How to Change WiFi Password on Any Router
How to change your WiFi password on any router: log in, open wireless security, set WPA2 or WPA3 and save. Brand table, app shortcuts and tips.
- Log in to your router (for example 192.168.1.1) with the admin password.
- Open Wireless, WiFi or WLAN security settings.
- Pick WPA2-PSK (AES) or WPA3.
- Enter a new password for every band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz).
- Save, then reconnect your devices.
I have changed my WiFi password more times than I can count, and the first step always trips people up. You need the router login, not the WiFi settings on your phone.
The password lives in the router, so you change it there and then reconnect every device. This guide shows you how on any router, step by step. To change your WiFi password, sign in to your router and change it in the wireless settings.
How to change your WiFi password on any router
In my experience, this is the part that trips most people up.
- Connect to your router by WiFi or cable.
- Open your router address in a browser. Most use 192.168.1.1, 192.168.0.1 or 10.0.0.1. Not sure? Use the Router IP Finder.
- Sign in with the admin username and password (often on the router label).
- Go to Wireless, WiFi, WLAN or Wireless Security.
- Choose WPA2-PSK (AES) or WPA3-Personal.
- Type the new password in the Password, Passphrase, Pre-Shared Key or Network Key field. On dual-band routers, change it for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.
- Click Save or Apply. Your devices disconnect; reconnect them with the new password.
Where the setting is on popular routers
I have seen this done wrong more than once, so I keep it simple here.
| Router | Login address | Where to change the WiFi password |
|---|---|---|
| TP-Link | tplinkwifi.net | Wireless (or Advanced, Wireless, Wireless Settings) |
| Netgear | routerlogin.net | Wireless (Basic) |
| Linksys | myrouter.local | Wi-Fi Settings |
| ASUS | router.asus.com | Wireless, General, WPA Pre-Shared Key |
| D-Link | 192.168.0.1 | Settings, Wireless |
| Xfinity | Xfinity app | WiFi, Edit WiFi settings |
| AT&T | 192.168.1.254 | Home Network, Wi-Fi (Device Access Code) |
| Spectrum | My Spectrum app | Services, Internet, Edit Network Info |
Change it in the router app instead
I check this before I change anything else.
Most brands have an app that changes the WiFi password in a few taps: TP-Link Tether or Deco, Netgear Nighthawk or Orbi, ASUS Router, Linksys, Google Home, Xfinity and My Spectrum. Internet provider routers often only allow WiFi changes through the provider app.
Choose a strong WiFi password
I treat this as a quick check, not a deep setting.
- Use at least 12 to 16 characters. WiFi passwords can be 8 to 63 characters long.
- Mix words, numbers and symbols, or use four or more random words.
- Avoid names, birthdays, phone numbers and your address.
- Do not reuse the password from your email or bank.
Our free WiFi Password Generator makes a strong password or an easy-to-type passphrase in one click.
After you change the password
I would rather confirm it now than fix it later.
- Reconnect phones, laptops, TVs, consoles, printers and smart home devices.
- Some smart devices need to be set up again in their own app.
- Also change the router admin password, which is separate from the WiFi password.
- Check for unknown devices with our guide to seeing who is on your WiFi.
Devices that don’t reconnect after the change
I always start with the router page for this.
Changing the password is easy. Getting everything back online is the fiddly part. A few tips:
- Phones and laptops: forget the network and join again with the new password.
- Smart TVs and streaming sticks: go to network settings and pick the network again.
- Printers: use the printer’s WiFi setup menu, or WPS if you still use it, then turn WPS off again.
- Smart plugs and cameras: usually need to be added again in their app.
- Mesh satellites and extenders: mesh units update themselves; standalone extenders may need setting up again.
A trick that saves time: change only the password and keep the same network name. Many devices will simply prompt for the new password instead of losing the network completely.
How often should you change your WiFi password?
In my experience, this is the part that trips most people up.
There’s no need to change a strong password on a schedule. Change it when something happens: a housemate moves out, you’ve shared it widely at a party, you see unknown devices, or you’ve just moved into a home with someone else’s router settings.
If you share WiFi with visitors often, set up a guest network instead. Then you can change the guest password whenever you like without touching your own devices.
