Why Share Your Wi-Fi Password from iPhone
Sharing a Wi-Fi password sounds like a small job, but it often turns into a long one. The password is printed on the bottom of the router, or saved in a note you cannot find, or made of letters, numbers, and symbols that are easy to mistype. Reading it out loud while someone types it into their phone is slow, and a single wrong character means starting again.
Your iPhone can do most of this work for you. If the other person has an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, your phone can send the password to their device with one tap, and the password never appears on either screen. If they have an Android phone, you can show a QR code that connects them in seconds. And if you need the password itself, for a laptop or a smart TV, you can look it up in Settings and copy it.
These methods are also more secure than reading the password aloud in a crowded room. The automatic prompt sends the password directly between the two devices, so nobody nearby can overhear it. A QR code keeps the password hidden too, although anyone who can see the code on your screen can scan it, so only show it to people you trust. This guide covers four ways to share, what to check first, and how to fix the most common problems. The steps work on iOS 16 or later, with the built-in QR code needing iOS 18 or later.
Before You Start
Before you share your Wi-Fi password, check three things. First, make sure your iPhone is already connected to the network you want to share. You cannot share a network you are not joined to. Open Settings, tap Wi-Fi, and check that the network name at the top has a tick next to it.
Second, check which version of iOS your iPhone is running. The Share Password prompt works on iOS 11 and later, viewing a saved password in Settings needs iOS 16 or later, and the built-in QR code in the Passwords app needs iOS 18 or later. On iOS 17 or earlier there is no built-in QR code, but you can make one with the free Shortcuts app, as explained in the QR code section below. To check, open Settings, tap General, then tap About, and look at the iOS Version line.
Third, think about who you are sharing with. The automatic prompt only works with people whose Apple ID email address or phone number is saved in your Contacts, and who have yours saved in theirs. It does not work with strangers, or with Android phones. For guests and anyone not in your contacts, use the QR code method instead.
Step 1: Connect to the Wi-Fi network. Open Settings, tap Wi-Fi, and join the network you want to share. Wait until the tick appears next to its name.
Step 2: Check your iOS version. Open Settings, tap General, then tap About, and note the iOS Version.
Step 3: Unlock your iPhone. Your iPhone must be unlocked for the Share Password prompt to appear, and for the Passwords app and the saved password screen to open.
Step 4: Turn off Personal Hotspot. If Personal Hotspot is on, turn it off before sharing. It can interfere with the automatic sharing prompt.
How to Share Your Wi-Fi Password with the Share Password Prompt
The Share Password prompt is the quickest way to share your Wi-Fi password with another iPhone, iPad, or Mac. When the other person tries to join your network, a pop-up appears on your iPhone asking if you want to share the password. Tap Share Password, and their device connects straight away. The password itself is never shown on either screen.
This method only works when several conditions are met. Both devices must be signed in to iCloud, and each person must have the other person’s Apple ID email address or phone number saved in their Contacts. Both devices must have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on, and they must be close together, within Bluetooth range. If any condition is missing, the prompt will not appear.
Step 1: Make sure both iPhones are signed in to iCloud. On each phone, open Settings and tap the name at the top. If you see your name and Apple ID there, you are signed in.
Step 2: Check that you are in each other’s Contacts. Open the Contacts app and check that the other person’s Apple ID email address or phone number is saved. Ask them to check that yours is saved on their phone too.
Step 3: Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both devices. On each iPhone, open Settings, tap Wi-Fi, and make sure it is on. Then go back, tap Bluetooth, and make sure that is on too.
Step 4: Bring the two devices close together. Hold the phones near each other, within a few feet. The sharing works over Bluetooth, so the devices need to be close enough to find each other.
Step 5: Ask the other person to select your Wi-Fi network. On their iPhone, they should open Settings, tap Wi-Fi, and tap the name of the network you are connected to.
Step 6: Wait for the prompt on your iPhone. A pop-up should appear on your screen saying Wi-Fi Password, with the name of the network and a Share Password button. It can take a few seconds to appear.
Step 7: Tap Share Password. Tap Share Password on the pop-up. The password is sent to the other device, and their iPhone should connect. Tap Done when the transfer is finished.
What to do if the prompt does not appear
If no prompt appears, work through the conditions one by one: both phones unlocked, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on, Personal Hotspot off, each person saved in the other’s Contacts, and both phones signed in to iCloud. Move the phones closer together and try again. Restarting both phones also fixes a stuck prompt more often than you might expect.
How to Find and Share a Saved Wi-Fi Password in Settings
Sometimes you need the password itself, for a laptop, a smart TV, or a games console that cannot scan a QR code. On iOS 16 and later, you can look it up for any network your iPhone has joined, right in Settings. You will need Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode to see it.
This method shows the password for the network you are currently connected to, and for networks you have joined in the past. Once you can see the password, you can copy it and paste it into a message, or read it out to the other person.
Step 1: Open Settings. Find the Settings app on your Home Screen or in the App Library and tap it to open it.
Step 2: Tap Wi-Fi. At the top of the Settings screen, tap Wi-Fi. This opens the list of available networks, with your current network at the top.
Step 3: Tap the Info button next to your network. Find the network you are connected to and tap the small blue i in a circle next to its name.
Step 4: Tap the Password field. On the details screen, find the Password row and tap it. Your iPhone will ask you to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.
Step 5: Read or copy the password. Once you have authenticated, the password appears in plain text. Tap Copy Password to copy it, then paste it into a message or an email.
Step 6: Find a password for a network you joined before. Go back to the Wi-Fi screen and tap Edit in the top-right corner. Authenticate, then tap the Info button next to the network in the Known Networks list and tap the Password field to reveal it.
Be careful with a copied password. Anyone who receives it can share it again, and it stays valid until you change the password on your router. Only send it to people you trust, in a private message.
How to Share Your Wi-Fi Password with a QR Code
A QR code is the best method when the other person is not in your Contacts, or when you want to share with several people at once. The code holds the network name and the password, so anyone who scans it with their phone camera connects without typing anything. The password itself stays hidden.
On iOS 18 and later, the built-in Passwords app can show a QR code for any saved Wi-Fi network. The Passwords app route lists every network your iPhone has joined, not just the one you are connected to now. There is no QR code option in the Wi-Fi settings screen itself, on any iOS version, so do not look for one there.
Step 1: Open the Passwords app. Find the Passwords app on your Home Screen or in the App Library. On iOS 18 and later it has a grey icon with three keys.
Step 2: Unlock the Passwords app. Authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode. The app will not open without this step.
Step 3: Tap Wi-Fi. On the main screen of the Passwords app, tap the Wi-Fi category. This shows a list of every Wi-Fi network your iPhone has saved.
Step 4: Tap the network you want to share. Find the network in the list and tap it. This opens its details, including the network name and the password field.
Step 5: Tap Show Network QR Code. On the network details screen, tap Show Network QR Code. A large QR code appears on your screen.
Step 6: Ask the other person to scan the code. They should open the Camera app on their phone and point it at the QR code on your screen. A prompt should appear offering to join the Wi-Fi network. They tap the prompt, and their phone connects.
Step 7: Put your phone away once they are connected. Once the other person is on the network, close the QR code. Do not send a screenshot of it to anyone, because anyone with a copy of the code can join your network.
If your iPhone is on iOS 17 or earlier, there is no built-in QR code, but the free Shortcuts app that comes with your iPhone can make one. Open Shortcuts, tap Gallery, search for QR Your Wi-Fi, and add the shortcut. Run it, choose the network you want to share, and it shows a QR code on your screen that anyone can scan to join. You will need to know the password yourself for this route, so look it up in Settings first if you do not remember it.
How to Share Your Wi-Fi Password with an Android Phone
The automatic Share Password prompt does not work with Android phones, because it is an Apple-only feature that relies on iCloud and Contacts. That does not mean Android users are left out. The QR code method works just as well for them, and most Android phones can scan a Wi-Fi QR code with the camera or from the Wi-Fi settings screen. If your iPhone is on iOS 17 or earlier, make the QR code first with the Shortcuts method in the previous section, then follow the steps below.
Some older Android phones need a separate QR code scanner app. If the QR code does not work, you can always fall back to copying the password from Settings.
Step 1: Open the Passwords app on your iPhone. Unlock it with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode, then tap Wi-Fi and tap the network you want to share.
Step 2: Tap Show Network QR Code. A QR code for the network appears on your iPhone screen. Hold your phone steady and turn the brightness up if the code is hard to read.
Step 3: Ask the Android user to open their Camera app. They should open the Camera app on their Android phone and point it at the QR code. On many Android phones, a prompt appears offering to join the network.
Step 4: Tap the prompt to join the network. The Android user taps the prompt that appears, and their phone connects to the Wi-Fi network. The password is saved on their phone, so they will connect automatically next time they are in range.
Step 5: Try the Wi-Fi settings screen if the camera does not work. If nothing happens, they should open Settings on their Android phone, tap Wi-Fi, then tap the QR code or scan icon, usually near the top of the screen or under Add network.
Step 6: Fall back to the password in Settings if the code still fails. If the Android phone cannot scan the code at all, go back to Settings on your iPhone, tap Wi-Fi, tap the Info button next to the network, and tap the Password field. Copy the password and send it to the Android user in a message, or read it out to them.
Common Problems and How to Fix Them
The Share Password prompt never appears. This is the most common problem, and it almost always comes down to a condition not being met. Check that both devices are signed in to iCloud, that each person is saved in the other’s Contacts with the Apple ID email address or phone number, and that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are turned on. Make sure both phones are unlocked, Personal Hotspot is off, and the devices are close together, then ask the other person to tap the network again.
I cannot see the password in Settings. Viewing a saved Wi-Fi password in Settings needs iOS 16 or later. If your iPhone is on an older version, update it in Settings, under General, then Software Update. If you are on iOS 16 or later, check that you are looking at a network your iPhone has actually joined. Networks you have never connected to have no saved password to show.
There is no Passwords app on my iPhone. The Passwords app arrived with iOS 18. If your iPhone is on iOS 17 or earlier, it will not be there, and that is normal. Use Settings instead: open Settings, tap Wi-Fi, tap the Info button next to the network, and tap the Password field to see the password. For a QR code on iOS 17 or earlier, use the free Shortcuts app: open Shortcuts, tap Gallery, search for QR Your Wi-Fi, add it, and run it.
There is no QR code option on my iPhone. The built-in QR code lives only in the Passwords app, which needs iOS 18 or later, and it is not in the Wi-Fi settings screen on any version. If you are on iOS 17 or earlier, make the code with the Shortcuts app instead, using the QR Your Wi-Fi shortcut from the Gallery. If you are on iOS 18 or later and still cannot see it, check that you are looking at a saved network in Passwords, under Wi-Fi, not just a network in range.
The other person’s camera will not scan the QR code. Make sure your screen is clean and bright, and hold the phones steady at a normal reading distance. Glare can stop a camera reading the code, so turn your phone slightly or move out of direct light. If the camera app does not offer to join the network, ask them to try the scanner in their Wi-Fi settings instead.
The password works on my iPhone but not on the other device. Check that the other device is joining the same network, with the same capital letters, and that no extra space has crept in at the start or the end of the password. Passwords are case-sensitive, so a capital letter typed as a lower-case one will fail. If it still fails, forget the network on the other device and try again from the start.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I share my Wi-Fi password with someone who is not in my contacts? Yes, but not with the automatic Share Password prompt. That prompt only works with people saved in your Contacts. For anyone else, use the QR code in the Passwords app, or copy the password from Settings and send it to them.
Can I share my Wi-Fi password with an Android phone? Yes. The automatic prompt is Apple-only, but the QR code method works with Android. On iOS 18 or later, open the Passwords app, tap Wi-Fi, tap the network, and tap Show Network QR Code. On iOS 17 or earlier, make the code first with the Shortcuts app, as explained above. The Android user scans the code with their camera and connects.
Does the other person see my Wi-Fi password when I share it? Not with the Share Password prompt or the QR code. Both methods connect the other device without showing the password on either screen. The other person can see the password only if you show it to them in Settings or read it out to them.
Final Thoughts
Sharing your Wi-Fi password from your iPhone is much easier than reading a long password out loud. For another iPhone, iPad, or Mac, use the Share Password prompt. For guests and Android phones, show a QR code from the Passwords app. And when you need the password itself, look it up in Settings and copy it.
If one method does not work, try the next one instead of struggling with the same steps. Most sharing problems come down to a missing contact entry, Bluetooth being off, or an older iOS version, and each of those has a quick fix. Pick the method that fits the device in front of you, and your guests will be online in seconds.
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