Android Q Beta 3: Wi-Fi passwords are now easily accessible in plain text

Ben Schoon | May 8 2019 - 6:47 am PT

Wi-Fi is something we often ask about when visiting friends and relatives and fairly often, they have no idea. Connect and forget seems to be the train of thought for many, but Android Q is tackling that with some sharing tools. In Android Q beta 3, Google has made it easy to access Wi-Fi passwords stored on your device.

Wi-Fi passwords have always been stored on your device to allow you to reconnect, but up until now they’ve required root access to be revealed in plain text.

In Android Q, Google is changing that. When you tap on the settings for any Wi-Fi network you are currently connected to or have ever been connected to, there’s a sharing option. This requires your device’s PIN or a fingerprint to access, but once you have, you’ll see a QR code for automatically connecting to that network as well as the Wi-Fi password itself in plain text.

The QR code functionality was added back in the first Android Q Beta release, but this latest update adds the plain text password.

This is a very welcome change by Google, as it makes such an important piece of data easily accessible by users. No longer will you have to remember the password or where you put the sticky note that stored it. Just head to this page, and your Android device can show you the Wi-Fi password with ease.