How To See Wi-Fi Passwords On An Android Phone

How to See Wi-Fi Passwords on an Android Phone

BY GreenBot Staff

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Published 23 Nov 2016

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A reader asks:I have a friend who can’t remember her Wi-Fi password and didn’t write it anywhere. I have it stored on my Android phone Galaxy S2. But when I check, instead of the plain text password, all I can see is ***************. Is there a way to see the actual alphanumeric characters, so I can help her recover the password?If you’ve rooted your phone or are willing to root it, you should be able to use a file manager such as ASTRO or Root Browser to find it. Use your file manager to locate your data/misc/file folder. Then look for wpa_supplicant.configure, there is a slight chance it could be wep_supplicant.configure. If the network is secured using a file instead of the root.

File Manager 1

Then, open the .conf file using a text editor, which is probably built into your file manager application. If not, add one to your shopping list and head over to the Play Store! You should be able to read the password in plain text.

Solutions

If that didn’t work, or you don’t want to root your phone, you could reset the password. Note: Rooting your Android device may result in voiding its warranty. Suppose you have no access to the router. In that case, you can try an app like WifiAnywhere, which also comes in handy if you’re trying to access Wi-Fi from an unfamiliar place. It lets you log in to routers connected to the network. Some routers have this as a standard option, which is very useful.

Alternatively, suppose you’re connected to your friend’s Wi-Fi network. In that case, you can access her router setup and check the password under Wi-Fi security. If all else fails, try contacting your service provider for support.

For more on rooting your Android phone:

This tip was originally published on Answers, a reader powered help desk for answering tech questions.