Whether you’re setting up a new device or helping a friend connect to your home network, sharing your Wi-Fi password doesn’t need to be a hassle. Today’s smartphones make it easy to share access without typing (or needing to remember) long strings of characters. Both iPhones and Android devices support features that let you send your Wi-Fi password quickly and securely, but the steps can vary depending on the devices involved.
Of course, you can still go into your Wi-Fi settings to view your password and show it to your guest or copy and paste it into a group chat. But the methods outlined here avoid having to tell anyone what your long, complicated password might be and are generally more secure.
Below are the most reliable ways to share Wi-Fi passwords between iPhones, between Androids and across mobile platforms.
How to share your Wi-Fi password from iPhone to another Apple device
Apple has built-in functionality to simplify Wi-Fi sharing between its own devices that was introduced in iOS 11. This feature works on iPhones, iPads and Macs provided they’re running the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS or macOS.
Before you start:
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Make sure both devices are running the latest software.
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Wi-Fi and Bluetooth should be turned on for both devices.
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Personal Hotspot should be turned off.
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The Apple ID email address of the person you’re sharing the password with must be saved in your Contacts.
To share your Wi-Fi password:
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Unlock both iPhones.
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Ensure both devices are physically near each other.
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On the receiving iPhone, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and select the same Wi-Fi network.
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A pop-up will appear on the sender’s iPhone asking if you’d like to share the password.
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Tap Share Password.
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Once the password is sent, tap Done.
The receiving device will automatically connect to the Wi-Fi network without needing to type in the password manually.
How to share your Wi-Fi password from iPhone to Android
While Apple devices don’t natively support sharing Wi-Fi passwords with Android phones, there are still a couple of effective workarounds using QR codes. The most user-friendly approach is to create a QR code that an Android phone can scan to connect to the Wi-Fi network.
Option 1: Create a QR code using the Shortcuts app
If you’re using iOS 17 or later, you can build a shortcut to generate a QR code that contains your Wi-Fi credentials.
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Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone.
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Tap the + button to create a new shortcut.
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Select Add Action, then choose Text.
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In the text box, enter your Wi-Fi credentials…