Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. Guides

How to forget a network on a Mac

Alex Blake
Jeff Weisbein
By and

It’s convenient that our laptops quickly remember familiar networks without having to ask for permission to connect, but sometimes you want to forget a network manually. For example, if you’re having a hard time with your office or home Wi-Fi, sometimes all you need to do is remove the network from your Wi-Fi settings and then reconnect. This guide will show you how to forget a network on a Mac in three easy steps. We’ll be using the newest version of MacOS (Big Sur) in our guide, but the steps are the same for most versions of MacOS.

Step 1: Open network preferences

How to forget a network in MacOS
Image used with permission by copyright holder

First off, go ahead and mouse up to your Finder bar, then click your Wi-Fi icon. This will open a list of all your nearby Wi-Fi networks. From here, click on Open Network Preferences at the bottom of the list.

Recommended Videos

This is where you’ll find all the advanced settings for your Mac’s networked devices.

Related

Alternatively, you can get here by clicking the Apple icon in the top-left corner, then selecting System Preferences > Network. Both options work fine.

Step 2: Open advanced settings

How to forget a network in MacOS
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Here you can add and remove network adapters, turn Wi-Fi off or on, and configure the settings for your individual Wi-Fi networks — whether you want to automatically connect to particular networks or ask to join new networks. This is also where you can see your network IP address, which can be helpful for diagnosing other network issues. Keep this menu in mind in case forgetting a network doesn’t fix your Wi-Fi woes, as it contains useful information for further troubleshooting. That being said, all we will be doing here is clicking on the Advanced button down at the bottom and moving on to our final step.

Step 3: Remove the network

How to forget a network in MacOS
Image used with permission by copyright holder

After clicking the Advanced button, you will see several options and preference windows, but you don’t need to worry about these. This advanced menu allows you to add networks by hand. Additionally, you can use it to monitor network hardware settings, get TCP/IP settings, or access your Mac’s individual Wi-Fi address. If you use different Wi-Fi networks daily, you can customize their order by clicking and dragging.

Removing a network from this list is an easy task. Simply click the network, and then find the Minus icon at the bottom of the list. When you select the icon, your Mac will eliminate the network from the list.  

If you’re still having problems, try restarting your computer and reconnecting to the Wi-Fi network. You can consult one of our other guides to try other troubleshooting protocols for issues that won’t go away with a simple restart. Continued problems are likely the result of a bigger problem. 

If you are still using an older version of macOS, you’ll want to take a look at our instructions on how to upgrade to MacOS Big Sur.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Alex Blake
Alex Blake
Computing Writer
In ancient times, people like Alex would have been shunned for their nerdy ways and strange opinions on cheese. Today, he…
Does your Mac really need antivirus software? We asked the experts
The MacBook Air on a white table.

There’s been a long-held belief that if you own a Mac, you don’t need to use any type of antivirus software to keep your machine free of malware and other destructive code. But it turns out this may actually be more of an old wive’s tale than even the most devoted MacOS users would like to admit. Indeed, Apple has built many safeguards into its operating system, but that doesn’t always mean you’re completely safe. 

We get it: Who would want to sign up for a free or paid version of another computer-adjacent thing? That being said, it never hurts to have too much protection for your Mac. This is a complex topic though, and we asked some Apple insiders to weigh in on the discourse.
Vulnerabilities in Apple’s systems
The belief that Macs are fairly resilient to malware isn’t just idle fanboy-ism. Windows PCs make up roughly 90% of the market, making them a much more attractive target to malware makers.

Read more
Best refurbished MacBook deals: Get a MacBook Air for $140 and more
A stack of MacBooks is pictured from the top down.

If you’re in the market for one of the best laptops it’s worth turning your attention toward Apple’s MacBook lineup, and if you’re looking for some savings it can be helpful to shop MacBook deals. Due to the popularity of Apple’s MacBooks they don’t often see significant discounts, but a good way to land some impressive MacBook deals is by shopping refurbished. Most refurbished MacBooks are backed by warranties and decent return windows, allowing you to shop refurbished MacBooks with the confidence you might have when shopping for a brand new one. We’ve tracked down what we feel are the best refurbished MacBook deals currently taking place, so feel free to start shopping for a refurbished MacBook with some savings.
MacBook Air 11.6-inch (2015) -- from $140

Once the latest MacBook Air but now eight years old and still competent, the MacBook Air 11.6-inch (2015) is a great starting point for anyone new to macOS or who just needs something financially on par with a Chromebook. It's a refurbished model but it comes with a one-year warranty so there's peace of mind here. It won't run the latest macOS unfortunately, but its Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of memory and 128GB of SSD storage helps you perform the basics. It still has all the style of a MacBook so we're thinking this could be a good entry point as your child's first MacBook or if you want a project.

Read more
The best Mac keyboard shortcuts for 2024
Apple iMac with Retina 5K Display review hand on mouse

Many Mac owners swear that keyboard shortcuts help simplify their lives. If you’re new to a Mac, learning all the available keyboard shortcuts can be a real challenge. Quite a few of these shortcuts will now work in iPadOS, too, thanks to the Magic Keyboard available to iPad Pro users.

We’ve put together a list of the most important shortcuts you should know. You can also take a look at our list of the best Mac apps for even more Apple shortcuts.
The most important shortcuts

Read more