No one will deny that Android has a ton of functionality. However, there are still basic features that it lacks. A good example is the impossibility of being able view saved WiFi passwords from previous connections. Android saves them, yes, but it does not allow us to see them, just like that.
In today's tutorial we will see how to get all those WiFi passwords registered on the mobile belonging to previous connections. Attentive because in all cases we will need an Android with administrator permissions to see the keys.
How to view any saved WiFi password on Android
This is because the folder where the “.conf” file that stores all the passwords is located is on a root partition. The good thing is that the file is not encrypted, which means that we can access it and consult its content.
1 # Use a root file explorer
The Android file that stores all the WiFi networks and passwords that we have successfully connected to in the past is called "wpa_supplicant.conf ".
To access it we must use a file explorer for root users and navigate to the "/ data / misc / wifi /" folder.
Some of the best file managers capable of navigating hidden system folders and that we recommend for this task are “Solid Explorer” and “X-Plore File Manager”.
Download QR-Code X-plore File Manager Developer: Lonely Cat Games Price: Free 
Download QR-Code Solid Explorer File Manager Developer: NeatBytes Price: Free Once we have located the file wpa_supplicant.conf we proceed to open it. We will see that each stored WiFi has the following format:
network = {
ssid = ”Name of the WiFi network”
psk = "password"
key_mgmt = WPA-PSK
priority =
}
We will identify the WiFi we are interested in using the "ssid" field. We will have the password just below, in the "psk" field.
2 # Install an app to recover WiFI passwords
If all this seems like too much work and we already have the phone rooted, another option is to use a password recovery. To do this, simply install a dedicated application such as WiFi Password Recovery.
This application is responsible for locating the file wpa_supplicant.conf in our terminal to show us the passwords in an orderly way. A very direct and really easy to use app.
Download QR-Code WiFi Password Recovery Developer: WiFi Password Recovery Team Price: Free 3 # How to extract the password using ADB commands
The latter method requires a bit more patience, but for some users it may be the most comfortable of all. They consist of using a desktop computer, a USB cable, and a single ADB command.
Install the ADB drivers and prepare the phone
Before we start launching commands we have to prepare a couple of things.
- The first thing will be to install the ADB drivers for Windows. In this other POST We will find all the download links and installation instructions.
- We will also have to install phone specific drivers (manufacturer's drivers, such as Mediatek, Qualcomm etc.).
Once we have the ADB drivers installed and the computer is able to recognize the phone, we will have to enable USB debugging. To do this, we are going to “Settings -> System -> Phone information”And clicked seven times in a row on the compilation number. In this way, we will unlock a new menu within "Settings -> System"Called"Developer options”. We enter and activate the tab "USB debugging”.
Related: Basic Guide to ADB Commands for Android
Extract the file that stores the WiFi passwords
Now that we have everything ready, we connect the Android phone to the PC using a USB cable.
- We move to the folder where we have installed the ADB tools. Usually it is in "C: \ adb \".
- Holding "Shift" we right click with the mouse and choose "Open PowerShell window here”.
- In the PowerShell window we write the following command and press enter:
adb pull /data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf
With this command basically what we do is extract the content of the file "wpa_supplicant.conf" from the phone and copy it to our PC. The location of the copied file will be that of the ADB folder that we installed a moment ago.
From here, all we have to do is open the file to view all the passwords for the wireless networks we have successfully connected to in the past.
Wasn't there a method to remove saved WiFi passwords without the need for root?
Until just a few days ago, there was another method to access the famous file wpa_supplicant.conf without root permissions. It consisted of using the ES File Explorer, which was able to reach the path where this file is located. It didn't work on all Android devices, but it did work for some brands.
In any case, ES File Explorer has been removed from the Play Store due to fraudulent practices, so it is no longer an alternative. Apparently, regardless of all the advertising and overloaded interface it used, the app was also responsible for clicking ads in the background.
Conclusions
Currently the number of users who root their terminal seems to have decreased significantly. If we do not have the phone with super user permissions and we need to see an old WiFi, it may be best to ask a friend or the owner of the establishment. Of course, if we have a PC with which we have also connected to that same wireless network, we can also get the key in a much easier way.
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