Learning how to Hack terminals in Fallout 76 can be tricky, but with a bit of practice and the right perks, you’ll be able to access secure systems quickly. This skill is important for accessing secure areas, unlocking valuable loot, and finding hidden lore/secrets.
Even though these terminals are an integral part of Fallout 76’s wasteland, hacking them can be challenging for newcomers. The hacking mini-game remains similar throughout the Fallout series, so it lacks a detailed in-game tutorial for newcomers. New players may feel overwhelmed by the seemingly random numbers, words, and symbols they faced during their initial hacking attempts.
Understanding the hacking mini-game is very important, as they hold valuable information and resources for survival in the wasteland. With the help of this guide, even a newcomer player can become a good hacker and make the most out of your Fallout 76 experience.
How to Hack Terminals in Fallout 76
Once you interact with a terminal in Fallout 76, a list of randomly generated words and symbols will be shown to you on screen. Among all the characters you see on the terminal screen, one of the words is the correct password to unlock and access the terminal. You need to use the help of “Likeness Score” as it will show you the number of correctly positioned letters in a wrong password, helping you narrow down the correct answer, just like a Wordle game. You aim to guess it by clicking on it within the limited attempts.
Word length and the number of wrong symbols increase with greater difficulty tier terminals. You will get four opportunities to input the correct password. If you use up all four attempts, you will face a 10-second lockout period before making another try.
Watch for these symbols to spot special characters. So, from among the mixed-up letters, find special symbols like “[…]”, “(…)”, “{…}”, or “<…>”. These symbols help you remove wrong words and give you more chances to guess correctly. Removing wrong words leaves only 3 or 4 choices, making it easier to guess the right word in the four tries the game gives you.
Based on this, here’s how to hack terminals in Fallout 76:
- When you find a terminal, it shows a list of mixed-up words.
- This terminal screen has both words and symbols.
- Pick the right word to hack the terminal.
- You have four tries to guess the correct password.
- Click on connected symbols like brackets or parenthesis, such as [], {}, <>, (), to remove wrong words and make guessing easier.
- This helps you find the right word by showing fewer choices.
- Watch the “Likeness Score” for how many right letters are in the wrong word.
- Use the Hacker perk for Level 1 terminals.
- Use the Expert Hacker perk card for Level 2 terminals.
- Use the Master Hacker perk card for Level 3 terminals.
Each hacker perk mentioned above also reduces the time you get locked out by 33%. The top-level hacker perk (rank 3) stops the lockout completely, and the “Bobblehead: Science” gives you an extra guess for one hour.
What is Bobblehead: Science in Fallout 76 (Hacking)?
The “Bobblehead: Science” is an item in Fallout 76, that makes hacking terminals easier. It works well with the “Curator” perk, which doubles bobblehead effects. When used, you get one extra guess for hacking a terminal for one hour (two hours with Curator). This bobblehead looks like Vault Boy with glasses, holding a test beaker.
Bobbleheads can be found all around Appalachia. The “Percepti-bobble” perk helps you hear sounds whenever you’re close to a bobblehead location. It uses your Perception skill in Fallout 76 to help you find this bobblehead.
Best Perks for Hacking in Fallout 76
If you want to learn and master everything about hacking Terminals in Fallout 76, you need to invest in Intelligence skills. Having higher Intelligence makes hacking easier by showing fewer words on the screen. Higher Intelligence can help you hack harder terminals (higher tier) and remove wrong words. The Hacker perk uses your Intelligence skill and lets you hack level 1 terminals. To hack level 2 and 3 terminals, you need the Expert Hacker and Master Hacker perks.
Each Hacker perk improves your hacking by one level so that you can mix and match them. They don’t depend on the terminal’s level. For example, you can use the Master Hacker perk on a level 1 terminal, but for a level 2 terminal, you need a Hacker or Expert Hacker with a Master Hacker.
| Unlocked At | Description | Equip Cost | Form ID | Editor ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 4 | Gain +1 hacking skill and terminal lock-out time is reduced. | 1 Intelligence | 00356A11 | Hacker01 |
| Level 22 | Gain +1 hacking skill and terminal lock-out time is reduced. | 1 Intelligence | 00356A17 | HackerExpert01 |
| Level 38 | Gain +1 hacking skill, and terminal lock-out time is reduced. | 1 Intelligence | 00356A1A | HackerMaster01 |
The Master Infiltrator legendary perk in Fallout 76 makes the Hacker perks unnecessary. With Master Infiltrator, you can automatically unlock terminals and locks, giving you +3 to Lockpick and Hacking skills. This perk doesn’t stack with Hacker and Picklock perks and was added in the “One Wasteland for All” update.
Master Infiltrator is a great perk when you need to unlock terminals and locks quickly. You can equip it when required, then switch it out for other perks when you no longer need it. This helps you make the most of your perk points and adapt to different situations in the game. Take a look at the description of the Master Infiltrator legendary perk effects:
| Rank | Effects Description | Form ID |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auto-unlock skill 0 terminals and locks. +3 Lockpick and Hacking skills. | 005CFCAB |
| 2 | Auto-unlock skill 1 terminals and locks. +3 Lockpick and Hacking skills. | 005CFCAC |
| 3 | Auto-unlock skill 2 terminals and locks. +3 Lockpick and Hacking skills. | 005CFCAD |
| 4 | Auto-unlock skill 3 terminals and locks. +3 Lockpick and Hacking skills. | 005CFCAE |
That is everything you need to know about how to Hack terminals in Fallout 76. While you are here, check out our Fallout 76 Guides category page for more such tips & tricks.