How to Forget a Wi-Fi Network on Your Mac (and Why You‘d Want To)

As we increasingly rely on Wi-Fi for everything from work to entertainment, the wireless networks we use accumulate on our devices over time. In fact, a 2019 study by Wandera found that the average employee connects to 12 different Wi-Fi hotspots per day. While macOS‘s ability to remember these networks allows for convenient auto-connections, it can also lead to some unintended consequences.

Automatically joining networks may be undesirable or even harmful in several scenarios:

1. Security risks – Connecting to public or unfamiliar hotspots exposes your data to potential snooping or man-in-the-middle attacks. Unsecured networks can be easily spoofed by bad actors.
2. Performance issues – Even if a network is deemed safe, it may have poor signal strength, slow speeds, or spotty reliability that impacts your productivity. macOS will still cling to underperforming but known networks by default.
3. Incorrect auto-join – In dense urban areas, you may connect to a sub-optimal network merely because it has a familiar name, even if it‘s not actually the establishment you‘re visiting. For example, connecting to "Starbucks WiFi" in range may route you to the coffee shop down the street instead of the one you‘re currently inside.

Proactively pruning your Mac‘s preferred networks list solves these issues by limiting auto-connections to intentionally saved entries. It also reduces network management overhead – the less time spent repeatedly selecting the desired SSID from a cluttered menu is more time back in your day.

Forgetting a network on macOS is quick and easy. We‘ll walk through the primary method and some alternative approaches below.

Forget a Wi-Fi Network via Network Preferences

The standard way to remove a network is from Network Preferences. To access it:

1. Click the Apple icon in the menu bar and select "System Preferences"
2. Click the "Network" icon in the System Preferences window
3. Select "Wi-Fi" in the left sidebar (if not already chosen)
4. Click the "Advanced…" button in the bottom right corner

The resulting list shows all known networks in the order they were last connected to. Selecting an entry reveals additional details like the security type, radio mode, and whether it was last connected to successfully.

To forget a network, follow these steps:

1. Select the network to be removed
2. Click the "-" minus button
3. Confirm the action by clicking "Remove"
4. Click "OK" to close the Advanced dialog
5. Click "Apply" to save the changes

The chosen network will no longer appear in the remembered list. If you have the network in range, it will still be visible in the Wi-Fi menu, but your Mac won‘t connect to it without manual intervention.

Some other handy Wi-Fi settings accessible from the Advanced sheet include:

• Drag networks up or down to set their auto-join priority
• Uncheck the box for "Remember networks this computer has joined" to prevent saving newly connected SSIDs
• Check the box for "Require administrator authorization to: Change networks" to lock down Wi-Fi settings

If you make any adjustments beyond forgetting networks, make sure to click Apply to activate them.

Alternative Methods to Forget Wi-Fi Networks

While Network Preferences is the go-to approach, there are a few other ways to remove saved Wi-Fi entries on your Mac.

Via Wi-Fi Diagnostics

An Apple utility called Wireless Diagnostics includes an option to manage preferred networks. To open it:

1. Hold down the Option key and click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar
2. Select "Open Wireless Diagnostics…"
3. Ignore the actual Diagnostics window that appears and instead click the Window menu > Wi-Fi Scan
4. Click the menu button in the top left of the Wi-Fi Scan window that appears and select "Manage networks…"

The interface that appears is functionally identical to the Network Preferences list, allowing you to remove networks the same way. This is a handy trick to access the functionality if System Preferences is unavailable for some reason.

By Deleting Network Configuration Files

For the adventurous, you can directly trash the system-level files that store the known networks. These are located in the /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/ directory:

• com.apple.airport.preferences.plist
• com.apple.wifi.message-tracer.plist
• NetworkInterfaces.plist
• preferences.plist

First, make a backup of the files in case something goes wrong. Then, delete the files and reboot your Mac. The network list will be forgotten as if you‘ve never connected to any Wi-Fi access points.

Obviously you should only attempt this if you‘re comfortable in the macOS file system and have a full system backup. But it can be a useful troubleshooting step for pernicious network issues.

Improving Your Mac‘s Wi-Fi Experience

Forgetting unused networks is an important first step to streamline your Mac‘s Wi-Fi, but there are some other best practices to ensure peak wireless performance:

Choose modern, secure networks

When you do connect to unfamiliar hotspots, opt for those using the latest security standards like WPA3. Older, unsecured networks are prime targets for snooping or man-in-the-middle attacks. Your Mac will warn you about such networks when connecting.

If you frequently connect to public hotspots, consider using a VPN to protect your traffic from prying eyes. macOS includes a built-in VPN client that works with many popular providers.

Prioritize 5 GHz networks

Modern routers broadcast on two frequencies: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The latter is typically faster and less prone to interference, so connect to those networks when possible. You can see which radio band a network is using by Option-clicking the Wi-Fi icon with the network selected.

If you connect to an under-performing 2.4 GHz network when a 5 GHz option is available, forget the slower one to prevent your Mac from favoring it in the future.

Keep your software updated

Wi-Fi is complex and continually evolving, so running the latest software ensures you have the most up-to-date features and security. Always update macOS to the newest release and do the same for your router‘s firmware.

macOS Version	Notable Wi-Fi Changes
Monterey 12	WPA3 support, iCloud Private Relay
Big Sur 11	Better Wi-Fi location accuracy
Catalina 10.15	Captive portal detection improvements

Troubleshooting Common Wi-Fi Issues

Even after optimizing your network settings, you may occasionally encounter issues. Here are some solutions to typical problems.

Won‘t connect to a network

• Check that Wi-Fi is enabled in the menu bar
• Make sure you‘re in range of the router and that other devices can connect to it
• Forget the network and reconnect
• Delete the network configuration files covered above
• Reset the SMC and NVRAM as a last resort

No internet after connecting

• Open Wireless Diagnostics and run the Scan Network tool
• Check for a captive portal login page by visiting a non-HTTPS site in your browser
• Use the Assistant tool in Wireless Diagnostics which can detect common issues like incorrect DNS settings

Slow speeds or frequent dropped connections

• Move closer to the router or use a Wi-Fi extender
• Check for interfering devices like microwaves or cordless phones
• Change the router‘s channel to a less congested one
• Restart your router and cable/DSL modem
• Upgrade to a more modern router that supports the latest standards like Wi-Fi 6

Apple has a detailed support article with more in-depth troubleshooting steps. Run through those before contacting your router manufacturer or ISP for further assistance.

How macOS Manages Wi-Fi Networks

From a network management perspective, macOS differs from other operating systems in a few ways:

Feature	macOS	Windows	Chrome OS
Auto-join behavior	Connects to known networks in last connected order	Connects to known networks in signal strength order	Connects to known networks in signal strength order
Forgetting networks	Done in Network Preferences	Done in Settings > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks	Done in Settings > Wi-Fi > Known networks
Enterprise networks	Supports 802.1X authentication natively	Requires third-party supplicant software in some cases	Supports 802.1X authentication natively

While the underlying Wi-Fi technology is largely the same, the various platforms prioritize networks differently and provide unique administrative capabilities. That said, the fundamental best practices of forgetting unused hotspots and optimizing connections are universally applicable.

macOS also provides utilities like Wireless Diagnostics and the airport command line tool that allow network administrators to perform advanced monitoring and debugging. Regular users are better served by the friendly Network Preferences interface.

Conclusion: Master Your Mac‘s Wi-Fi

In today‘s hyperconnected world, we often take Wi-Fi for granted. But as the invisible glue connecting our digital lives, it‘s important to give your wireless settings an occasional tune-up. By forgetting unused networks and following other Wi-Fi hygiene tips, you can meaningfully improve your Mac‘s performance, security, and reliability.

The next time you catch your Mac connecting to the wrong network or see a long list of hotspots you‘ve long since left, you‘ll be well equipped to rectify the situation. Commit these steps to memory:

1. Identify the problematic network
2. Open Network Preferences
3. Forget the network with a few clicks

Moving forward, proactively curate your known networks list as you connect to new places. Your Mac will handle the auto-connections intelligently, letting you work free from Wi-Fi hassles. When issues do arise, consult the troubleshooting steps and don‘t hesitate to forget and re-add a network. With your newfound network management knowledge, you‘re in full control of your wireless experience.

Now go forth and connect with confidence! And if you found this guide helpful, please share it with your fellow Mac users. Together we can make the Wi-Fi world a better place, one less-cluttered network list at a time.