Forgot Your Router Password? How to Reset It Safely
What to try before a factory reset, how to reset a router, and what to save first so your internet keeps working.
There are two passwords: the Wi-Fi password and the admin password for the settings page. If you lost the admin one, try the label and your ISP app first, because a factory reset erases your settings.
What to do
- Check the sticker on the router for the admin login.
- Try your ISP app (such as Airtel Thanks or the Jio app) which can often change the Wi-Fi password.
- Check saved passwords in your browser or password manager.
- If you must reset, write down your ISP details first, such as the broadband username and password.
- Hold the small reset button for about 10 to 15 seconds, or as the manual says, until the lights flash.
- Log in with the label login, then set a new admin password and Wi-Fi password.
- Re-enter any ISP details and settings you saved.
Problems after a reset and how to fix them
- After the reset there is no internet
- Your ISP settings were erased. Enter the broadband username and password, or call your ISP.
- The reset button does nothing
- Hold it longer, with the router powered on, using a pin. Some models need up to 30 seconds.
- I only forgot the Wi-Fi password
- You do not need a reset. Log in to the router, or read the Wi-Fi password on a device already connected.
Questions people ask about Forgot password and reset
- Will a reset remove my Wi-Fi name and password?
- Yes. It returns to the factory name and password on the label.
- Can I recover the admin password without a reset?
- Usually not. Some brands offer account-based recovery.
Free tools that help
- Password generatorCreate a random password with the length and characters you choose. It runs in your browser, uses secure randomness and shows how strong it is.
Related pages
- Find your router IP
- Login not working
- Change Wi-Fi password
- Default IP list
- Security checklist
- IP address types