Finding Your Airport Extreme Password: A Step-By-Step Guide

If you've forgotten the password for your AirPort Extreme or Express, there are a few ways to find it. The default password for all AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express devices is public, but if you've changed it, you can try resetting your device to its factory settings. You can also use AirPort Utility to see all of the passwords associated with a base station, or you can use Keychain Access to view the passwords stored on your keychain.

Soft reset your device

If you don't remember the password for your Airport Extreme, you can try to do a soft reset on your device. Here's how to do it:

• On your Mac, go to Applications > Utilities, then select the Keychain Access app. You can also use AirPort Utility to see all of the passwords associated with a base station.
• Double-click on Keychain Access to open it.
• Use the Search field in the upper right corner to type in the name of your wireless network.
• Click on the name of your wireless network from the list of found items.
• If you have multiple items with the same name, look for the one that says "Airport Network Password" and is on the "login" keychain.

After the soft reset, you can try to enter the default password, which is "public". If this doesn't work, it's possible that you previously set up your own password when you first configured your device.

Use AirPort Utility to see all passwords associated with a base station

If you want to see all the passwords associated with a base station, you can use AirPort Utility. This is quicker than using Keychain Access. To use AirPort Utility, open the program, which can be found in /Applications/Utilities. You can use Finder's 'Go' menu to jump to the Utilities folder. Once you've launched AirPort Utility, you'll see a list of your devices at the bottom. Click on one to select it, and if your Mac already knows the base station password, you're good to go.

Find the default password

If you've forgotten your AirPort Extreme password, there are a few ways to find it. The default password for all AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express devices is "public". If you've reset your device to its factory settings, this will also be the password.

If you've previously set up your own password, you can try doing a soft reset on your device. After the soft reset, you can try to enter the default password.

You can also use AirPort Utility to see all of the passwords associated with a base station. To do this, open the AirPort Utility program, which lives within /Applications/Utilities. Once you launch AirPort Utility, you’ll see a list of your devices at the bottom. Click on one to select it, and if your Mac already knows the base station password, you’re good to go.

Another way to find your password is to use Keychain Access. Go to Applications > Utilities, then select the Keychain Access app. Double-click to open it, and use the Search field in the upper right corner to type in the name of your wireless network. Click on the name of your wireless network from the list of found items. It’s Kind will be Airport Network Password and it’ll be on the “login” keychain.

Retrieve an AirPort password from your keychain

If you've forgotten your AirPort password, you can try resetting your device to its default password. The default password for all AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express devices is 'public'. If this doesn't work, it's likely that you've previously set up your own password when you first configured your device.

To retrieve your AirPort password from your keychain, locate and open the Keychain Access app. You can find this by going to Applications > Utilities on your Mac. The application's icon is a ring with keys on it. Use the Search field in the upper right corner to type in the name of your wireless network. Click on the name of your wireless network from the list of found items. If there are multiple items with the same name, look for the one with the 'Kind' of Airport Network Password on the 'login' keychain.

Reset your AirPort Express to its factory settings

If you have forgotten your AirPort Express password, you can reset your device to its factory settings. This will erase all of your settings and reset them to their original values.

To reset your AirPort Express, first disconnect the base station from its power source. Then, press and hold the reset button (located on the back of the device, above the 3.5mm audio jack) with a pen, pencil or straightened paperclip. While continuing to hold the button, plug the base station back in and hold for approximately 5 seconds, until you see the three status lights glow.

If you don't want to reset your device, you can try to find your password by using AirPort Utility to see all of the passwords associated with a base station. You can also try a soft reset on your device and then enter the default password, which is "public". You can also try using Keychain Access to view the passwords stored on your keychain.

Frequently asked questions