How To View Saved Wifi Passwords On Android (4 Best Methods)

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Written By Larious

Larious is the Executive Editor of LowkeyTech. He is a tech enthusiast and a content writer. 

 

 

 

 

Last Updated on October 6, 2020 by Larious


It’s true that Android offers users more features than any other mobile operating system. But, at the same time, it misses out on some basic features. For example, Android doesn’t allow you to view the saved WiFi networks on your device.

Although Google introduced the password viewing option on Android 10, the older versions of Android still lacks this useful feature. So, to view the saved WiFi passwords on an older Android version, you either need to use third-party file explorer apps or Android Debug Bridge on PC.

View Saved Wifi Passwords In Android

In this article, we are going to share some of the best methods to view Saved WiFi Passwords on Android. With these methods, you can easily recover the lost WiFi Passwords. So, let’s check out.

1. Using File Managers

First of all, you need to use a file explorer that can access the root folder. For that, you probably need to root your device. However, if you don’t want to root your device, then you need to install File Managers like Root Explorer, or Super Manager to view saved passwords. Here’s what you need to do.

Step 1. First of all, open the File Explorer that can access the root folder. Next, head to the data/misc/wifi folder.

Step 2. Under the given path, you will find a file named wpa_supplicant.conf.

Find the  wpa_supplicant.conf file

Step 3. Open the file and make sure to open the file in a built-in text/HTML viewer for the task. On the file, you need to look at the SSID and PSK. The SSID is the WiFi name and PSK is the password.

Check the SSID and PSKCheck the SSID and PSK

Now note down the network name and its password. In this way, you will be able to view all saved WiFi passwords on the Android device.

Note: Please do not edit anything in wpa_supplicant.conf, or else you will end up having connectivity issues.

2. Using ES File Explorer

Well, ES File Explorer is no longer available on the Google Play Store due to security reasons. So, you need to sideload the app from a third-party app store. The good thing is that ES File Explorer lets you access the root folder without having root access.

Step 1. Download and Install ES File Explorer App on your Android device and open the app.

Step 2. Now you need to enable the “Root Explorer” option in ES File Explorer.

Enable the root explorer optionEnable the root explorer option

Step 3. Now you need to move to the Root folder in ES File Explorer, and you need to find the ‘Data’ folder.

Find the 'Data' FolderFind the 'Data' Folder

Step 4. Now under the “Data”, you need to locate the folder “Misc”

Open the 'Misc' folderOpen the 'Misc' folder

Step 5. Now under the WiFi folder, you need to locate the file with the name wpa_supplicant.conf. Simply open the file with ES File Explorer’s built-in text/HTML viewer.

Open the wpa_supplicant.confOpen the wpa_supplicant.conf

Step 6. Now you can see all your SSID (network name) along with PSK (Password) next to it and close the file.

SSID (network name) along with PSK (Password)SSID (network name) along with PSK (Password)

That’s it! You are done, this is how you can find saved WiFi password using ES file explorer.

3. Using Wifi Password Recovery (Root)

Wifi Password Recovery is a free tool that requires root access to recover saved passwords in your Android smartphone. You can use this tool to backup all your wifi passwords on your device.

Step 1. You need to download & install the Wifi Password Recovery app on your rooted Android smartphone.

Download & install the Wifi Password Recovery appDownload & install the Wifi Password Recovery app

Step 2. After you installed it, you need to grant the Root Permissions.

Grant the root permissionGrant the root permission

Step 3. Now you can see all your saved wifi passwords listed with SSID Name and Pass. If you want to copy the password just tap on the network and then select “Copy password to clipboard.”

Select "Copy password to clipboard" to copy a network ID & PassSelect "Copy password to clipboard" to copy a network ID & Pass

That’s it you are done! This is the easiest way to know saved WiFi passwords in your Android smartphone.

4. Using ADB

Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is just like CMD for Windows. ADB is a versatile tool that allows users to manage the state of an emulator instance or Android-powered device. Through ADB, you can execute commands through the computer to your Android device to perform sets of tasks. Here’s how you can use ADB commands to view saved WiFi Password on Android.

Step 1. First of all, download the Android SDK Package on your Windows computer and install it.

Step 2. Next, enable the USB Debugging on your Android device and connect it with the computer via USB Cable.

Enable USB DebuggingEnable USB Debugging

Step 3. Next, head to the folder where you have installed Android SDK Platform Tools. Now on your computer download & install ADB drivers from adbdriver.com

Step 4. Now from the same folder hold the Shift key and right-click inside the folder. Click on the ‘Open Command Windows Here’

Click on 'Open Command Windows Here'Click on 'Open Command Windows Here'

Step 5. To check whether the ADB is working or not, enter the ‘adb devices’ command. It will list the connected device.

Step 6. Next enter 'adb pull /data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf c:/wpa_supplicant.conf' and press Enter.

Enter the given commandEnter the given command

That’s it, you are done! Now you will find the wpa_supplicant.conf file in the Platform-tools folder. You can open the file in Notepad to view all saved SSID and Password.

So, that’s all from us for today! With these four methods, one can easily view all saved WiFi passwords on Android. I hope this article helped you! Please share it with your friends also. If you have any doubts related to this, let us know in the comment box below.

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