The situation when you need to connect a new gadget to your home network, but the password itself has been forgotten, occurs everywhere. Fortunately, modern smartphones based on Android store data about connected access points in the device’s memory. If your phone is already connected to the desired network or has connected to it previously, you can extract the combination of characters using several methods.
The method of restoring access directly depends on the version of the operating system installed on your device. In the latest versions Android (starting from the 10th) this function is built into the system menu, while on older firmware additional utilities or superuser rights may be required.
Let us consider in detail all possible options, from standard tools to using console commands, so that you can choose the most suitable method for your smartphone model.
Standard method through settings for Android 10 and later
Starting from Android 10Google has introduced a convenient generation function QR code for quickly connecting other devices. The same code contains an encrypted network password that can be easily read.
Go to the Settings section of your smartphone and select Wi-Fi or Connections. In the list of available networks, find the one you are currently connected to. Typically, a gear icon or “Settings” button will be displayed next to the name of the active network.
Click on this icon to open detailed information about the connection. At the bottom of the screen or in the context menu you will see a button Share or icon QR code. The system will request confirmation of identity via a fingerprint, pattern key or Face ID.
After successful authorization, a square code will appear on the screen. In most modern shells (for example MIUI, One UI, Pixel UI), the password is displayed directly below this code as a text string.
⚠️ Attention: On some stock versions of Android, the password text may be hidden. In this case, the password is hidden inside the QR code image itself, and to retrieve it you will need a second smartphone with a camera.
If there is no text line, simply take a screenshot of the screen with the QR code or show it with the camera of another phone that has a code reader application installed or a built-in scanner in the camera.
If the second phone's camera does not recognize the code automatically, open the Google Lens application or Gallery and select the image analysis function - the system itself will highlight the text with the password.
Using Google Lens to decipher the code
If your phone does not show the password in the text under the QR code, computer vision technology from Google will come to the rescue. This is the safest method and does not require installing third-party dubious software.
Take a screenshot of the screen with the QR code of your Wi-Fi network, as described in the previous section. Then open the app Google Photos or widget Google Lens on your desktop.
Select the screenshot you took and click on the image analysis button (usually a square icon with dots inside or the inscription “Lens”). The system will scan the picture and find the encrypted data.
In the scan results you will see information about the network. Click on it, and the system will offer to connect or will simply display a line with a password in text format.
- 📸 Take a high-quality screenshot so that the code is clear and not blurry.
- 👁️ Make sure that access to the gallery is allowed in the Google Lens settings.
- 🔍 If the code is not is read, try increasing the screen brightness before shooting.
This method is universal and works on the vast majority of devices, regardless of the shell manufacturer, since it uses cloud recognition services.
Viewing saved networks via the ADB console
For advanced users who do not want to take screenshots or who do not have a second phone, there is a method of using USB debugging. This method requires a computer and an installed package ADB (Android Debug Bridge).
First you need to activate developer mode on your smartphone. Go to Settings → About phone and quickly click 7 times on the item Build number. After this, a new section will appear in the menu For developers.
Enable USB debugging in this section (USB Debugging). Connect the phone to the computer with a cable and open the command line or terminal on the PC in the folder with the ADB utility.
adb shell dumpsys wifi | grep "mConfiguredNetworks"This command will display a list of all saved configurations. However, starting with Android 10, direct reading of configuration files is blocked by non-root security policies. However, on some devices with old security patches or specific firmware, you can try to retrieve data through backup.
⚠️ Attention: On modern versions of Android (11, 12, 13, 14), this method without obtaining superuser rights (Root) most often will not work for displaying passwords in clear text.
If you have root access, the command becomes much more powerful. You can directly access the system file where access keys are stored.
Command for users with Root access
Enter the command `adb shell su -c "cat /data/misc/wifi/WifiConfigStore.xml"`. In the XML file that opens, look for tags
Specialized applications from the Play Market
In the Google Play store there are many utilities positioned as password recovery tools. However, it is important to understand the difference between real tools and dummies.
Most of these applications (WiFi Password Viewer, WiFi Key Recovery) require root access to work. Without superuser rights, they do not have access to the system storage of encryption keys.
If your phone is not rooted, the only thing such applications can do is generate the same QR code that is available in system settings, or show a list of networks you have connected to, but without displaying the passwords themselves.
| Application name | Requires Root | Functional without Root | Security |
|---|---|---|---|
| WiFi Password Viewer | Yes | SSID list only | Average |
| WiFi Map | No | General password database | High |
| Instabridge | No | Search for open networks | High |
| ES File Explorer (Root) | Yes | View system files | Low (removed from Play) |
Be extremely careful when installing such apps. They often contain intrusive advertising or collect data about your connections.
Recovery via a backup file
If you previously made a full backup of the system via a computer or specialized software, the password can be stored in the backup file. This method is relevant for those who regularly back up device data.
The Wi-Fi configuration file is usually called WifiConfigStore.xml or wpa_supplicant.conf depending on the Android version and storage type. In older versions (before Android 9), this file was publicly available to root managers.
You can use a file manager with access to system partitions (for example, Root Explorer or Solid Explorer with plugins) to find this file in the directory /data/misc/wifi/.
Open the file as text. Inside you will find blocks <Network>, where the tag <PreSharedKey> will indicate the required password in its pure form.
- 📂 The path to the file may differ on devices of different brands.
- 🔐 The file is encrypted on devices with enabled disk encryption without Root.
- 💾 Regular creation of backups simplifies the recovery of such data.
This method is most reliable for older devices where security policies were not yet so strict.
What to do if nothing helps
In situations when the phone is not connected to the network, there are no superuser rights, and the QR code does not show text, all that remains is the classic method of resetting the router.
Find the sticker on the body of your router. It almost always shows the factory Wi-Fi password (indicated as WPA Key, Wireless Key or Password). If you did not change it manually, this data will be current.
If the password has been changed and forgotten, and there is no access to the router settings via cable, you will have to perform a hard reset. Find the button Reset (often recessed into the case) and hold it for 10-15 seconds with the power on.
⚠️ Attention: Resetting the router will return all settings to factory settings. You will have to reconfigure the connection type (PPPoE, L2TP, etc.) if the provider requires authorization.
After the reset, use the data from the sticker to connect. Then it is recommended to go to the router interface (usually at 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1) and set a new, strong password.
The fastest way without third-party software is to use the built-in QR code function in the Wi-Fi settings on Android 10+.
Frequently asked questions and problems (FAQ)
Why is there no “Share” button under the QR code on my Android 12?
In some shells (for example, pure Android or specific versions from operators), the password text is hidden intentionally for security purposes. Try using Google Lens to scan the screen with the code, this will bypass the interface limitation.
Is it possible to find out the password for someone else's Wi-Fi network that I am not connected to?
No, this is impossible using legal methods. The phone stores passwords only for those networks to which it has successfully connected previously and saved a profile. Hacking other people's networks is a violation of the law.
Is it safe to give root access to applications for viewing passwords?
Granting root access to third-party applications from the Play Market reduces the overall security of the device. The application gets full access to all your data. It is better to use standard system tools or the method with Google Lens.
Where is the file with passwords on Android 13?
The file WifiConfigStore.xml is located in the folder /data/misc/apexdata/com.android.wifi/WifiConfigStore.xml or /data/misc/wifi/. Access to it is possible only if you have root access and an unlocked bootloader.
What to do if the QR code is not read by the camera?
Try increasing the screen brightness to maximum, wiping the camera and making sure that the code fits completely within the frame. If it doesn’t help, save the image and open it through the Google Photos application with the Lens function.