How to share a Wi-Fi password from your iPhone to your Mac

Why it happens

An iPhone that's already on a Wi-Fi network can pass the password to a nearby Mac over Bluetooth, so nobody has to read it out. To keep it safe, it only offers this to people it knows: each person's Apple Account email has to be in the other's Contacts. If the Mac is yours and signed in to the same Apple Account, that's already covered.

How to fix it

1. Make sure your iPhone is connected to the network. Unlock it and keep it close to your Mac. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth need to be on for both.

2. On your Mac, open System Settings and click Wi-Fi. Find the network in the list and click Connect next to it. Choosing it from the Wi-Fi menu in the menu bar works too.

   Wi-Fi

3. When the Mac asks for the password, look at your iPhone. Tap Share Password, then Done. The Mac fills in the password and joins.

Still not fixed?

1. No pop-up on the iPhone? Cancel the password box on the Mac, lock and unlock the iPhone, and keep it on the Home Screen right next to the Mac. Then choose the network again.

2. Sharing with someone else's Mac? Check Contacts on both sides. Your Apple Account email needs to be on your card in their Contacts, and theirs in yours.

3. You can also read the password on the iPhone. In Settings, tap Wi-Fi, tap the info button next to the network, then tap Password and confirm with Face ID or your passcode. Type it on the Mac yourself.

4. If you sync passwords with iCloud, your Mac may know it already. Open the Passwords app and click Wi-Fi to look.

   Passwords›Wi-Fi

5. If sharing never works and Bluetooth on your Mac won't turn on or keeps dropping, contact Apple Support. A Bluetooth fault can be a hardware problem.