When a guest asks for your Wi-Fi password, you do not have to read out or type a long password. An iPhone can share it directly with other Apple devices, or show a QR code that any phone, including Android, can scan.
Quick answer
- To an iPhone, iPad or Mac nearby: keep your iPhone unlocked and connected to the Wi-Fi. When your guest picks the network on their device, a message appears on your iPhone: tap Share Password.
- To an Android phone (or anyone): open the Passwords app, tap Wi-Fi, tap the network, then Show Network QR Code. Your guest scans it with their camera and joins.
What you need: an iPhone with iOS 18 or later (the Passwords app arrived in iOS 18), connected to the Wi-Fi network you want to share.
Share with a nearby iPhone, iPad or Mac
Before you start, check these on both devices: Apple Support
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are turned on.
- Each person is signed in to their own Apple Account.
- Personal Hotspot is turned off.
- Each person is in the other's Contacts, with the email address or phone number they use for their Apple Account.
- The devices are close to each other.
Then: Apple iPhone User Guide
- Unlock your iPhone and make sure it is connected to the Wi-Fi network.
- On the guest's iPhone, iPad or Mac, open the Wi-Fi settings and choose the same network.
- A message appears on your iPhone asking if you want to share the password. Tap Share Password, then Done.
- The guest's device fills in the password and connects.
The guest never sees the password itself.
Share with an Android phone using a QR code
Android phones cannot receive the Share Password message, but they can scan a Wi-Fi QR code. The iPhone makes one for you: Apple iPhone User Guide
- Open the Passwords app on your iPhone.
- Tap Wi-Fi. The network you are connected to appears at the top.
- Tap the network.
- Tap Show Network QR Code.
Your guest opens the camera app on their phone (or Google Lens on some Android phones), points it at the QR code, and taps the prompt to join the network. This works for iPhones too, so it is a handy option when the Share Password message does not appear.
Find the password itself
If someone needs to type the password, for example on a laptop, smart TV or games console:
- Open the Passwords app and tap Wi-Fi.
- Tap the network, then tap the Password field to show it.
- Tap Copy Password if you want to paste it into a message.
The Passwords app also lists every Wi-Fi network your iPhone has joined before, with their passwords.
If sharing does not work
- The Share Password message does not appear: check the list above (Bluetooth on, Personal Hotspot off, each other in Contacts), then lock and unlock your iPhone and ask your guest to choose the network again.
- Still nothing: restart both devices and try again. Apple Support
- Quickest workaround: use the QR code method above, which does not need Contacts or Bluetooth.
- Last resort: show the password in the Passwords app and let the guest type it in.
Tip: if guests visit often, set up a separate guest network on your router. Then you can share that password freely, and your own devices stay on a network guests cannot see.