Why does my Wi-Fi keep asking for a new password?

The short answer

Your device is losing its saved connection to the network, so it treats every attempt like a brand-new login.

Most common causes

1. Your device keeps “forgetting” the network

Some devices have settings that automatically remove saved networks after a period of inactivity or after a restart. If your phone, laptop, or tablet forgets the network, it will ask for the password again next time you try to connect.

2. The router is restarting or losing settings

If your router loses power frequently, has flaky firmware, or resets itself, it may regenerate its security settings. When that happens, the old saved password on your device no longer matches.

3. Someone keeps changing the password

If someone with admin access to the router is updating the Wi-Fi password regularly, your saved password becomes outdated and the network will prompt you again.

4. Your router is switching between bands

Some routers broadcast separate networks for 2.4GHz and 5GHz with slightly different settings. Your device might hop between them, and if only one band has your password saved, the other will keep asking.

5. A network setting is forcing re-authentication

Some routers — especially in offices, hotels, or shared spaces — use settings that require devices to re-enter credentials after a set time. This is a security feature, not a bug.

6. Your device has a VPN or security app interfering

Certain VPN apps, firewalls, or “network security” tools can reset your saved connections or block automatic reconnection, triggering repeated password prompts.

How to fix it

• Forget the network and reconnect — go to your Wi-Fi settings, tap “Forget,” then re-enter the password fresh
• Turn off “auto-forget” settings — on some Android devices, disable the option that removes networks you haven’t used recently
• Restart your router — unplug it for 30 seconds, then plug it back in to clear any temporary glitches
• Check for firmware updates — log into your router’s admin page and update to the latest firmware
• Combine your Wi-Fi bands — if your router has separate 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks, set them to the same name and password
• Disable interfering apps — temporarily turn off VPNs or security apps to see if they are the cause

When should you worry?

If your Wi-Fi keeps asking for a password you never changed, someone else may have accessed your router and changed the settings. Log into your router admin page, update the Wi-Fi password to something new, and change the admin login password too. If the problem continues after a factory reset, the router itself may be failing and need replacement.