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[ REPAIR GUIDE ] WI-FI AND INTERNET

How to change your Wi-Fi password

UPDATED NOVEMBER 20263 MIN READ6 FIXES

QUICK FIX

Open your router's app (or your internet provider's app) and look for the Wi-Fi or wireless settings, or type the admin address printed on the router's label into a browser, sign in, and change the Wi-Fi password there. Save the change, then reconnect each device with the new password.

What it means

Your Wi-Fi password is stored on your router, so you change it from the router's app or its admin page, not from your phone or computer settings. Once you save the new password, every device has to reconnect using it.

Common causes

  • You want a stronger password or still use the default one from the router's label
  • Someone you don't recognize may be using your Wi-Fi
  • You shared the password with guests or former roommates
  • You set up a new router and want your own network name and password

How to fix it

Work down the list. Each fix is safe to try before moving on to the next.

FIX 01Change it in your router or provider appEASY

  1. Find out who made your router. If your internet company supplied it (for example Xfinity, Spectrum or AT&T), use that company's app; otherwise use the router maker's app.
  2. Open the app and sign in.
  3. Look for a section such as WiFi, Wireless, Network or Settings.
  4. Select your Wi-Fi network and choose the option to edit or change the password.
  5. Type a new password of at least 12 characters, mixing words, numbers and symbols, and save it.
  6. Wait for the router to apply the change; your devices will disconnect.

Why it helps: Apps are the simplest way to manage most modern routers and mesh systems.

FIX 02Find your router's admin address and loginEASY

  1. Look at the label on the bottom or back of the router. It usually lists the admin web address, the admin login and the default Wi-Fi name and password.
  2. Common admin addresses include 192.168.0.1 and 192.168.1.1, but yours may be different, so go by the label.
  3. On Windows 11, search for Command Prompt, open it, type ipconfig and press Enter, then read the address next to Default Gateway.
  4. On a Mac, open System Settings > Wi-Fi, click Details next to your network, then TCP/IP, and read the Router address.

Why it helps: The admin page lives at your router's local address, which the label or your device's network details will show.

FIX 03Change it on the router's admin page in a browserMEDIUM

  1. Connect to your home network by Wi-Fi or, better, with an Ethernet cable.
  2. Open a web browser and type the router's admin address into the address bar (not the search box), then press Enter.
  3. Sign in with the router's admin username and password. This is often different from the Wi-Fi password; check the label if you never changed it.
  4. Open the wireless settings, often called Wireless, WiFi or Wireless Settings.
  5. Find the field for the Wi-Fi password, which may be called Password, Network Key, Passphrase or Pre-Shared Key.
  6. Enter your new password, then click Apply or Save.
  7. If your router has separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks, update the password for each one.

Why it helps: Every router lets you change the Wi-Fi password from its built-in admin page, even without an app.

FIX 04Pick a strong security settingMEDIUM

  1. While you are in the wireless settings, check the security mode.
  2. Choose WPA3 or WPA2/WPA3 if available; otherwise choose WPA2.
  3. Avoid options named WEP or Open/None, which are not secure.
  4. If an older device stops connecting after switching to WPA3 only, use the mixed WPA2/WPA3 mode instead.

Why it helps: A strong password only helps if the router uses modern encryption.

FIX 05Reconnect your devices with the new passwordEASY

  1. Windows 11: open Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks, select your network, choose Forget, then reconnect and enter the new password.
  2. iPhone: open Settings > Wi-Fi, tap your network, and enter the new password when asked. If it does not ask, tap the info button next to the network, choose Forget This Network, then join again.
  3. Android: open Settings > Network & internet > Internet (or Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi on Samsung), tap your network, and enter the new password, or forget and rejoin it.
  4. Mac: click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar, choose your network and enter the new password.
  5. Do the same for smart TVs, printers, game consoles and smart home devices.

Why it helps: Devices keep trying the old saved password until you give them the new one.

FIX 06Reset the router if you can't sign inADVANCED

  1. Warning: a factory reset erases your Wi-Fi name, Wi-Fi password and all router settings.
  2. Only do this if you cannot get into the app or the admin page at all.
  3. Hold the router's recessed reset button for the time your router's manual gives (usually somewhere from 7 to 15 seconds), keeping the router plugged in the whole time, then wait for it to restart.
  4. Sign in using the details on the router's label and set a new admin password and Wi-Fi password straight away.

Why it helps: A factory reset is the way back in when the admin password is lost.

Check it's fixed

  • Your phone or computer connects using the new password.
  • The old password no longer works on a device that you forget and rejoin.
  • The router app or admin page shows the new security setting and password.
  • The list of connected devices in the router app shows only devices you recognize.

When to get help

If your router came from your internet provider and you cannot find the setting, contact the provider; many can change the Wi-Fi password for you or walk you through their app.

Questions

Is the Wi-Fi password the same as the router admin password?

Usually not. The Wi-Fi password lets devices join the network, while the admin password protects the router's settings. Change both from their defaults.

Will changing my Wi-Fi password kick everyone off?

Yes. Every device disconnects and must reconnect with the new password, including smart home gadgets.

Can I change my Wi-Fi password from my phone?

Yes, through the router's or provider's app, or by opening the router's admin page in your phone's browser while connected to the home Wi-Fi.

Where do I find my current Wi-Fi password?

If you never changed it, it is printed on the router's label. Otherwise check the router app or admin page, which shows the current password.

Related fixes

How to access your router settingsConnect to your home network, check the label on your router for the admin address and login, type that address into your browser's addHow to reset your router (restart or factory reset)Unplug the router and the modem from power, wait about 30 seconds, plug the modem back in first and wait for its lights to settle, then plugWi-Fi connected but no internet: how to fix itCheck whether other devices also have no internet. If they do, restart the modem and router and check for a provider outage; if only one devWhy does my Wi-Fi keep disconnecting?Restart your modem and router and move closer to the router to test. If only one device keeps dropping, forget and rejoin the Wi-Fi network

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