There are no such apps. Well, there are technically apps that claim to be Wi-Fi hacking apps on Android but, in reality, are just hoaxes or simply malware. What’s the best part? None of the apps I found were hosted on the Google Play Store. This means there is a high chance they are completely rip offs or worse.
Disappointed by this development, I simply rang my neighbor’s doorbell for the first time in 15 years of living in the same house. Turns out he is a nice guy and who shared his Wi-Fi Password with me and even allowed me access to his movie collection. We are now on good terms even though I don’t know his last name. The point is, you simply cannot “hack” someone’s Wi-Fi Password by tapping a button on your smartphone. If that were the case, no one would actually get an internet connection and live off mooching from one sucker who pays for a service. I’ll explain why the existence of an actual, working Wi-Fi hacking app on Android is kind of impossible.
The Security
These days each and every one of the Wi-Fi router or modem comes with strong encryption and security features. If we take a moment to consider, we would realize how much information we have shared on our home network. I share my TV shows and movies on the network using a 2TB storage HDD so everyone can enjoy them on their respective devices. I stream video games from my gaming PC to my laptop and enjoy games in bed. I’m pretty sure everyone has shared something on their personal computer, whether knowingly or not.
Now enter a random nobody who simply has access to all of that just by a press of a button. I have not even started talking about the implications of this easy access in corporations and offices. Logically thinking, if everyone had access to this simple hacking power, everyone would start abusing it to the maximum. I mean seriously, we do love to peek around, and digital peeking is no different.
The Encryptions
The encrypted passwords are a pain to hack, using a simple and frankly underpowered device. The WPA and WPA2 encrypted passwords are a pain to hack even if you are using a powerful PC running on Linux as it is. So to expect a simple Android smartphone to hack through the password is a long shot. Maybe if the password is a simple name or phrase, then there is a slight chance, but that will also take a long while.
How and Why Not?
Mostly passwords can be broken by brute force. This means a piece of software attempts to input combination of words and numbers in the hope of finding the right password. By now you must have guessed why experts say you should have numeric and special characters in your passwords. The longer and more complex the password is, the longer it takes to guess it via brute force. If you know the person, you can also try to guess what they would have as their password, but that’s all there is to it.
An Android device can theoretically do brute force attacks, but why send a boy to do a man’s job. If you absolutely must crack passwords (we are not saying that you should), you have a better chance using a multi-core based PC along with Linux.
The Moral Aspect
You are stealing someone’s bandwidth without their knowledge. They may have unlimited bandwidth, but you are still taking something without paying for it. I would highly recommend that you keep the mooching to a minimum and stick to traditional and legal ways of gaining access to the internet.
If you feel your Wi-Fi is being hacked, you can check the connected devices from the Admin menu of your router/modem. Usually, typing 192.168.1.1 in a browser will bring up the modem’s internal options and from there you can check the MAC addresses of the connected devices. Being in a bind is the worst kind of torture. You can also politely ask for the password and usually people will hear you out and just hand it to you. It also helps if you bring them pizza or cold beer.
Conclusion
So the short answer of this very interesting question is No. No, you cannot use a simple app and gain access to someone else’s Wi-Fi network. It is actually illegal to do so in many countries, and I highly advise against it. I hope this article clears some things about this issue. If you have questions or insights about this topic, feel free to educate this unseasoned (in network security) writer in the comments below. Featured Images Credits
