If your Windows 10 computer has connected to a Wi‑Fi network before and still has that network profile saved, you can reveal the password in Network and Sharing Center. Open the connection’s Wireless Properties, select the Security tab, and enable Show characters; Windows displays the credential in the Network security key box. A second Settings route can show passwords for some saved networks even when the PC is not currently connected.
What Windows 10 can—and cannot—show
Windows 10 does not provide a universal list of every Wi‑Fi password you have ever encountered. The computer must have connected to the network previously, and its saved wireless profile must still exist. That profile is what allows Windows to display the network security key.
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This distinction explains most failed attempts. If a network has never been used on this computer, or if its saved profile was removed, there is no credential for these Windows screens to reveal. You will need to obtain the password from the network owner or administrator instead of trying to recover it from this PC.
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Method 1: reveal the password while connected to Wi‑Fi
This is the clearest and most dependable Windows 10 procedure. It follows the connection currently shown by the PC and places the password in the Security tab.
- Sign in to the Windows 10 computer. Use the computer that previously connected to the Wi‑Fi network whose password you need.
- Open Settings. Select Start, then choose Settings.
- Open network settings. In Settings, select Network & Internet.
- Open the status page. Select Status in the left-hand navigation.
- Launch Network and Sharing Center. Select Network and Sharing Center from the status page. This opens the classic Control Panel networking view used by Windows 10 for connection details.
- Open the Wi‑Fi connection. In the Network and Sharing Center window, look under Connections and select the Wi‑Fi network name. The link is the name of the network to which the computer is connected.
- Open wireless properties. In the Wi‑Fi Status window, select Wireless Properties.
- Choose the Security tab. The window contains the settings for the wireless profile. Select Security.
- Display the key. Select Show characters. The password appears in the Network security key box. Read it carefully, including capitalization, numbers and symbols, then enter it on the other device or write it down temporarily for the intended purpose.
Microsoft describes the result plainly: “Your Wi‑Fi network password is displayed in the Network security key box.” If the characters look unfamiliar, remember that Windows is showing the stored wireless credential, not the name of the network or the security type.
Method 2: use Manage known networks when the PC is offline
You may be able to retrieve a password for a saved network even when the computer is not connected to it. This route is available in some Windows 10 Settings experiences.
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- Open Start > Settings.
- Select Network & Internet, then choose Wi‑Fi.
- Select Manage known networks. Windows lists wireless networks whose profiles are saved on the computer.
- Choose the saved network you need.
- Look for Show beside Wi‑Fi network password. If that control is present, select it and read the displayed password.
The wording and availability of the Show control can vary with the Windows 10 Settings experience. If the network is listed but no password control appears, use Method 1 after reconnecting, or ask the network owner for the credential. Merely seeing a network name in the list does not guarantee that Windows will expose its key in this screen.
Which method should you use?
| Situation | Path | Does it display the key? | Important condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| The computer is currently connected to the target Wi‑Fi | Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Network and Sharing Center > Wi‑Fi connection > Wireless Properties > Security | Yes, after selecting Show characters | The connection must have a saved profile |
| The computer is not connected, but the network is saved | Network & Internet > Wi‑Fi > Manage known networks > choose network > Show | Sometimes; depends on the available Settings experience | The network must appear as a known network and expose the Show control |
| You need diagnostic information about wireless behavior | netsh wlan show wlanreport |
No | The report omits encrypted security keys and passwords |
For a connected Windows 10 PC, the Network and Sharing Center route is the most predictable because it leads directly to the Security tab and the Network security key field. Manage known networks is convenient for an offline saved profile, but its Show option is not present in every Settings presentation. The wireless report is a diagnostic tool, not a password-recovery screen.
Troubleshooting when the password does not appear
The Wi‑Fi network is not listed
Check whether you are using the same Windows 10 computer that connected to the network. A network that was never used on this PC will not have a saved profile here. The profile may also have been removed, in which case Windows has no stored key to display. Confirm the network name with the owner and obtain the password through an authorized channel.
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Do not confuse a nearby network visible in the taskbar’s Wi‑Fi list with a known network. The taskbar can show networks in range even when the computer has never joined them. Only a profile saved by a previous connection can supply the credential through the procedures above.
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Start from Settings > Network & Internet > Status and look for the Network and Sharing Center link. The connected-network workflow uses this classic view even though you begin in the modern Settings app. Selecting the network name under Connections is essential; opening a different adapter or a generic status page will not provide the Wi‑Fi Security tab.
Wireless Properties is missing
Make sure you selected the Wi‑Fi connection name, not an unrelated network entry. The documented sequence is Wi‑Fi Status > Wireless Properties. If the current connection is wired, disconnected or associated with another adapter, the Wi‑Fi-specific properties window may not be available. Connect to the saved wireless network first, then repeat the sequence.
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The Security tab or Show characters option is unavailable
The Show characters checkbox belongs on the Security tab of the Wi‑Fi connection’s Wireless Properties. Return to Network and Sharing Center, select the active Wi‑Fi name under Connections, open Wireless Properties, and select Security. If you opened properties for a different connection type, the expected control will not be present.
If the network is saved but you are offline, try Network & Internet > Wi‑Fi > Manage known networks and check whether Show appears beside Wi‑Fi network password. That control is dependent on the particular Windows Settings experience, so its absence does not mean the network name was typed incorrectly.
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The displayed value does not work on another device
Enter the characters exactly as Windows shows them. Wi‑Fi passwords can contain uppercase and lowercase letters, spaces or punctuation, and a single transcription error will cause an authentication failure. Verify that you selected the intended network profile when several similarly named networks are saved.
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If the other device supports QR-code sharing, use its built-in Wi‑Fi sharing feature after recovering the credential. Otherwise, enter the displayed key manually on the receiving device. Share it only with people authorized to use the network.
You tried the wireless-network report
Running netsh wlan show wlanreport can create a report about wireless operation and list Wi‑Fi profiles, but it is not a way to read the password. Microsoft states that the profile output omits encrypted security keys and passwords. Use the Security tab or the supported Manage known networks Show control instead.
How to handle the recovered password safely
Keep the key private
Treat the displayed value as a credential. Do not post a screenshot, paste it into a public chat, or leave the Security tab open on a shared computer. Close the properties window after noting the key and remove temporary notes when they are no longer needed.
Share only through an authorized method
If another person needs access, give the password directly or use QR-code sharing when the receiving device supports it. Confirm that the person and device are allowed on the network before sharing. A recovered key is still valid access information even if Windows made it easy to display.
Prefer stronger wireless security when available
Microsoft recommends Wi‑Fi Protected Access 3 (WPA3) security when both the router and PC support it. The recommendation concerns the network’s security configuration; it does not change the Windows steps for viewing a saved key. If WPA3 is unavailable, follow the network administrator’s approved security settings rather than changing the router blindly.
Boundaries of Windows 10 password recovery
- Previous connection is required: these screens work from a saved wireless profile, not from a list of every network nearby.
- Deleting a profile removes the local source: once the saved profile is gone, Windows cannot display its key through these procedures.
- Offline access is conditional: Manage known networks may show a password for a saved network, but the Show control is not guaranteed in every Windows 10 Settings experience.
- Diagnostics are different from credentials: the wireless-network report can help investigate Wi‑Fi behavior while intentionally omitting encrypted keys and passwords.
- The value is sensitive: Windows labels it a Network security key, so protect it like any other access credential.
A quick checklist
- Confirm that this Windows 10 PC connected to the target network before.
- If connected now, open Start > Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Network and Sharing Center.
- Select the Wi‑Fi name under Connections.
- Choose Wireless Properties > Security.
- Select Show characters and read the Network security key box.
- If offline, try Network & Internet > Wi‑Fi > Manage known networks, select the saved network and look for Show beside Wi‑Fi network password.
- If neither route exposes a key, the profile may not exist or the Settings experience may not provide the control; obtain the credential from the authorized network owner.
- Keep the password private and close the settings windows when finished.
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Bottom line
On a connected Windows 10 computer, go to Network and Sharing Center, open the Wi‑Fi connection’s Wireless Properties, select Security and enable Show characters. The password appears in Network security key. For a saved network that is not connected, Manage known networks may offer a Show control. Neither route can reveal a network profile that was never saved, and the wireless-network report deliberately leaves passwords out.
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