The situation when you need to connect a new gadget to your home network, but the password itself is lost or forgotten, occurs quite often. Owners of smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO are in a more advantageous position compared to users of many other brands. This is due to the openness of the proprietary shell MIUI and the new HyperOS, which allows you to view saved security keys without the complex procedure of rooting the device.
Previously, access to this information required root access, obtaining which could void the warranty and lead to unstable operation of the system. Now the company’s engineers have introduced convenient standard tools. In this article, we will analyze in detail all the legal methods that allow you to restore access to your wireless network data using only the standard functionality of a smartphone.
Basic method through system settings
The easiest and most reliable way to find out a forgotten Wi-Fi password on Android Xiaomi is to use the built-in settings menu. The function has become available in most modern firmware versions, starting with MIUI 12 and works stably in HyperOS. You do not need to install third-party software or connect your phone to your computer.
First, make sure that your smartphone is already connected to the network from which you want to find out the code, or that you have previously successfully connected to it. Go to the section Settings and select item Wi-Fi. In the list of available networks, find the one you are currently connected to. A gear icon or right arrow will appear next to or below the network name.
Click on the gear icon to open detailed information about the connection. A QR code will appear on the screen to quickly connect other devices. It is under this graphic key that the text version of the password is often hidden. On some firmware versions, the text is hidden by asterisks, but there is an eye icon next to it. By clicking on it, the system will ask you to confirm your identity.
Enter a pattern, PIN code, or use a fingerprint scanner for authentication. After successful verification, the system will display the password in clear text directly below the QR code. You can copy it or simply rewrite it. If there is no text field, do not be discouraged - we will look at the method with decoding the QR code below.
The password viewing function only works if the smartphone has previously successfully connected to this access point and saved it in the profile.
Using a QR code to restore access
In cases where the interface does not display the password in text immediately after By clicking on the eye icon, QR code technology comes to the rescue. This method is universal and works even on older versions of Android, where there is no direct display of characters. The essence of the method is that the code itself contains an encrypted connection string that is easy to read.
Take a screenshot of the screen with the QR code of your Wi-Fi network. To do this, you usually use a combination of buttons Volume down and Power, or swipe down with three fingers if this function is configured in gesture control. The saved image will appear in the gallery of your device.
Open the application Scanner (or QR code scanner), which is pre-installed on all Xiaomi phones. In the scanner interface, select the option to download an image from the gallery, often indicated by a picture icon in the corner of the screen. Indicate the previously taken screenshot with the QR code of the access point.
The system will analyze the image and display the scanning result. In the result line you will see a link or text starting with the prefix WIFI:S:. After indicating the network name (SSID) and the encryption type (T:WPA;), the password itself will be indicated after the tag P:. The combination of characters you are looking for is between P: and the semicolon at the end of the line.
If the built-in scanner does not recognize the code, try using the Google Lens built into the Google Photos app or camera. It perfectly reads technical data from images.
Checking through the router menu
If for some reason you cannot view the data through the phone settings, you can use the web interface of your router. This method requires that your phone is connected to this network, since access to the control panel is usually only available from the provider's internal network. Open any browser on your smartphone, for example, or built-in. You must enter the router's IP address in the address bar. Most often this is
Open any browser on your smartphone, for example, Chrome or built-in MI Browser. You must enter the router's IP address in the address bar. Most often this 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1. The exact address, as well as the default login and password, are often written on a sticker on the bottom or back wall of the device itself.
After entering your credentials, you will be taken to the control panel. The interface may differ depending on the manufacturer (TP-Link, Asus, Keenetic), but the logic is the same everywhere. You need to find the section responsible for the wireless network. It is usually called Wireless, Wi-Fi or Wireless mode.
Inside this section, look for the subsection Security or Security settings. There will be a field Wireless network password or PSK Password. By default, the characters may be hidden, but there is often a “Show password” checkbox nearby. By unchecking the checkbox, you will see the current access key.
⚠️ Attention: If you changed the password for logging into the admin panel of the router and forgot it, it will be impossible to restore access to the settings without resetting the device to factory settings. Resetting will lead to the loss of all individual Internet settings.
Third-party applications and system limitations
In the store Google Play there are many utilities that promise to show saved passwords with one click. However, it is important to understand how Android security works. Starting from version 10, access to the system file where the encryption keys are stored (wpa_supplicant.conf) is closed to ordinary applications without superuser rights.
Most of these apps do not actually “hack” the password, but only duplicate the system function, showing the same QR code or data that can be found in the settings. Some of them may require you to grant special permissions through your computer using USB debugging (ADB).
Using unverified utilities carries certain risks. Malware can masquerade as useful tools by collecting data about your connections. If an application requires strange permissions not related to the network, or asks you to disable your antivirus, it is better to refrain from using it.
However, for For older devices running Android 9 and below, such applications can be useful. They read the configuration file directly. For new models based on Android 12-14, they act more like QR code managers, simplifying the reading process described in the previous section.
Why do applications ask for root access?
The system file with passwords is located in a protected directory. /data/misc/wifi. Regular applications do not have rights to read this folder. Root access removes these restrictions, allowing the app to read the file directly and display the password in text form, bypassing QR codes.
Synchronization with Google account
The Android ecosystem offers a convenient mechanism for synchronizing Wi-Fi passwords between devices linked to the same account Google. If you have another Android phone or tablet that is already connected to the desired network, you can find out the password through it.
This feature is called “Password Exchange” or Wi-Fi Key Synchronization. When you enter a password on one device, it may be encrypted and stored in the Google cloud. When you try to connect a second device from your account to the same network, the system may offer to connect automatically without entering a code.
Unfortunately, a direct option to go to the Google account settings on the website and see a list of all saved Wi-Fi passwords in text form is not yet provided in an explicit interface for all regions. However, in the Chrome password management menu (section Passwords in the browser settings), you can sometimes find saved data if it was synchronized as web login forms to the router.
You can check this by going to the path Settings → Google → Autofill → Autofill from Google → Passwords. In the list, look for the address of your router or the name of the network. If the data is there, you can view it after authentication.
☑️ Preparing for viewing the password
Compatibility table of methods and versions of MIUI
The effectiveness of a particular method directly depends on the version of the operating system and the specific model of your device. The table below provides a summary of the availability of password viewing functions at various stages of development of the Xiaomi shell.
| Shell version | Android version | Direct display of password | QR code operation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIUI 11 and older | 9 and lower | No | Only through third-party scanners |
| MIUI 12 / 13 | 10 / 11 | Partially (depending on the region) | Yes, built-in scanner |
| MIUI 14 | 12 / 13 | Yes, with an eye icon | Yes, full support |
| HyperOS | 13 / 14 | Yes, improved interface | Yes, integration with the ecosystem |
⚠️ Attention: The menu interface may differ depending on the regional firmware (Global, China, Russia, EEA). In Chinese versions, some security features may be hidden or named differently.
What to do if nothing helps
In rare cases, when none of the software methods worked, and access to the router is impossible, a radical but effective method remains - resetting the router. There is a small button on the body of the device Resetrecessed into the body.
Press it with a paper clip and hold for about 10-15 seconds until the indicators blink. The router will reboot with factory settings. After this, you will be able to connect to the network using the password indicated on the sticker under the device and go to the settings to set a new code that is convenient for you.
Remember that after the reset you will have to re-enter the provider settings (login and password for Internet access) if they are not automatically updated. Be prepared for the Internet to be lost while the equipment is being reconfigured.
Resetting the router is a last resort. Always try to first restore access through the settings of the connected smartphone or the provider's documentation.
Is it possible to find out the password if the phone is not connected to this network?
No, using standard Android tools, it is impossible to view the password for a network to which the device has never connected or the data about which has been deleted (“Forget the network”). The encryption key is stored only after successful pairing.
Is it safe to show the QR code to other people?
Yes, it is safe. The QR code contains the same set of data that is transmitted during a normal connection. Anyone who scans it will be able to connect to your Wi-Fi, but will not be able to steal the password in text form without additional analysis.
Why is there no eye icon under the password on my Xiaomi?
This may be due to an outdated firmware version, regional restrictions, or the security policy of a specific Android build. In this case, use the method with a screenshot and a third-party QR code scanner.
Is it possible to transfer a password to an iPhone via Xiaomi?
Direct transfer “over the air” as between two iPhones is impossible due to different ecosystems. However, you can show the QR code from the Xiaomi screen, and the iPhone owner can scan it with the camera for instant connection.