Why You Might Need to Forget a Network
Your Mac automatically remembers every WiFi network you have ever connected to, storing the network name and password for automatic reconnection in the future. While this feature is convenient, there are several reasons you might want to forget a network. You may be experiencing connectivity issues with a specific network, and forgetting it and reconnecting can resolve the problem by clearing corrupted settings. You might want to remove old networks you no longer use, especially public or insecure networks that your Mac keeps trying to connect to.
Security is another important reason to forget networks. If you connected to a public WiFi network at a coffee shop, airport, or hotel, your Mac will remember that network and may automatically connect to it in the future, potentially exposing you to security risks. Forgetting these networks ensures that your Mac will not automatically reconnect without your knowledge.
Additionally, if your WiFi password has changed, you may need to forget the network and reconnect with the new password. Your Mac will continue to try to connect with the old, saved password, resulting in failed connection attempts until you forget the network and enter the updated credentials.
How to Forget a Network on macOS Sonoma and Ventura
Apple redesigned the network settings interface starting with macOS Ventura, and the process has remained similar in macOS Sonoma. To forget a WiFi network on these newer versions of macOS, start by clicking the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and selecting System Settings. In the System Settings window, click on WiFi in the left sidebar.
On the WiFi settings page, you will see a section called Known Networks. This section lists all the WiFi networks your Mac has connected to in the past. Find the network you want to forget in the list. If you do not see the network immediately, you may need to scroll down or click the three-dot menu icon next to a network to see additional options.
Click the three-dot menu icon next to the network you want to forget, and select Forget This Network from the dropdown menu. A confirmation dialog will appear asking if you are sure you want to remove the network. Click Remove to confirm. The network will be removed from your list of known networks, and your Mac will no longer automatically connect to it.
If you want to reconnect to the forgotten network in the future, you will need to select it from the available networks list and enter the password again. This effectively gives you a fresh start with the network, which can resolve connectivity issues caused by corrupted settings.
How to Forget a Network on macOS Monterey and Earlier
On macOS Monterey and earlier versions, the process for forgetting a network is slightly different because these versions use System Preferences instead of System Settings. Click the Apple menu and select System Preferences. In the System Preferences window, click Network.
In the Network preferences pane, make sure WiFi is selected in the left sidebar. Click the Advanced button at the bottom right of the window. This will open a sheet showing a list of Preferred Networks, which are the WiFi networks your Mac has remembered.
Find the network you want to forget in the list and click on it to select it. Then, click the minus button below the list to remove the network. Click OK to close the Advanced sheet, and then click Apply in the Network preferences pane to save your changes. The network will be forgotten and removed from your preferred networks list.
Forgetting a Network from the Menu Bar
On some versions of macOS, you can also forget a network directly from the WiFi menu in the menu bar, though this method has limitations. Click the WiFi icon in the menu bar to see available networks. If you are currently connected to the network you want to forget, you may be able to option-click the WiFi icon to see additional details and options. However, the most reliable method for forgetting networks is through the System Settings or System Preferences as described above.
Some third-party network management utilities also provide the ability to forget and manage saved networks from the menu bar, offering a more streamlined workflow for users who frequently need to manage their network connections.
Forgetting All Saved Networks
If you want to forget all saved WiFi networks on your Mac, you can do so by removing all entries from the preferred networks list. On macOS Ventura and Sonoma, go to System Settings, then WiFi, and scroll down to Known Networks. You will need to forget each network individually by clicking the three-dot menu and selecting Forget This Network for each one.
On macOS Monterey and earlier, go to System Preferences, then Network, select WiFi, and click Advanced. In the Preferred Networks list, select all networks using Command+A, then click the minus button to remove them all at once. Click OK and Apply to save the changes.
Forgetting all networks can be useful if you are troubleshooting persistent WiFi issues, preparing your Mac for sale or transfer, or want to start fresh with your network configurations.
Troubleshooting WiFi Issues After Forgetting a Network
If forgetting a network does not resolve your WiFi connectivity issues, there are several additional troubleshooting steps you can try. Restarting your Mac is often the simplest solution and can resolve many temporary connectivity problems. You can also try restarting your WiFi router or access point by unplugging it for 30 seconds and plugging it back in.
Resetting the PRAM/NVRAM and SMC on your Mac can also help resolve persistent network issues. On Intel-based Macs, you can reset the PRAM by shutting down your Mac, then turning it on and immediately holding the Option, Command, P, and R keys for about 20 seconds. On Apple Silicon Macs, simply restarting the Mac resets these components automatically.
Deleting the WiFi configuration files is a more advanced troubleshooting step that can resolve stubborn issues. The WiFi preferences are stored in files located in the /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/ directory. You can remove files like com.apple.airport.preferences.plist and NetworkInterfaces.plist, which will force your Mac to create new configuration files. Be sure to back up these files before deleting them in case you need to restore them.
If none of these steps resolve your issue, consider creating a new network location in System Settings or System Preferences. A new network location provides a completely fresh set of network configurations, which can resolve issues that persist across other troubleshooting methods.
Managing Networks on Multiple Apple Devices
If you use iCloud Keychain, your WiFi passwords and network settings are synced across all of your Apple devices. This means that forgetting a network on your Mac may also affect your iPhone, iPad, and other Apple devices signed into the same iCloud account. If you want to forget a network on only one device, you may need to disable iCloud Keychain temporarily before making the change.
Conversely, if you forget a network on your iPhone, it may also be forgotten on your Mac if iCloud Keychain is enabled. Understanding this synchronization behavior can help you manage your network settings more effectively across all of your devices.
