We all have some ridiculous, lengthy characters to keep our Wi-Fi safe from uninvited users. But now and then, we also have some relatives/friends who want to tap into the network upon invitation. If you’re in this case right now and you can’t remember the password, or it's just lengthy and uneasy to type, we can help you. Here's your complete guide on how to share Wi-Fi passwords across devices.
How to Share Wi-Fi Password
It doesn’t matter if you or your friend use Android, iOS, Mac, or Windows; you can always find and share your Wi-Fi password when needed.
How to share Wi-Fi Password on Android
If you’ve got a phone running Android 9 Pie or later, sharing Wi-Fi passwords is as easy as scanning a QR code. Yes, Android lets you share your saved Wi-Fi networks with your fellow Android users using QR codes.
That’s the best way to connect your friends to your network without telling them your password or stressing yourself typing it for them. All they need is to scan the QR code using Google Lens or through the Wi-Fi connection interface.
Enough of the words. Here's to sharing Wi-Fi passwords on Android.
- Launch your device’s Settings
- Navigate to Networks & Internet, then select Wi-Fi
- Tap “Saved networks” or scroll to the section.
- Now, select the Wi-Fi network you want to share.
- Find and tap the “Share” button on the interface.
- You'll need to confirm your phone's password to show the network as a QR code on your screen.
Once you've generated the QR code, tell your friend to go to Settings > Wi-Fi and tap the Scan button to join the network on his Android phone. Scanning the QR code with Google Lens would also result in the same action.
Meanwhile, if both Android devices run Android 12, you could share your Wi-Fi password via Nearby Share, making it easier to join the network.
How to share Wi-Fi Password on Windows
If your new co-worker at the office wants to join the Wi-Fi network and you don't know its password off-hand, you can always find it on your Windows computer, in as much you have administrator access.
You can't share the passwords via QR code or any other streamlined medium. But you could retrieve password characters easily.
Here’s how.
- Launch the Control Panel on your PC.
- Navigate to Network and Internet.
- Select Network and Sharing Centre
- You'll see the name of the currently connected network. (If not, connect to the Wi-Fi network first).
- Tap the network name, then select Wireless Properties to view some info about it.
- Switch to the Security tab, then mark “Show characters” to see the Wi-Fi password.
- You’ll need administrator access for that.
That's all. It's as easy as that!
How to share Wi-Fi Password on iPhone and iPad
Like what Google did with Android, Apple does let you share your current Wi-Fi network with your fellow iPhone and iPad users. And yes, it’s easy.
However, you can only share the password of the network you’re connected to, and the receiver’s email needs to be in your contact list.
Nonetheless, Apple’s way of sharing Wi-Fi networks could be a bit easier. If the person trying to connect is within your range, has his Bluetooth turned on, and you both have saved each other’s email address earlier, you’ll see a pop-up window asking if you want to grant permission or not.
But before that, you’ve got to follow the steps:
- First, both of you should add each other’s email address to your contact list. The email must be the same as your Apple ID.
- Connect your iPhone to the Wi-Fi network you want to share.
- Now, turn on Bluetooth on both devices and keep them close (within Bluetooth and Wi-Fi range)
- Then, tell your friend to open Wi-Fi settings on his phone and try to connect to the Wi-Fi network you're sharing.
- In a few seconds, you’ll see a pop-up window on your device asking if you’d like to share the Wi-Fi password with "your friend"...
- Tap Share Password to connect him instantly.
That's it. Your friend should be on the network by now! The same steps also work on Mac if you’ve saved each other’s email address to your contact list.
How to share Wi-Fi Password on Mac
Finding and sharing a Wi-Fi network saved on your Mac could be similar to a Windows computer. And while they don't offer a one-click share like iPhones and Android devices do, you'll still get the job done – simply by typing the password for the person who wants to connect.
Follow these steps to get started.
- Launch “Finder” on your Mac.
- Navigate to Applications
- Select
- Then click Keychain Access.
(Alternatively, you can cut through the chase by launching “Keychain Access” via Spotlight. Press command+space on your keyboard, then type “Keychain Access” to open the interface straight.)
- You'll see a list of networks you've ever connected to. And from there, find the network you want to share and tap it.
- Now, mark the “Show password” checkbox to reveal the Wi-Fi password.
- Meanwhile, you’ll need to confirm your administrator access before that.
Can you share the Wi-Fi passwords from iPhone to Android?
Absolutely yes! But you’ll need to pass through some corners. As both operating systems don’t work for hand in hand, you can't share your Wi-Fi network natively, as mentioned above. But there's always a workaround.
If you don’t want to reveal the password to your friend directly or your characters are a bit scary to type, you can share it via a customized QR code.
To do that, you’ll need to download any QR code generator from the App Store, and then follow the steps below. (We used an app called “Qrafter” in this article).
- Open the app after installing it.
- Select the feature to create a Wi-Fi code.
- Now, input your Wi-Fi parameters, including the password and SSID (network name)
- You may also need to select your Wi-Fi encryption method.
- Once completed, tap Share above the screen to generate the QR code.
Voila! You can now ask your friend to scan the QR code using Google Lens or Camera on his Android device to join the network.
What to do when Wi-Fi sharing is not working
This guide is useless if your device won’t collaborate with you gently to share your Wi-Fi password. You don’t have to panic if you’re in those shoes, however. Try these fixes instead.
- We recommend you restart both devices and then try again.
- Now, make sure that both devices are up to date. If not, check and install all pending System Updates before trying again.
- You can also try turning off and on Wi-Fi on both devices.
- If nothing works still, ensure both devices are within the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth range.
- More so, turn off Personal Hotspot on both devices.
While the streamlined password-sharing option on Android, iPhone & iPad is easy, you can always let the receiver enter the password manually if they're still not able to connect to the network.
Conclusion: Sharing a Wi-Fi password is easy.
Inconsiderate of your operating system, it's easy to share Wi-Fi passwords these days. So, if you've always wanted to give people permission to your network but find it stressful or don’t know how now you know.
One thing about this guide is that: more than helping you share the passwords with your friends, you'll find the tricks helpful for your personal needs.
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