Ever found yourself in a situation where you desperately need a Wi-Fi password that you’ve used before on your Mac, but can’t seem to remember? Worry no more! In this blog post, we’ll show you an easy trick to retrieve any wi-fi password stored on your Mac using the Terminal.
Your Mac discreetly stores all Wi-Fi passwords you’ve ever used, and with a quick command in the Terminal, you can access those passwords in a matter of seconds. Here’s how to do it:
- Open Terminal on your Mac (you can find it in the Utilities folder or by using Spotlight Search).
- In the Terminal, type the following command:
security find-generic-password -wa "network-name-in-quotes"
Replace “network-name-in-quotes” with the name of the Wi-Fi network whose password you want to retrieve, enclosed in quotes. For example:
security find-generic-password -wa "Home Wi-Fi"
- Press Enter and, if prompted, enter your Mac’s admin password.
- The Terminal will then display the Wi-Fi password you’re looking for.
Keep in mind that this trick only works for networks you’ve previously connected to with your Mac. It won’t help you crack passwords for unknown networks.
Conclusion:
This simple Terminal trick is a lifesaver for those moments when you need to recover a Wi-Fi password you’ve used before. Now you can easily access your stored passwords and stay connected without a hitch. Be sure to check out our blog for more Mac tips and tricks, as well as insights into cross-platform working between Apple, Microsoft, and Google products.