One of the great benefits of technology is that it makes our lives easier… Especially at home: we don’t have to buy ice every week, since we now have electric refrigerators.
We don’t have to go down to the river to wash clothes by hand like our great-great-grandmother did; now we have washing machines. With WiFi, we don’t even have to leave the house to work and earn a living; we can stay indoors with our computer and once we finish our workday, we can watch Netflix. Today, the home, the office, and the cinema have all merged into one.
Then there are some frustrating things about this technology, like trying to remember that 20-character WiFi password that we randomly set up years ago. That’s why both Android and iPhone introduced general features that allow you to share a network with just a couple of taps. That ease of sharing the password has also become a security backdoor that most people are unaware of. And you know… If you don’t know you have a backdoor, it’s very difficult to lock it and close it, so anyone can enter through your backyard—in this case, your WiFi network.
Don’t worry, there’s an easy solution. We’ll show you step by step how to protect your network before it’s too late. After all, you don’t want to share your HBO account with strangers, right?
How it works on Android
The system for sharing your WiFi network password was created by generating a QR code on Android. This code allows other Wario users to scan it with their cell phone and automatically connect to the network, without typing a single key. However, the vulnerability lies precisely in the way the system processes this information. To protect the password, Android requires the user to first identify themselves with their fingerprint, PIN, or unlock pattern. If someone accesses your unlocked phone, they bypass that authentication and the system not only displays the QR code, but also reveals the network password in plain, unencrypted text just below the image.
The steps to access this information are surprisingly simple:
- First, go to Settings > Networks & Internet > WiFi.
- Then, select the network you have saved by tapping the “Share” option.
- After security authentication, the password will be displayed visibly in text.
This is enough for an unwanted guest to gain permanent access. So now you know, don’t go to the bathroom and leave your phone unlocked in front of someone you have even the slightest doubt about.
How to share WiFi on iPhone/iOS
In Apple’s elitist ecosystem, the key to vulnerability lies in the iCloud keychain. The iOS operating system stores all your WiFi passwords securely encrypted in this keychain. However, starting with iOS 16, Apple added the ability to view these passwords directly in the settings.
Although the system also requires strong biometric authentication or a code, a person can easily access them if they know the PIN used to access and unlock your phone. Once the control is bypassed, the key is displayed in a text field that can be easily copied. It’s a process that was designed for everyday convenience, but it’s highly dangerous if your phone is left unattended. Here are the steps to view a WiFi password on an iPhone:
- Go to the Settings app —> WiFi.
- Go to Info (i) for the network you want to connect to.
- Tap Edit —> Password.
- Without biometric authentication, the password is immediately revealed and ready to be copied.
What happens if someone steals your WiFi password
The most immediate risk is bandwidth theft. If a stranger accesses your network, they could take advantage of it to download large files or use streaming services without permission. However, your Internet connection slowing down is the least of your problems. Once they have your password, they can permanently access your network, even if they leave the vicinity of your home. Once connected to your local network, they can monitor all unencrypted traffic.
To avoid this, as we have said, it is best to physically protect your mobile phone. Do not leave it unlocked on a table or unattended near people you do not know well. It is also best to use a long, complicated PIN and not to show the screen openly to strangers when unlocking it. Finally, we recommend that you use biometric authentication, with your face or fingerprint, to display the password. This additional security feature is what will protect you the most.