The most recent variants of iOS offer an extremely decent element that lets you effortlessly share wi-fi passwords from an iPhone or iPad with the goal that other individuals can rapidly join a remote system that you're as of now associated with. While there is still no real way to see the wi-fi switch secret key in iOS, the capacity to share a wi-fi watchword and help another gadget to join a remote system is an extraordinary element and a positive development.
This trap should maintain a strategic distance from those irritating circumstances where you're attempting to hand-off or get a befuddling wi-fi secret word, a genuinely routine circumstance when another visitor goes to your office or home, and you're at that point experiencing the way toward transferring a confused remote watchword which can be an issue. Far and away more terrible is in case you're going to someones home who isn't technically knowledgeable and they have a wild wi-fi secret key alloted by their ISP that is some hodgepodge of 20 randomized characters which most people will recollect forget, and you go on a little goose pursue to find the watchword. Along these lines, this iOS highlight endeavors to help that circumstance by making it simple to share a wi-fi secret word from a gadget that is effectively associated with the system.
Before starting, you should meet some basic prerequisites:
Requirements for Sharing Wi-Fi Passwords in iOS
- All iPhone and iPad devices involved must have iOS 11 or newer installed
- All iOS devices must have wi-fi and Bluetooth enabled
- The device sharing the password must be actively connected to the same wi-fi network the other device wants to join
- All devices involved must be in close physical proximity to one another
- You must have one another in each others Contacts list
The requirements sound more complicated than they are, but basically any two updated devices that are in the same room will likely be sufficient. You can also share wi-fi passwords from an iOS device to a Mac if the computer is running macOS 10.13 or newer, but we’re focusing on the iPhone and iPad here, since Macs have other ways of revealing wi-fi passwords if need be, a task that is currently impossible in iOS.
How to Share a Wi-Fi Password from iOS with Other iPhone and iPad
Assuming the devices involved meet the aforementioned requirements for sharing network passwords, here’s how to share a wi-fi password from one iPhone or iPad with another iPad or iPhone:
- Position both iOS devices physically close to one another
- On the device needing the wi-fi password, open the “Settings” app and go to “Wi-Fi” and then attempt to join the network, then stop at the “Enter Password” screen
- Unlock the iOS device that is currently connected to the wi-fi network, and wait a moment until a large “Wi-Fi Password” screen shows up, then tap the “Share Password” button
- Wait a moment and the receiving iOS device password entry screen should auto-fill in with the wi-fi password and join the wireless network
- When finished, the sharing iPhone or iPad will flash a “Complete” screen, so tap “Done”
Simple, easy, and a great new feature for anyone who has visitors coming over that want to use a wi-fi network, or even if you’re setting up a new device for yourself and you want to easily join a wireless network without having to type out a password to the wi-fi router.
Typically the process works flawlessly, just be sure you meet all of the requirements outlined above to be able to share wi-fi passwords this way. Usually the most important aspect of sharing wi-fi passwords this way is that both devices are running iOS 11.0 or later and the devices are physically near one another with each other stored in the Contacts list, but you’ll want to be sure all requirements are met.
And yes you can share a wi-fi password with yourself using another device this way since your own contact information is stored within Contacts.
Does this work sharing wi-fi passwords from hidden SSID networks?
Yes, as long as the requirements are met. But from the device receiving the wi-fi password, you’ll have to manually join a wi-fi network that isn’t broadcasting an SSID to initiate the process.
Can you see the wi-fi password of a router from an iPhone or iPad?
While you can share the wi-fi password of connected routers in new versions of iOS, you still can not see, reveal, or otherwise view a wireless network password from an iPhone or iPad.
Perhaps a future version of iOS will allow users to directly reveal a wi-fi network password through some authentication method, but for now this is not possible.
What if I forget a wi-fi password, can I still share it?
You can continue to share wi-fi network passwords this way from iOS devices whether you remember the wi-fi network password or not. As long as a device is connected to the network to be shared, the password to that wi-fi network can be shared.
However, if you completely forget the password of a router, you’ll either need to uncover the wireless password another way like from a Mac, or reset the router, or contact the ISP or manufacture of the wi-fi router.
How else can you see a wi-fi password?
If you forgot a wifi password and you have a Mac that was once connected to the network, you can retrieve the forgotten wifi password with a Mac Keychain trick detailed here.
Note that many ISP provided wi-fi routers also will have the default wi-fi password printed physically on the router or wi-fi access point itself, so often you can just look at the physical wireless router to get the password again. If all else fails, you’ll need to reach out to your ISP or manufacturer of the router if you can’t figure what to do.
Can I manually bring up the wi-fi sharing password screen in iOS?
Aside from the method detailed above involving opening the Settings app and having the devices near one another, no. It’s always possible a future version of iOS will offer a more direct way to share a wi-fi password, perhaps through a standard iOS Sharing function from the Wi-Fi Settings screen, but currently this is not available.
The wi-fi password sharing feature of iOS isn’t working, help!
First go back to the requirements at the top of this article and be sure all devices involved meet those requirements. The procedure should work exactly as described with the requirements met.
If all else fails, reboot the two iOS devices involved. If the recipient device was once connected to the wi-fi network but it is no longer connected due to disconnection or a password change, you may need to forget the wi-fi network in iOS Settings and then try to join again.
Do you know any other tips, tricks, or helpful resources for sharing wi-fi passwords from an iPhone or iPad? Let us know in the comments below!
When things go wrong on your iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max, which is generally rare, you may need to put your iPhone in recovery mode so that you can restore it.
