How to Forget a Wi-Fi Network on Mac

Remove saved Wi-Fi networks from your Mac to stop auto-connecting to the wrong network.

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By Jivan Hall
April 04, 2022

Your Mac does a lot behind the scenes. One cool feature is keeping track of all the Wi-Fi networks you connect to, remembering the passwords, and automatically re-connecting the next time you're in range. Most of the time, this is great. But there may be an occasion when it’s not. Maybe there are multiple networks in range, and your Mac is connecting to the wrong one. We'll cover how to remove a Wi-Fi network from your Mac, as well as how to keep a saved network but stop your computer from automatically connecting.

Related: How to Sync Messages from iPhone to Mac

How to Forget Wi-Fi Network on Mac

If your Mac keeps connecting to a Wi-Fi network and you don’t want it to, you can either remove the saved network or stop your computer from auto-connecting to the specific Wi-Fi network. Just keep in mind that if you remove a saved network, you will need to re-enter the password if you ever want to log back in. For more handy Mac tips, consider signing up for our free Tip of the Day Newsletter. Now, here's how to forget a network on your Mac and disable auto-connect for networks you don't often need but want to save:

  1. Click the Wi-Fi icon in the top-right corner. Forget Wi-Fi Network step 1 - Click WiFi Icon
  2. Select Network Preferences. Forget Wi-Fi Network step 2 - Network Preferences
  3. Click Wi-Fi in the left panel. Forget Wi-Fi Network step 3 - Click Wi-Fi
  4. Click Advanced. Forget Wi-Fi Network step 5 - Click advanced
  5. You will see a list of all the networks you have connected to in the past. Forget Wi-Fi Network step 6 - Wi-Fi log
  6. Scroll through the list and click a network you want to forget. Forget Wi-Fi Network step  7 - Select network to forget
  7. If you no longer need this Wi-Fi network, click the minus button to remove it from your Mac. Forget Wi-Fi Network step  8 - Remove network
  8. If you want to keep the network on your list, but just disable the auto-connect feature, click to uncheck the Auto-Join box. Forget Wi-Fi Network step  9 - Click Uncheck Auto-join
  9. To delete multiple networks at the same time, click on one, then hold down the Shift key and click another network to highlight a block. Now click the minus button to delete all selected networks. Forget Wi-Fi Network step  10 - Delete multiple networks

That's all there is to it! As a final tip, your Mac prioritizes which network to connect to first based on the order of your Wi-Fi log. Click and drag the networks up or down to change the order. If multiple networks are in range, your Mac will try the one at the top first.

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Jivan Hall

Jivan Hall is an online instructor at iPhone Life and a longtime Apple enthusiast. He was hooked from the moment he bought his first iPod in the early 2000s, drawn in by the now-iconic promise of “1,000 songs in your pocket.” Since then, he’s been captivated by the fast pace of technology and loves discovering practical tips that help people get more out of their Apple devices. Jivan began writing for iPhone Life in 2021 as a guest contributor and has since transitioned into a full-time role. With a background in business and technology and a degree in Business Administration, he enjoys breaking down everyday tech to make it clear and approachable.

Based in sunny San Diego, California, Jivan spends as much time as possible outdoors, with his two young sons, playing sports, chasing waves, and continuing the never-ending quest for the perfect fish taco.
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