work — and what to do instead
Conclusion — what to remember
5 FAQs (short answers)

What does this method do?

Windows keeps a list of Wi-Fi profiles (networks) you’ve connected to. Each profile can include connection settings and, if you chose to save it, the network password (security key). The commands we’ll use tell Windows to display a profile’s settings, including the saved key in clear text.

Do you need administrator rights?

Yes — to view the saved Wi-Fi password in clear text you must run Command Prompt (CMD) as an administrator. If you don’t have admin privileges on the PC, ask the device owner or IT admin for help.

Safety and ethics — a quick note

Only reveal passwords for networks you own or have permission to manage.
Don’t use this method to access other people’s networks without consent.
Treat recovered passwords like sensitive information: don’t post them publicly.

Step-by-step: See Wi-Fi password on Windows 11 (CMD) — simple method

Follow these exact steps (copy-paste friendly).

Press Start (or hit the Windows key).
Type cmd.
In the search results, right-click Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator. Approve the User Account Control prompt.
In the elevated Command Prompt window, type:

netsh wlan show profiles
and press Enter.
— This lists all Wi-Fi profiles saved on the PC (e.g., HomeWiFi, CoffeeShop).
Identify the profile name (SSID) you want the password for. If the SSID includes spaces, use quotes in the next command.
Type the following, replacing PROFILE_NAME with the exact profile name (use quotes if necessary):

netsh wlan show profile name="PROFILE_NAME" key=clear
Press Enter.
Scroll the results to the Security settings section and look for:

Key Content : your_wifi_password_here
— That line shows the plain-text Wi-Fi password.

That’s it — quick and reliable.

Step-by-step: See password for the currently connected network (short method)

If you only need the password for the network you’re connected to right now:

Open Command Prompt as administrator (steps above).
Run:

netsh wlan show interfaces
This shows the SSID you’re connected to.
Then run:

netsh wlan show profile name="SSID_NAME" key=clear
Replace SSID_NAME with the SSID returned in step 2. Find Key Content under Security settings.

Step-by-step: See password for any saved network (detailed with examples)

Let’s do a worked example.

Run elevated CMD.
List profiles:

netsh wlan show profiles
Example output may include:

All User Profile : HomeNetwork All User Profile : CoffeeShop_WiFi All User Profile : OfficeNetwork
Suppose you want the password for CoffeeShop_WiFi. Run:

netsh wlan show profile name="CoffeeShop_WiFi" key=clear
Look for this block:

Security settings ----------------- Authentication : WPA2-Personal Cipher : CCMP Security key : Present Key Content : coffeeshop123
— Key Content is the password (coffeeshop123 in this example).

Note on names with spaces: If the profile name is My Home WiFi, use quotes:

Using PowerShell (alternative)

If you prefer PowerShell, here’s a PowerShell command sequence that does the same:

Open Windows Terminal or PowerShell as Administrator.
List profiles:

(netsh wlan show profiles) -match ':\s(.*)' | ForEach-Object { $Matches[1] }
To get the password for a specific profile:

$profile = "PROFILE_NAME" netsh wlan show profile name="$profile" key=clear

PowerShell simply runs the same underlying netsh command; the benefit is scripting flexibility.

Using Windows Settings (GUI alternative)

If you prefer not to use CMD, there’s a GUI route — but it’s a little longer:

Open Settings → Network & internet → Wi-Fi.
Click Hardware properties or Manage known networks.
Select the network and click Properties.
There’s no direct “show password” button for all Wi-Fi profiles in Settings; you can only see saved networks and forget them. To view the password for the active connection via GUI, you must open Control Panel → Network and Sharing Center → click your Wi-Fi connection → Wireless Properties → Security tab → check Show characters.
Note: Some settings may not appear depending on your build of Windows 11 or account privileges.

Troubleshooting: common issues & fixes

Problem	Why it happens	Fix
No profiles listed	PC never connected to Wi-Fi before (fresh install, admin cleared profiles)	Connect to the network first or import backup profiles
`Key Content` not shown	The profile may be an enterprise network (WPA-Enterprise) or your account lacks rights	Use admin CMD; enterprise networks often use credentials, not saved PSKs
`Profile not found`	Typo or wrong case / wrong name	Copy the exact profile name from `netsh wlan show profiles` output
`Access is denied`	Not running CMD as Administrator	Right-click CMD → Run as administrator
SSID uses special chars	Quotes not used	Wrap the profile name in double quotes

Extra tips: export, delete, and manage Wi-Fi profiles

Export a profile (including the key) for backup:

netsh wlan export profile name="PROFILE_NAME" folder=C:\WiFiBackup key=clear
— This creates an XML file with settings and the clear key stored (keep it safe).
Delete a profile:

netsh wlan delete profile name="PROFILE_NAME"
Show all details for interfaces:

netsh wlan show interfaces
Save output to a file:

netsh wlan show profile name="PROFILE_NAME" key=clear > C:\temp\wifi-password.txt
— Useful for documentation, but protect the file.

Quick commands cheat sheet

Task	Command
List saved Wi-Fi profiles	`netsh wlan show profiles`
Show profile (password)	`netsh wlan show profile name="PROFILE_NAME" key=clear`
Show current Wi-Fi interface	`netsh wlan show interfaces`
Export profile (with key)	`netsh wlan export profile name="PROFILE_NAME" folder=C:\path key=clear`
Delete profile	`netsh wlan delete profile name="PROFILE_NAME"`

When this won’t work — and what to do instead

Enterprise (WPA-Enterprise) connections: These use credentials tied to authentication servers — no pre-shared key to show. Ask your IT admin.
No admin rights: Ask the device owner or an admin to run the command for you.
Profile removed: If the profile was deleted, the password is gone — reconnect and re-enter the password.
You need mobile device passwords: For iPhone/iPad/Mac, different steps or iCloud Keychain may apply.

Conclusion — what to remember

Using Command Prompt on Windows 11 is a fast way to reveal saved Wi-Fi passwords for networks your PC has connected to. Run CMD as administrator, list profiles, then show the selected profile with the key=clear flag to reveal the Key Content. Be ethical: only retrieve passwords for networks you own or have permission to use, and safeguard any exported files or screenshots.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I see Wi-Fi passwords on Windows 11 without admin rights?
No — to reveal the saved Wi-Fi password in plain text you must run Command Prompt (or PowerShell) as an administrator.

2. Will this method show passwords for Wi-Fi networks I’m not connected to?
Yes — it shows passwords for any network profiles saved on the PC, not only the currently connected network, as long as those profiles still exist.

3. Are enterprise Wi-Fi passwords visible with this method?
Usually not. WPA/WPA2-Enterprise uses unique authentication methods (e.g., certificates or AD credentials) rather than a single shared key, so Key Content often won’t appear.

4. Is it safe to export a profile with key=clear?
Technically yes, but exported XML files include the password in clear text. Store them securely and delete them when no longer needed.

5. I ran the command and there’s no “Key Content” line — why?
Possible reasons: the profile uses Enterprise authentication, the profile is corrupt, or you lack admin rights. Double-check you ran CMD as admin and that the profile is correct.