Changing your Wi-Fi password is worth doing when you move in with a new router, when too many people know the old password, or when you suspect someone else is using your connection. It takes about five minutes. Every router looks a little different, but the steps are the same.
Quick answer
- Find your router's address. It is often printed on a label on the router, or is usually
192.168.1.1or192.168.0.1. - Open that address in a web browser and log in with the router's admin username and password (also usually on the label).
- Go to the Wireless or Wi-Fi settings.
- Set security to WPA3 (or WPA2/WPA3), type a new long password, and click Save or Apply.
- Reconnect each device with the new password.
Tip: many newer routers, and routers supplied by internet providers, can also be managed from a phone app. If yours came with one, you can change the password there instead.
1. Find your router's address
Look at the label on the back or bottom of the router first. It usually shows the address (sometimes as a web address such as routerlogin.net), the admin login, and the original Wi-Fi password.
No label? Find the address from a device connected to the network. It is called the router or default gateway:
- Windows: open Command Prompt, type
ipconfig, and look for Default Gateway. - Mac: System Settings › Network › Wi-Fi › Details › TCP/IP, and look for Router.
- iPhone: Settings › Wi-Fi, tap the ⓘ next to your network, and look for Router.
- Android: Settings › Network & internet › Internet, tap your network, and look under the advanced or network details for Gateway. The exact menu names vary by phone.
2. Log in to the router
Type the address into your browser's address bar, for example http://192.168.1.1, and press Enter. A login page appears.
Enter the router's admin username and password. This is different from the Wi-Fi password. If you never changed it, it is on the router's label or in its manual. Some routers only ask for a password.
If the browser shows a security warning, it is because the router uses its own certificate. That is normal for a router on your home network.
3. Open the Wi-Fi settings
Look for a section called Wireless, Wi-Fi, WLAN or Wireless Security. Routers that broadcast two networks (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) may have separate settings for each; change both, or turn on the option to use one name and password for both bands.
4. Set a strong password and security type
Security type: choose WPA3-Personal if available. It gives the best protection against password-guessing. Wi-Fi Alliance If some older devices cannot connect with WPA3, use the WPA2/WPA3 mixed mode. Use plain WPA2 only if the router offers nothing newer. Never use WEP or open (no password) networks: they offer little or no protection.
Password: the field is usually called Password, Passphrase, Pre-Shared Key or Network Key. Length matters more than complexity:
- Use at least 12 characters; longer is better.
- A few random, unrelated words make a password that is long, strong and easy to type on a TV, for example
kettle-orbit-velvet-ninety. - Do not use names, addresses, birthdays or the router's original password.
Network name (SSID): you can change this too. Avoid your surname or address, since the name is visible to everyone nearby.
Click Save or Apply. The router may restart.
5. Reconnect your devices
Every device on the Wi-Fi disconnects when the password changes. On each one, choose the network and enter the new password. If a device keeps failing, tell it to forget the network first, then join again.
Remember the devices you rarely think about: smart TVs, printers, games consoles, security cameras and smart speakers.
While you are logged in: change the admin password
If the router still uses the admin password from its label (or something like admin), change it now under Administration, System or Management. Anyone on your Wi-Fi could otherwise log in to the router and change its settings.
Forgot the admin password?
As a last resort, reset the router to factory settings: with the router on, press and hold the small Reset button (often in a pinhole) for about 10–30 seconds, depending on the model.
This erases all settings, not just the password. The router goes back to the details on its label, and you may need to set up your internet connection again. Some providers require a username and password for the connection, so have those ready, or ask your provider for help before resetting.