You’re sitting in a coffee shop, or maybe just on your couch, and a friend asks for the WiFi. You’ve been connected for months. Years, maybe. The password is a jumble of nonsensical letters and numbers that you typed in once and immediately erased from your brain’s hard drive. Now you’re stuck. You could go hunting for the router to read the tiny sticker on the bottom, but honestly, who wants to crawl under a dusty desk? If you’ve got a MacBook, you’re already sitting on the answer.
Macs are famous for "just working," but they’re also notorious for burying settings behind layers of sleek glass and aluminum. Knowing how to check password of wifi on macbook isn't just a party trick; it's a genuine survival skill for the modern remote worker. Most people think they need to be a terminal-wizard to find this stuff. They don't. Apple actually gives you three or four different ways to dig up that password, depending on how much you like clicking buttons versus typing commands.
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The Keychain Access method is the classic move
For years, Keychain Access was the only "real" way to do this. It’s the skeleton key for your Mac. Every time you save a password in Safari or connect to a new network, it gets tossed into this digital vault. Open your Applications folder, peek inside the Utilities folder, and you’ll find it. Or just hit Command + Space and type "Keychain Access." It’s faster.
Once you’re in, look for the "System" keychain on the left. You’ll see a massive list of "AirPort network password" entries. This is where things get a bit messy because macOS stores everything. You’ll probably see that old airport WiFi from 2018 and your ex-girlfriend’s home network. Use the search bar in the top right. Type the name of the network you’re currently on. When you find it, double-click it.
A little window pops up. See that "Show password" checkbox at the bottom? Click it. This is where the security kicks in. Your Mac is going to demand your administrator username and password. It might even ask twice. Apple is paranoid, which is usually a good thing. Type it in, hit "Allow," and boom. There it is. Plain text.
System Settings changed everything in macOS Ventura and Sonoma
If you’re running a newer version of macOS—basically anything from the last couple of years—Apple finally realized that hiding WiFi passwords in a utility app was kind of a bad user experience. They moved it. Now, it's sitting right in your System Settings.
Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner. Go to System Settings. Hit WiFi. You’ll see a list of networks. If you want the password for the one you are currently using, look for the little three-dot icon (the "More" menu) next to the network name. Click it and select "Copy Password."
Wait, that only copies it to your clipboard. What if you just want to see it?
Go to the bottom of the WiFi settings page and click "Advanced." This opens a list of every "Known Network" your Mac has ever touched. It’s a long list. Scroll until you find the one you need, click the three dots, and select "Show Password." It’s so much more intuitive than the old way. Honestly, if you aren't on an ancient MacBook from 2015, this is the only method you’ll ever need to know for how to check password of wifi on macbook.
Using the Terminal for the "Hackerman" vibes
Sometimes the GUI (Graphical User Interface) glitches out. Or maybe you just want to look like you’re in a 90s thriller movie. You can pull a WiFi password using the Terminal in about five seconds.
Open Terminal. Type this exactly:
security find-generic-password -ga "NETWORK_NAME" | grep "password:"
Replace "NETWORK_NAME" with the actual name of your WiFi. Capitalization matters here. If your WiFi is named "Starbucks_Guest," type it exactly like that. Hit Enter. You'll get the same security prompt asking for your login. Once you clear that, the Terminal will spit out the password right there in the window.
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It’s fast. It’s efficient. It works when the System Settings app feels like being sluggish.
Why you might be seeing "Access Denied"
Apple's security layers are thick. One common frustration is when you know the admin password, you type it in, and the Mac just shakes the window at you. This usually happens if you aren't logged into an Administrator account. If you’re using a work laptop, your IT department might have locked down Keychain Access.
In those cases, you’re basically out of luck unless you can get an admin to authorize the view. Another weird quirk: if you use iCloud Keychain to sync passwords across your iPhone and Mac, sometimes the "System" keychain won't have the password, but the "Local Items" or "iCloud" keychain will. If your search in Keychain Access comes up empty, try switching the category on the left sidebar.
A note on the "Personal Hotspot" quirk
Checking a hotspot password is slightly different. If you’re using your iPhone as a hotspot for your Mac, the Mac won’t actually show you the password through System Settings the same way it does for a standard router. Why? Because it’s using your Apple ID to "handshake" the connection. To find that password, you have to look at the iPhone itself under Settings > Personal Hotspot.
Practical next steps to stay organized
Now that you've found the password, don't just tell your friend and forget it.
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- Update your Notes: If this is your home network, save the password in a "Home Info" note in the Notes app. If you use iCloud, it'll be encrypted and searchable across all your devices.
- Check your Security: If you found that your WiFi password is something incredibly easy like "password123" while digging through Keychain, now is the time to change it in your router settings.
- Clean up the list: While you’re in the "Advanced" WiFi settings, delete those old networks from hotels or airports you’ll never visit again. It keeps your Mac from trying to join random, slow networks when you’re out and about.
- Use the Share Feature: If the person asking for the password also has an iPhone or Mac, you don't even need to find the password. Just have them try to connect while you are nearby with your device unlocked. A "Share Password" prompt will pop up automatically.
Knowing your way around the Mac's backend makes life a lot easier when technology decides to be difficult. Whether you use the new System Settings menu or the old-school Keychain, the data is there—you just had to know which rock to flip over.