How to Forget a WiFi Network on a Mac

Posted on Latest In Blogs

Forgetting a Wi-Fi network on your Mac computer is a simple process. Here are the steps to do it:

Method 1: Using the Wi-Fi Menu in the Menu Bar

  1. Click on the Wi-Fi Icon: Look at the top-right corner of your Mac’s screen in the menu bar. You’ll see an icon that looks like Wi-Fi signal bars. Click on it to open the Wi-Fi menu.
  2. Open Network Preferences: At the bottom of the Wi-Fi menu, click on “Open Network Preferences.” This will open the Network preferences window.
  3. Select Wi-Fi: In the Network preferences window, make sure you have “Wi-Fi” selected on the left side.
  4. Choose Wi-Fi Network: In the list of available Wi-Fi networks, find the network you want to forget and select it by clicking on it once to highlight it.
  5. Forget the Network: Click the “Minus” (-) button below the list of known networks. This will remove the selected network from your list of known Wi-Fi networks.
  6. Confirm: A pop-up window will ask if you’re sure you want to forget the network. Click “Remove” to confirm.

Method 2: Using System Preferences

  1. Go to System Preferences: Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen, then select “System Preferences.”
  2. Select Network: In the System Preferences window, click on the “Network” icon.
  3. Choose Wi-Fi: On the left side of the Network preferences window, make sure “Wi-Fi” is selected.
  4. Advanced Options: Click the “Advanced…” button in the bottom-right corner of the window.
  5. Wi-Fi Tab: In the Wi-Fi tab of the Advanced window, you’ll see a list of known Wi-Fi networks. Find the network you want to forget and select it.
  6. Remove: Click the “Minus” (-) button below the list of known networks to forget the selected network.
  7. Confirm: A pop-up window will ask if you’re sure you want to forget the network. Click “Remove” to confirm.

The Wi-Fi network you selected should now be forgotten, and your Mac won’t automatically connect to it. If you ever want to connect to that network again, you’ll need to re-enter the password.

Please note that forgetting a Wi-Fi network does not prevent you from connecting to it again in the future. It simply removes it from your list of known networks, and you’ll need to re-enter the password if you want to reconnect.