- Sending the password to a nearby Apple device
- The conditions that have to be right
- Using a QR code for guests and non-Apple phones
- Finding the password so you can type or send it
- Which method to use
- Why you can't share Wi-Fi through your hotspot
- When the other device still won't connect
- What I'd do
- Frequently asked questions
To share a Wi-Fi password from your iPhone, keep your phone unlocked and connected to the network, and have the other person choose that network in their Wi-Fi settings. When the prompt appears on your iPhone, tap Share Password. You'll need to be in each other's contacts and close by.
Reading out a long, random router password to a visitor while they mistype it three times is nobody's idea of fun. Apple's sharing prompt does the job in a couple of seconds between Apple devices, and for everyone else there's a QR code or a password you can copy from the Passwords app.
Sending the password to a nearby Apple device
- Make sure your iPhone is unlocked and connected to the Wi-Fi network you want to share.
- Ask the other person to open Wi-Fi settings on their iPhone, iPad or Mac and choose the same network.
- A message pops up on your iPhone asking whether you want to share the password.
- Tap Share Password.
Their device fills in the password and joins. You never have to say it out loud, and they never see it typed out.
The conditions that have to be right
This is why the prompt sometimes doesn't appear. Apple lists four conditions, and if one of them isn't met, nothing happens:
| Condition | What to check |
|---|---|
| Close enough | Both devices within Bluetooth and Wi-Fi range of each other |
| Contacts | Each person is saved in the other's contacts |
| No hotspot | Neither device is using Personal Hotspot |
| Your iPhone | Unlocked and connected to that Wi-Fi network |
The contacts rule is the one that trips people up. It's not enough for you to have their number; they need yours too, ideally with the email address or phone number linked to their Apple Account. For a one-off visitor you don't want to add as a contact, use the QR code instead.
Distance matters more than you'd think, too. If your visitor is in the meeting room and you're at your desk down the corridor, the prompt may never reach you. Stand next to each other, make sure both phones have Bluetooth turned on, and have them tap the network name again. If you've only just added each other as contacts, give it a moment before you try again.
Using a QR code for guests and non-Apple phones
The sharing prompt only works between Apple devices. For an Android phone, a laptop or a guest you haven't saved as a contact, show them a QR code:
- Open the Passwords app.
- Tap Wi-Fi.
- Tap the network you want to share.
- Tap Show Network QR Code.
Apple says friends and family can scan it to join the network. Hand your phone over or hold it up and they point their camera at it.
Finding the password so you can type or send it
Sometimes you just need to see the password, for a smart TV, a printer or a new laptop that won't get the prompt:
- Open the Passwords app and tap Wi-Fi.
- If you're connected, your current network appears at the top. Networks you've joined before are listed too.
- Tap the network, then tap the Password field to reveal it.
- Tap Copy Password if you want to paste it into a message.
Be careful where you paste it. A Wi-Fi password sitting in a group chat is a password the whole group has for good.
Which method to use
- Family or a regular colleague with an iPhone: the Share Password prompt.
- A client visiting the office: the QR code, ideally for a guest network.
- A device with no camera, like a TV: find the password in the Passwords app and type it in.
Why you can't share Wi-Fi through your hotspot
People sometimes try to pass their café or hotel Wi-Fi on to a laptop using Personal Hotspot. Apple's help page is clear that this doesn't work: Personal Hotspot shares only your iPhone's cellular connection. You can't connect your iPhone to a Wi-Fi network and then share that network with another device. If the laptop needs that Wi-Fi, share the password or the QR code instead.
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When the other device still won't connect
If the password has been shared but the other person can't get online, Apple's Wi-Fi troubleshooting steps are a sensible order to work through:
- Open Settings, tap Wi-Fi and check Wi-Fi is turned on.
- Tap the network name and look for the blue checkmark that shows you're connected.
- Make sure Airplane Mode is off.
- Check whether other devices can connect. If they can, the router's fine and the problem is on that one device.
Apple lists Reset Network Settings as a last resort. It removes all Wi-Fi networks and passwords, plus cellular, VPN and APN settings, so you'd have to rejoin everything afterwards. I'd only try that on your own phone, never as a quick fix on someone else's.
What I'd do
For family, the Share Password prompt is perfect. For clients and contractors, I'd set up a separate guest network on your router and keep its QR code ready on your phone, so your main network password never leaves the building. It's simple, and it looks organised. While you're tightening things up, my guide to password protecting a Word document is worth a look for client files, and if you're on mobile data in the meantime, here's how much data a WhatsApp video call uses.
Frequently asked questions
Why isn't the Share Password prompt appearing?
Check both devices are close by, in each other's contacts, not using Personal Hotspot, and that your iPhone is unlocked and connected.
Can I share Wi-Fi from an iPhone to an Android phone?
The prompt only works between Apple devices. Use Show Network QR Code in the Passwords app instead.
Where can I see my Wi-Fi password on iPhone?
Open the Passwords app, tap Wi-Fi, tap the network and tap the Password field.
Do both people need to be in each other's contacts?
Yes. Apple says the devices must be added to each other's contacts to share the password.
Can I share hotel Wi-Fi through my Personal Hotspot?
No. Personal Hotspot shares only your cellular connection, not a Wi-Fi network you've joined.
