wifi iconIf you take your Mac everywhere with you, there's a good chance that it has connected to a number of private and public Wi-Fi networks over that time.

These networks are remembered by macOS so that in the event that your Mac encounters one of them again, it can connect to it automatically and you won't have to manually select it or enter the password.

If you want, you can edit this list of "preferred networks" that your Mac keeps and change individual network connection settings. Whether you want to remove redundant networks or just forget a specific one, the following steps guide you through the process.

How to Forget a Wireless Network on Mac

  1. Click the Wi-Fi icon in the top-right corner of the Mac menu bar.
  2. Select Open Network Preferences....
    wi-fi Mac

  3. Click Advanced.
    mac wifi network preferences

  4. Click a network in the list to select it. (To select multiple networks, hold the Command key while clicking them.) You can also drag networks higher up the list to prioritize them over other local networks.

  5. Click the minus ("") icon below the list to forget the selected network.
    3how to forget wireless networks on mac

Note that in the main Network pane of System Preferences there are two checkboxes. The first allows you to specify whether your Mac is allowed to automatically join the currently connected network, while the second allows you to force your Mac to ask you before it joins new networks.

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 18 Pro Max Rumored to Deliver Next-Level Battery Life

Friday February 6, 2026 5:14 am PST by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker. Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...