iOS doesn’t let you view the password for a WiFi network you’re connected to. This is one of the oldest peeves users have with the system. If you don’t know the password to the WiFi network you’re connected to, you cannot share it with anyone. People who still jailbreak their iPhones almost always install a tweak that lets them view and share the WiFi password. Apple has finally addressed this shortcoming. You can now share WiFi password in iOS 11 with your friends. You can share it between iOS and macOS devices.
Contacts Only
This feature only works between iOS devices and both devices must be running iOS 11, or between Macs provided they’re both running High Sierra. If you have a friend who uses an Android device, you still cannot share the WiFi password with them.
There’s one other minor stipulation to using this feature; you can share the WiFi password in iOS 11 with contacts only. It’s pretty easy to add a contact i.e. via the Contacts app. If that doesn’t immediately do the trick , send an iMessage or a text message to the contact.
Share WiFi Password In iOS 11
Make sure you’re connected to the WiFi network your friend wants to connect to. Have your friend open the Settings app and go to WiFi. They should then tap the network they want to connect to. Once they tap the network, they will be prompted to enter the password.
At this point, physically bring both devices close. Ideally, it should work if you’re both in the same room but we observed it was a bit slow on older iPhone models. Wait a few seconds and you will see a Share Password prompt on your screen. Accept it and your friend will be connected to the network.
You can also share WiFi password in iOS 11 to macOS High Sierra. The same rules apply; the iMac or MacBook must be a contact. For a Mac to be a contact, you must have it added to the Contacts app, same as it is with iOS. Again, if simply adding a contact doesn’t work, try sending an iMessage.
Passwords Are (still) Not Visible
This obviously isn’t the solution most people were hoping for because you still cannot view the WiFi password. It’s basically being shared between two trusted devices and it’s limited to iOS and macOS devices. Had Apple decided to make the password visible, the need to have people in your contacts before you could share the password wouldn’t be there.
Sharing the WiFi password isn’t just something that you do between phones. Often, you might need to connect a laptop or a desktop to a WiFi network and in most cases, knowing the password is just easier.