Most web-connected devices have the convenient ability to remember Wi-Fi networks you connect to everyday, along with networks you only link to on occasion. Macs andMacBooksare no exception to this rule, but what do you do if you own one amacOSmachine and want it toforgeta Wi-Fi network? Simple: Manually remove it from your computer altogether.
Difficulty
What You Need
A Mac or MacBook
Wiping Wi-Fi info from your Mac’s memory is an easy feat to pull off, and we’ve created this guide to help you through the process. We built our instructions around macOS Sonoma (the latest OS), but the steps should apply to most versions of macOS.
How to forget a Wi-Fi network in macOS
Step 1:To get things started, you’ll first want to launchSystem Settings.
Step 2:SelectWi-Fifrom the left-hand column.
Step 3:If you’d like your Mac to forget the Wi-Fi network it’s currently connected to, click theDetailsbutton next to the network name. The Wi-Fi you’re currently paired to will be listed right at the top of the dashboard.
Step 4:In this next pop-up window, you’ll see theForget This Networkbutton on the bottom-left. Once you select this option, another pop-up will appear to inform you that any devices linked to this network via iCloud Keychain will no longer be supported.
Step 5:If you only want your Mac to stop automatically connecting to this Wi-Fi network (but you’d like it to remember it), you’re able to simply toggle off theAutomatically join this networkslider at the top of this pop-up.
If you still want to manually forget the network, go ahead and clickRemove.
A second method
Step 1:Back on the Wi-Fi dashboard, your Mac will detect and list all Wi-Fi networks it recognizes under theKnown Networksheader. If you’d like your Mac to forget one or all of these networks, click theMorebutton (an ellipses) to the right of each Wi-Fi name.
Step 2:TheForget Networkbutton should be the last option in this dropdown. Click it, and if you’re content with waving goodbye to this network, finish things off by clickingRemove.
Do this for every Wi-Fi network you’d like your Mac to forget.
A more advanced strategy
Step 1:If you want to see a list of every Wi-Fi network your Mac haseverconnected to, clickWi-Fi, scroll all the way to the bottom of the dashboard, and then clickAdvanced.
Step 2:To remove any of these logged networks from your Mac, just click theMorebutton, then clickRemove from List.
