Skip to main content

How to share a Wi-Fi password on iPhone or iPad

A little-known Wi-Fi connectivity shortcut can make life easier for everyone while maintaining your privacy if you want to share your home password with guests. The Wi-Fi sharing feature, which debuted in the fall of 2017 with iOS 11, can connect any visitor to your home using an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or even your Mac running macOS High Sierra or later, without specifically revealing it or forcing your guests to type it in. Just keep in mind that you'll both need to be using an iPad or iPhone for this to work, or it's back to entering the password manually.

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

  • Apple iPhone or iPad

A little-known Wi-Fi connectivity shortcut can make life easier for everyone while maintaining your privacy if you want to share your home password with guests. The Wi-Fi sharing feature, which debuted in the fall of 2017 with iOS 11, can connect any visitor to your home using an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or even your Mac running macOS High Sierra or later, without specifically revealing it or forcing your guests to type it in. Here's how to do it.

Prepare both devices

Prepare your phone by making sure your personal hotspot is off and the Apple ID of the person with whom you wish to share your Wi-Fi password is already in your Contacts list. Your two devices should be in fairly close physical proximity. Both devices should have the latest iOS or iPad OS version installed.

Step 1: Make sure your visitor is already in your Contacts using their specific Apple ID email address, and if they're not, add them now via Contacts > Add > Enter data > Done.

iPhone with Contact pane.

Step 2: Switch Bluetooth on for both your iPhone and your visitor's iOS device via Settings > Bluetooth (toggle on).

Two iPhone screens with Bluetooth settings.

Step 3: Position both devices near each other to let your visitor hop on to your Wi-Fi network by tapping Settings > Wi-Fi > Your Wi-Fi network name.

Wi-Fi pane on iPhone.

Step 4: When your visitor taps your network's name, a password box appears on your phone. When the card appears on your iPhone, tap Share password. The connection takes place on your visitor's device automatically.

Share Password interface on iPhone.

Step 5: When the connection is accomplished, you'll get a notification on your iPhone. Tap Done.

Share Password interface on iPhone.

By successfully sharing your Wi-Fi password, you have spared your guests the stress of having to manually punch in a complex string of letters, numbers, and symbols. With people you know and trust, this is a surefire way to make them feel welcome in your home.

Editors' Recommendations

Jackie Dove
Contributor
Jackie is an obsessive, insomniac tech writer and editor in northern California. A wildlife advocate, cat fan, and photo app…
iPadOS 17 just made my favorite iPad feature even better
Stage Manager on iPad Pro with M1

With iPadOS 17, Apple promised a refined Stage Manager experience. So, as soon as the first public beta was released, I rushed to my iPad Pro to check whether Apple’s claims made at WWDC 2023 had any merit to them. Well, Apple delivered with Stage Manager on iPadOS 17 — and to a large extent.

One of my biggest gripes with Stage Manager was that it wasn’t flexible. Apple wanted to ape a core multitasking feature from macOS, but the implementation left a lot to be desired. Digital Trends Editor Joe Manager wrote an extensive (and lukewarm) take on how Stage Manager didn't live up to its promises.

Read more
How to download the iPadOS 17 beta on your iPad right now
iPad showing iPadOS 17 Developer Beta 1 update screen with MacBook in the background.

During its 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) last month, Apple took the wraps off its entire lineup of 2023 operating system updates, including iPadOS 17. This year's major tablet software release promises to bring over many of the fun lock screen features from the iPhone to the larger canvas, plus a new Health app, a better way of working with PDFs and Notes, and some nice multitasking improvements.

The final release of iPadOS 17 won't show up until this fall, but Apple has just opened the doors on its public beta program for those who would like to take an early sneak peek.

Read more
This $199 refurbished iPad deal is $120 cheaper than a new one
iPad 7th generation hands-on holding in horizontal mode

If you don't mind purchasing refurbished stock that looks like new, Walmart has one of the best iPad deals today. Right now, you can buy the Apple iPad 7th generation for only $200 saving you $49 off the usual price. Of course, it's a refurbished unit but Walmart promises that it works and looks like new so you're not missing out on anything other than spending more cash. It's an older model but thanks to Apple supporting iPads for a long time, you'll be fine. Here's a deeper look at what to expect from your new acquisition.

Why you should buy the Apple iPad
The Apple iPad 7th generation was launched back in 2019. Four years old, it's still reasonably powerful if you don't mind a few concessions in exchange for owning an iPadOS-based tablet. It's powered by the A10 Fusion processor that was seen in the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. It can still handle plenty of multitasking so there are no concerns there, although we'd recommend this as a tablet for someone who doesn't mind being a few steps behind technologically. After all, this isn't one of the best tablets anymore, but it's ideal for entertainment purposes.

Read more