To share a Wi-Fi password from a Mac to an iPhone, select the network in the iPhone’s Settings > Wi-Fi, then click Share or Share Password in the notification on your unlocked Mac, which must already be connected to that network. Both devices need Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on, nearby placement, and the Apple Account contact details described below.
The short version
- Fastest method: Select the network on the iPhone and approve the sharing notification on your connected Mac.
- Before sharing: Enable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, turn off Personal Hotspot, and save the required Apple Account details in Contacts.
- Easy alternative: Display the network QR code in the Mac’s Passwords app and scan it with the iPhone.
- Manual fallback: Reveal or copy the password on your Mac, then enter it in the iPhone’s Wi-Fi settings.
| Method or option | Use it for | Requirement or catch |
|---|---|---|
| Nearby sharing notification | Connecting a nearby iPhone | Connected Mac and Apple Account contact details |
| Passwords app lookup | Revealing or copying a password | macOS Sequoia 15 or later |
| Known Networks lookup | Copying through Wi-Fi settings | Password copying must be available |
| Advanced network list | Copying a previously saved password | macOS Ventura 13 or later |
| Camera QR scan | Joining without typing | Network QR code displayed on Mac |
| Control Center scanner | Scanning through a dedicated control | Scan Code control on iPhone |
| Camera Control scanner | Launching the scanner with a hardware button | Equipped iPhone running iOS 27 |
| iCloud Keychain | Synchronizing your saved credentials | Same Apple Account and two-factor authentication |
| Universal Clipboard | Pasting onto your own iPhone | Compatible devices with Handoff enabled |
| Handoff setup | Enabling Universal Clipboard | Enable it on both devices |
| Messages | Sending a retrieved password as text | You must retrieve the password first |
| AirDrop file transfer | Sending a document or image containing the password | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and AirDrop reception enabled |
| Live Text | Copying a password from the Mac screen | Supported iPhone, language, and region |
| Keychain Access | Revealing a saved network item | Accessible item and keychain authentication |
| Router administration | Finding the router’s wireless password | Authorized router administration access |
| AirPort Utility | Recovering an AirPort network password | Compatible base station and administrator password |
| Apple Configurator profile | Installing supplied network credentials by cable | Known credentials and a connected iPhone |
| Downloaded Wi-Fi profile | Installing credentials delivered by email or website | Complete installation within eight minutes |
| Device management | Configuring an organizational network | Enrolled iPhone and administrator access |
| Proximity AutoFill policy | Allowing managed-device password requests | Administrator must permit the feature |
| Apple Configurator download | Getting the Mac profile creation tool | Mac must meet the selected release’s requirements |
| Forget an outdated network | Replacing an obsolete saved password | Current password and permission to forget the network |
| Internet Sharing | Creating a separate network for the iPhone | Suitable upstream connection, such as Ethernet |
Prepare your devices and approve the password request
Keep your Mac unlocked and connected to the Wi-Fi network you want the iPhone to join. Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both devices, bring them close together, and turn off Personal Hotspot. Each device must be signed in to an Apple Account.
When sharing with another person, save their Apple Account email address or phone number in your Contacts, and have them save yours in theirs. Use the details associated with the Apple Accounts on the devices. When connecting your own iPhone, Apple says your own Apple Account must also be in your contacts.
On the iPhone, open Settings > Wi-Fi and select the network your Mac is using. Leave your Mac unlocked while you wait for its Wi-Fi Password notification, then click Share. Use Share Password if that is the sharing button shown. Your Mac must have a network password it can share.
Scan a network QR code instead
On a Mac running macOS Sequoia 15 or later, open Passwords and unlock it if prompted. Select Wi-Fi in the sidebar, choose the network, and click Show Network QR Code. Keep the code displayed on the Mac screen.
Open Camera on the iPhone, select Photo mode, and point it at the code. Tap the detected link to join the network; follow the steps to scan a QR code if you need help with the scanner. This route does not require matching Apple Accounts or reciprocal contacts.
You can also open Control Center and tap Scan Code. If the control is missing on iOS 18 or later, touch and hold the Control Center background, tap Add a Control, and select Scan Code. Aim the scanner at the Mac’s code and follow the detected link.
Reveal or copy the password for manual entry
Open the Mac’s Passwords app, unlock it if prompted, select Wi-Fi, and choose the network. Hover over the dots beside Password to reveal it, or click the dots to copy it. Read the password to the iPhone user or write it down.
On the iPhone, open Settings > Wi-Fi, select the network, and enter the password. If you need to locate credentials already saved on the receiving phone, you can also find passwords on your iPhone.
On macOS Ventura 13 or later, you can also copy saved passwords through System Settings. Open Apple menu > System Settings > Wi-Fi, then look under Known Networks. Click the More button beside the network and choose Copy Password. Some networks do not offer this option, so use Passwords if the credential is accessible there.
For a previously saved network, open Apple menu > System Settings > Network > Wi-Fi, scroll down, and click Advanced. Click the More button beside the saved network and select Copy Password. Paste it somewhere you can read it, then enter it on the iPhone.
Paste or sync the password to your own iPhone
On compatible devices, Universal Clipboard lets you copy the password on your Mac and paste it into your iPhone’s password field. Keep both devices nearby, signed in to the same Apple Account, with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Handoff enabled. After copying the password through Passwords or System Settings, open Settings > Wi-Fi on the iPhone and select the network. Touch and hold the password field and tap Paste shortly afterward, because clipboard contents remain available briefly.
To enable Handoff on current Mac software, open Apple menu > System Settings > General > AirDrop & Continuity and turn on Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices. On the iPhone, open Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity and enable Handoff.
For ongoing synchronization through iCloud Keychain, use the same Apple Account on both devices with two-factor authentication enabled. On the Mac, open Apple menu > System Settings > your name > iCloud > Passwords, enable Sync this Mac, and click Done. On the iPhone, open Settings > your name > iCloud > Passwords and enable Sync this iPhone.
Complete any device-approval prompts so your saved Wi-Fi credentials can synchronize. Select the network on the iPhone when it is in range. This route transfers credentials between your approved devices; use nearby sharing, a QR code, or manual entry for someone else’s Apple Account.
Send or copy a password you have revealed
To send the password through Messages, retrieve it first, then open Messages on your Mac. Select a conversation, or click Compose and enter the recipient in To. Paste the network name and password into the message field and press Return. On the iPhone, read or copy the password, select the network in Settings > Wi-Fi, and enter it.
For AirDrop, put the retrieved password in a document or image and enable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both devices. On the iPhone, open Control Center, touch and hold the connectivity controls, select AirDrop, and choose Contacts Only if the Mac’s owner is in your contacts, or Everyone for 10 Minutes if they aren’t. On the Mac, use the item’s Share button > AirDrop and select the iPhone, or drag the file onto its recipient in Finder > AirDrop.
Accept the transfer on the iPhone if prompted. For a non-contact on macOS 26.2 and iOS 26.2 or later, follow Get AirDrop Code and enter that code on the sending device. Read or copy the received password and enter it when joining Wi-Fi. This transfers a file containing the password.
You can also copy a displayed password with Live Text on a supported iPhone, in supported languages and regions. Enable Settings > Camera > Show Detected Text if necessary, then open Camera and aim it at the revealed password on your Mac. Tap Detect Text, select the password, and tap Copy. Check the recognized characters, then open Settings > Wi-Fi, select the network, and paste the password.
Fix a missing prompt or an outdated password
If the sharing notification does not appear, confirm that the Mac is unlocked and connected to the selected network. Check that both devices have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled, are nearby, and have Personal Hotspot turned off. Confirm the Apple Account contact details on both devices, then select the network again on the iPhone.
If nearby sharing still fails, display the network QR code or enter the retrieved password manually. Both routes avoid the reciprocal-contact requirement. On a supervised iPhone, ask your organization to review its Proximity AutoFill restriction, which can prevent the device from advertising nearby Wi-Fi password requests.
If the iPhone retains an outdated password, open Settings > Wi-Fi and tap the information button beside the network. Select Forget This Network, then tap Forget. Select the network again and use nearby sharing, a QR code, or manual entry with its current password.
Recover a password your Mac cannot show
Keychain Access is another place to look when the saved network item is present and accessible. Search for Keychain Access in Spotlight and press Return. If the keychain list is hidden, choose Window > Keychain Viewer or press Command + 1.
Select the keychain containing the network item, locate the item, and double-click it. Select Show password and authenticate with the password for that keychain. Provide the revealed password for manual entry on the iPhone. Not every saved Wi-Fi credential will necessarily be accessible here.
If you administer the router, open its official administration webpage in a Mac browser or use its official companion app to view the wireless password. The login address and wireless-security menus depend on your router model. Give the current password to the iPhone user for entry in Settings > Wi-Fi.
For a compatible existing AirPort base station or Time Capsule, open AirPort Utility on the Mac, select the base station in the graphical overview, and click Edit. Choose Base Station > Show Passwords, then read the Wi-Fi password and enter it on the iPhone. You need the base-station administrator password for this route.
Install network credentials on an administered iPhone
If you administer iPhones, you can supply known Wi-Fi credentials through a configuration profile. To get the Mac tool, open Apple’s official Apple Configurator product-support page and select Download Apple Configurator for Mac, which opens its Mac App Store listing. Check the selected release’s Mac requirements before downloading.
In Apple Configurator, choose File > New Profile, then complete Name and Identifier in General. Select the Wi-Fi payload, click Configure, and supply the network credentials. Choose File > Save.
Connect the iPhone by USB or Thunderbolt, unlock it, and approve Trust if prompted. Select the device in Configurator, choose Actions > Add > Profiles, select the saved profile, and click Add Profiles. Follow any installation prompts on the iPhone.
You can also deliver the Wi-Fi profile through an authorized email or website. After downloading it on the iPhone, open Settings > Profile Downloaded > Install and follow the prompts. Install within eight minutes or the pending profile is deleted. Apple says that outside a familiar location, Stolen Device Protection must first be disabled and then re-enabled after installation.
For an enrolled iPhone, use your device-management service to create a Wi-Fi payload containing the Service Set Identifier, appropriate Network authentication type, and network password. Assign it to the iPhone and configure Auto Join if needed. Portal menus vary by service, so follow your service’s instructions, including for networks using enterprise authentication. These profile routes require you to supply credentials; they do not automatically retrieve the Mac’s saved password.
Create a separate connection with Internet Sharing
If you need an alternative connection, Internet Sharing can create a separate Mac Wi-Fi network using an upstream connection such as Ethernet. It creates its own network name and password. Use this when you want the iPhone to connect through the Mac and have suitable network interfaces available.
Connect the Mac to Ethernet, then open Apple menu > System Settings > General > Sharing. Turn on Internet Sharing and click Configure. Set Share your connection from to Ethernet and select Wi-Fi under To devices using.
Configure Network Name, Security, and Password, then click OK and Done. On the iPhone, open Settings > Wi-Fi, select this newly created network, and enter its password. This does not transfer the original router’s Wi-Fi password.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use Camera Control to scan the Mac’s network QR code?
Yes, on an iPhone equipped with Camera Control running iOS 27, open Settings > Camera > Camera Control and select Code Scanner. Click the physical Camera Control, aim at the network QR code displayed on your Mac, and follow the detected link.
Can you dictate a message containing the Wi-Fi password?
Yes, you can dictate message text or ask Siri to send a message containing password text you supply. Retrieve the password first so you can provide it when composing the message.
Where is Handoff if the Continuity pane names are missing?
On some earlier supported versions, the Mac pane is called AirDrop & Handoff instead of AirDrop & Continuity. On the iPhone, look for AirPlay & Handoff instead of AirPlay & Continuity.
Does manual password entry require the Passwords app on the iPhone?
No, the receiving iPhone does not need the Passwords app to use a password you reveal on the Mac. It also does not need to use the same Apple Account.
Can Configurator install the profile without an iPhone confirmation?
A supervised iPhone can receive the profile automatically through Configurator. On an unsupervised iPhone, you need to follow the device’s installation prompts.
Why can’t you forget a managed Wi-Fi network?
A managed network may prevent you from using Forget This Network. If that blocks replacing an outdated password, ask the managing organization to handle the network configuration.