How to Forget Network on Mac: Easy Steps to Follow

Managing your Wi-Fi connections on your Mac is crucial for maintaining optimal performance and enhancing security. Over time, your device accumulates a list of saved networks, some of which may no longer be relevant or secure.

Removing old networks can help troubleshoot issues, streamline your connections, and improve overall security. This guide will walk you through the simple steps to forget unwanted Wi-Fi networks on your Mac, ensuring you can manage your connections efficiently.

By following this guide, you’ll learn steps to remove saved Wi-Fi networks from your Mac system, enhancing your device’s performance and security. Whether you’re troubleshooting or simply cleaning up your network list, these easy steps will help you manage your Mac’s Wi-Fi connections effectively.

Why You Might Need to Forget a Wi-Fi Network

Managing your Mac’s Wi-Fi networks by forgetting old ones can improve your overall connectivity experience. Forgetting a Wi-Fi network is a straightforward process that can resolve several issues, from troubleshooting connection problems to enhancing security.

Troubleshooting Connection Issues

When experiencing persistent connection issues with a particular network, forgetting and reconnecting to that network can often resolve problems by creating a fresh connection. Your Mac stores configuration details for each network, and these settings can sometimes become corrupted or outdated, leading to connectivity problems. For more detailed troubleshooting steps, you can refer to resources like network troubleshooting guides.

Security Considerations

From a security perspective, removing old networks reduces your attack surface, especially if you’ve connected to public networks that might be compromised. Your device may automatically connect to networks with the same name as previously saved ones, which could potentially be spoofed networks set up by malicious actors.

Managing Network Clutter

Managing your list of saved Wi-Fi networks helps keep your Mac organized and prevents it from attempting to connect to networks that are no longer available or relevant. For users who travel frequently, forgetting hotel, airport, and cafe networks can prevent your device from automatically connecting to these networks when in range.

How to Forget Network on Mac Using System Settings

Forgetting a Wi-Fi network on your Mac is a straightforward process that can be completed through System Settings. This method is particularly useful for managing your network connections and ensuring your device connects to the preferred networks.

For macOS Ventura and Later

For macOS Ventura and later versions, Apple has redesigned the System Settings interface, making it more streamlined for managing Wi-Fi networks.

Forgetting the Current Network

To forget the network you’re currently using, navigate to System Settings, click on Wi-Fi in the sidebar, and then click Details next to the network you’re connected to. Finally, click Forget This Network and confirm by clicking Remove.

Forgetting Previously Joined Networks

For networks you’ve joined before but aren’t currently using, go to System Settings, click on Wi-Fi, scroll down, and click Advanced. Here, you can view all known networks, select the one you want to forget, click the menu button next to it, choose Remove From List, and confirm by clicking Remove.

For Earlier macOS Versions

For versions prior to macOS Ventura, the process involves using System Preferences instead.

Using Network Preferences

Navigate to System Preferences, click on Network, and then select Wi-Fi from the sidebar. Click Advanced to view known networks, select the network you wish to forget, and click the remove button (-) beneath the list. Confirm by clicking Remove, then click OK and Apply.

Using the Wi-Fi Menu Bar Icon

An alternative method is to use the Wi-Fi menu bar icon. This provides a convenient way to access network preferences without navigating through System Preferences or Settings.

Verifying the Network Has Been Forgotten

After forgetting a network, it’s crucial to verify that the process was successful. Check that the network no longer appears in your list of known networks. If you plan to reconnect to a forgotten network, ensure you have the password available, as your Mac will treat it as a new network connection.

As stated by Apple, “Forgetting a network will remove it from the list of known networks, and your Mac will not automatically connect to it again.” This feature gives you complete control over your Mac’s network connections, whether personal or public networks you’ve previously connected to.

Alternative Methods to Forget Wi-Fi Networks

Beyond the standard System Settings, Mac users can utilize alternative approaches to manage and forget Wi-Fi networks. These methods offer more flexibility and power, particularly for advanced users.

Using Terminal Commands

Terminal commands provide a powerful way to manage network connections directly through the command line interface. This is particularly useful for users who want more control or need to script network management tasks.

Basic Terminal Command to Forget a Network

The basic Terminal command to forget a network uses the networksetup utility with the -removepreferredwirelessnetwork parameter, allowing you to specify exactly which network you want to remove.

Listing and Removing Multiple Networks

For users who need to manage multiple networks efficiently, Terminal offers commands to list all saved networks and remove them in batch operations, saving significant time compared to the GUI method.

Using Keychain Access

Keychain Access provides another approach by directly managing the stored network credentials in your Mac’s security system. This can be helpful when troubleshooting persistent connection issues.

Finding Wi-Fi Networks in Keychain

You’ll need to locate the specific Wi-Fi network entry in your login keychain and delete it to remove the saved password and connection details.

Deleting Network Credentials

To delete a network credential, open Keychain Access, search for the Wi-Fi network name, select it, and right-click to choose ‘Delete’.

Handling Networks with Profiles

For enterprise or education users, networks may be managed through profiles, which require a different approach to forget networks as these connections are controlled by configuration profiles.

Identifying Profile-Managed Networks

Profile-managed networks can be identified in the Profiles section of System Preferences or System Settings.

Removing Network Profiles

Removing these requires administrator privileges in most cases. Simply select the profile containing the Wi-Fi network you’d like to forget and hit the minus (-) button.

These alternative methods offer important options for enhancing security by ensuring network credentials are completely removed from all storage locations on your Mac.

Conclusion

Mastering the process of forgetting a Wi-Fi network on your Mac is crucial for optimizing your device’s performance and security. Throughout this article, we’ve explored various methods to manage your Wi-Fi connections effectively, from using System Settings to more advanced techniques involving Terminal commands and Keychain Access.

By understanding how to forget a network on your Mac, you can troubleshoot connection issues, enhance your device’s security, and maintain a clutter-free network list. Remember, forgetting a network removes its saved details, including passwords, so you’ll need to re-enter credentials when reconnecting. Regularly reviewing your saved networks is a good practice, especially for those who frequently connect to multiple networks.

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can take control of your Mac’s Wi-Fi connections, ensuring it only joins networks you trust. For additional tips and troubleshooting, resources like Apple Support are invaluable.

FAQ

What happens when I forget a Wi-Fi network on my Mac?

When you forget a Wi-Fi network, your Mac removes the network from its list of preferred networks, and it will no longer automatically connect to that network.

Can I forget a Wi-Fi network using the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar?

Yes, you can forget a Wi-Fi network by clicking the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar, selecting the network you want to forget, and then clicking “Advanced” to remove it from the list.

How do I verify that a Wi-Fi network has been forgotten on my Mac?

To verify that a Wi-Fi network has been forgotten, go to System Settings or System Preferences, click on Network, select Wi-Fi, and click “Advanced.” Check that the network is no longer listed.

Can I use Terminal commands to forget a Wi-Fi network on my Mac?

Yes, you can use Terminal commands to forget a Wi-Fi network by deleting the network’s configuration file, but this method requires technical expertise and caution.

What if I’m having trouble forgetting a Wi-Fi network due to a profile or security settings?

If you’re having trouble forgetting a Wi-Fi network due to a profile or security settings, you may need to remove the profile or adjust your security settings before you can forget the network.

Will forgetting a Wi-Fi network affect my other devices?

No, forgetting a Wi-Fi network on your Mac will not affect your other devices, as each device maintains its own list of preferred networks.