Forgot Router Password: Recover & Reset Guide
Forgot the router password? First work out which password you need, then try these recovery steps before resetting.
“Router password” can mean two things: the WiFi password devices use to join, or the admin password for the settings page. The recovery steps are different, so start by working out which one you need.
Router password can mean two things: the WiFi password devices use to join, or the admin password for the settings page. The recovery steps are different, so start by working out which one you need.
In most cases you can recover it without a reset: check the router label, a connected device, your browser or password manager, or the ISP or router app first, and only factory reset if nothing works.
In most cases you can recover it without a reset.
Locked out completely? This guide is for you. If you can still log in and only want a NEW admin password, use our guide to change your router admin password instead — recovering and changing are different jobs.
| Where to look | What you may find |
|---|---|
| Router label | If you never changed it, it’s still printed there. |
| A connected phone or laptop | Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone can all show saved WiFi passwords. |
| Your browser | Search saved passwords for the router IP if you have logged in before. |
| Password manager | Look for the router brand or “WiFi”. |
| Your ISP account or app | Many show the current WiFi password. |
| The router app | TP-Link, Netgear, ASUS and ISP apps often display it. |
Forgot the WiFi password
- Look on the router label. If nobody changed it, it is printed there.
- Check a connected device: see how to find a saved WiFi password.
- Log in to the router and view it under Wireless settings.
- Use the ISP or router app, which often shows the WiFi password.
The label-first check is the one I run before I point anyone at a device.
Forgot the admin password
- Try the default on the label or our default password list.
- If your ISP manages the router, their app or support line can reset it.
- If you saved it in a browser or password manager, check there.
- If nothing works, do a factory reset.
When the label login fails, I check the browser before I reach for a reset.
Before you factory reset
- A reset erases WiFi name, password, port forwards and ISP login settings.
- Write down your ISP username and password if your connection uses PPPoE.
- After the reset, the label login and WiFi details work again.
- Follow our router reset guide.
My first stop is the PPPoE note whenever a reset is on the table.
Avoid this next time
- Store both passwords in a password manager.
- Change the default admin password to something you can find later.
- Create a WiFi QR code and keep it printed at home.
For me, the password-manager habit is the one I push first after any recovery.
Places your old password might be hiding
- A connected phone or laptop: Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone can all show saved WiFi passwords.
- Your browser: search saved passwords for the router IP if you’ve logged in before.
- Password manager: look for the router brand or “WiFi”.
- The router label: if you never changed it, it’s still printed there.
- Your ISP account or app: many show the current WiFi password.
- The router app: TP-Link, Netgear, ASUS and ISP apps often display it.
The connected-device check is the one I run first before I suggest any reset.
Find a saved WiFi password on Windows
- Open Command Prompt.
- Type
netsh wlan show profilesto list saved networks. - Type
netsh wlan show profile name="YourNetwork" key=clear, replacing YourNetwork with your WiFi name. - Look for Key Content. That’s your password.
On a Mac, open Keychain Access, search for the network name, double-click it and tick Show password. On iPhone with iOS 16 or newer, go to Settings, WiFi, tap (i) next to the network, then tap Password. I reach for the Mac route first whenever a saved key needs finding.
WiFi password vs admin password vs account password
People often mix up three different passwords, which makes recovery confusing:
- WiFi password: lets devices join your network. Shown on the label by default.
- Router admin password: logs you in to the router settings page.
- App or cloud account password: for TP-Link ID, Netgear account, eero, Google and similar.
Work out which one you forgot before resetting anything. Forgetting an app account password can be fixed with the app’s “forgot password” link without touching the router. The three-password split is the detail I explain first when recovery feels confusing.
After a reset: get back online fast
- Log in with the label details.
- Set the WiFi name and password back to the old ones, so devices reconnect automatically.
- Set a new admin password and save it in a password manager.
- Re-enter any PPPoE details your ISP gave you.
- Update firmware.
The same-name-first order is the sequence I follow before I touch any setting.
ISP routers with locked passwords
Some ISP routers don’t let you see or change the admin password at all; the provider manages it. If you need a change made, like port forwarding or a new WiFi password, use the provider’s app or support. A factory reset on these routers usually restores the label WiFi details, and the provider reapplies its settings automatically.
I see the locked-admin case most often on ISP-supplied routers.
