How to Forget WiFi Network on MacBook

Introduction: How to Forget WiFi Network on MacBook

Need to know how to forget a WiFi network on your MacBook? Here is the short answer: open the Apple menu, choose System Settings, click Wi-Fi, find the network under Known Networks, click the three-dot More button next to its name, and choose Forget This Network. That removes the network and its saved password so your Mac stops joining it automatically. If you have not done this in a while, the steps probably look different from what you remember. Apple replaced System Preferences with System Settings back in macOS Ventura, and the same layout carries through macOS Sonoma, Sequoia, and the current macOS Tahoe. This guide walks through every current method — System Settings, the menu bar, the Passwords app, and Terminal — plus what to do when a network refuses to stay forgotten, and why pruning your saved networks list is a reasonable privacy habit.

How to Forget a WiFi Network on MacBook Using System Settings

On any Mac running macOS Ventura or later, the process takes under a minute:

1. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner and choose System Settings.
2. Select Wi-Fi in the sidebar.
3. Scroll to the Known Networks section, where nearby networks your Mac has saved appear.
4. Click the three-dot More button (…) to the right of the network name.
5. Choose Forget This Network… and confirm by clicking Remove.

Known Networks only shows saved networks that are currently in range. To see everything your Mac has ever saved — including that hotel network from three years ago — scroll to the bottom of the Wi-Fi settings pane and click Advanced…. The full Known Networks list appears there; click the More button next to any entry and choose Remove From List. This is the fastest way to clean out dozens of stale networks in one sitting. One note before you remove anything: forgetting a network also deletes its saved password from your keychain. If you plan to rejoin later, make sure you know the password or can get it again.

Other Ways to Forget a Network: Menu Bar and Passwords App

You do not have to open System Settings from the Apple menu. Click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar and choose Wi-Fi Settings… at the bottom of the menu — it drops you directly into the same pane described above. Macs running macOS Sequoia or later also include a standalone Passwords app. Open it, select the Wi-Fi section in the sidebar, and you will see every saved network along with its stored password. This is handy in two directions: you can copy a password before forgetting a network, or delete an entry to remove the saved credential. It is also the easiest place to look up a Wi-Fi password you saved years ago and never wrote down.

Troubleshooting: When Your MacBook Won't Forget a WiFi Network

Sometimes a network reappears after you remove it, or the option to forget it is grayed out. The old advice for this — resetting the SMC and PRAM with keyboard combinations — applied to Intel Macs and is obsolete on every Apple silicon MacBook sold since 2020. Here is what actually causes the problem today:

• iCloud Keychain is syncing it back. Saved Wi-Fi networks sync across Apple devices signed into the same Apple Account. If your iPhone or iPad still remembers the network, it can reappear on your Mac. Forget it on those devices too: on iPhone, open Settings, tap Wi-Fi, tap the info button next to the network, then tap Forget This Network.
• A configuration profile is enforcing it. If the network was installed by your workplace or school through device management, you cannot remove it yourself. Check System Settings > General > Device Management to see installed profiles, and contact your IT administrator if the network needs to go.
• The change did not take effect. Toggle Wi-Fi off and on from the menu bar, or restart the Mac. On Apple silicon, a simple restart replaces the old SMC and NVRAM reset rituals.

If your connection problems go beyond one stubborn network entry, our guide on diagnosing what is wrong with your WiFi covers the broader troubleshooting process.

Advanced: Using Terminal Commands to Forget Wi-Fi Networks

If you prefer the command line, or you want to script cleanup across several machines, macOS still supports the networksetup utility. Open Terminal from Applications > Utilities and work through these steps:

1. Run networksetup -listallhardwareports to confirm your Wi-Fi interface name. On modern MacBooks it is almost always en0.
2. Run networksetup -listpreferredwirelessnetworks en0 to print every saved network — a quick way to audit the full list.
3. Run sudo networksetup -removepreferredwirelessnetwork en0 "Network Name", replacing "Network Name" with the exact network name, including capitalization and spaces. You will be asked for your administrator password.

The Terminal method removes the network from the preferred list, but the password entry may remain in your keychain. If you want the credential gone too, delete it from the Passwords app as described above.

Protecting Your Privacy: Why It Helps to Forget Old WiFi Networks

Your MacBook keeps a memory of every network you have ever joined so it can reconnect automatically. That convenience has a downside: your Mac is willing to auto-join anything broadcasting a name it recognizes. Attackers exploit this with so-called evil twin hotspots — access points that impersonate the name of a common open network, such as a coffee shop or airport SSID, hoping nearby devices join without their owners noticing. Trimming your Known Networks list shrinks the set of names your Mac will auto-join, which limits your exposure to that trick — especially for open, password-free networks you used once and will never need again. It is not a substitute for broader precautions, but it is a low-effort habit worth keeping. For more on the risks of untrusted hotspots, see our article on the scary truth about public WiFi networks. And if you work from home, it is worth reviewing how to secure your home wireless network for teleworking.

Common Mistakes When Forgetting a WiFi Network on MacBook

A few missteps come up again and again:

• Hunting for System Preferences. It no longer exists. Everything lives in System Settings, and network removal happens in the Wi-Fi pane, not in your browser or iCloud settings.
• Turning off Auto-Join instead of forgetting. The Auto-Join toggle stops automatic connections but keeps the network and its password saved. If your goal is to remove the credential entirely, use Forget This Network instead.
• Forgetting a network you still need. Double-check the exact network name before removing it, and confirm you know the password — especially for a work network, where rejoining may require credentials from your IT team.
• Not expecting the change to sync. With iCloud Keychain enabled, forgetting a network on your Mac can remove it from your iPhone and iPad as well. That is usually what you want, but it can surprise you.

How to Reconnect After Forgetting a Network

Reconnecting is straightforward. Click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar, choose the network from the list, and enter its password when prompted. For hotel and cafe networks, a captive portal page may open in your browser asking you to accept terms before you get online. Enterprise networks that use 802.1X authentication will ask for a username and password rather than a shared key — those credentials come from whoever manages the network. Once you rejoin, the network is saved again and Auto-Join is enabled by default.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does forgetting a WiFi network on a MacBook delete the password? Yes. Forgetting a network removes both the network entry and its saved password from your keychain, and with iCloud Keychain enabled the removal can propagate to your other Apple devices. If you rejoin later, you will need to enter the password again. Why does a forgotten network keep coming back on my Mac? The two usual causes are iCloud Keychain syncing the network back from another device that still remembers it, and a management profile from work or school reinstalling it. Forget the network on all your Apple devices, and check System Settings > General > Device Management for profiles you did not install yourself. How do I forget a WiFi network that is not in range? The Known Networks section only shows nearby saved networks. Open System Settings > Wi-Fi and click Advanced… at the bottom of the pane to see the complete list, including out-of-range networks, then remove any entry from there. The Terminal command covered above works for out-of-range networks too.

Conclusion: How to Forget WiFi Network on MacBook

Knowing how to forget a WiFi network on your MacBook is a small skill that pays off repeatedly: it clears out clutter, fixes stubborn connection issues, and reduces the number of networks your Mac will join without asking. The core path is System Settings > Wi-Fi > Known Networks, with the Advanced list, the Passwords app, and Terminal available when you need a deeper clean. Just remember that forgetting a network deletes its saved password and can sync that removal across your Apple devices. If your team spends more time fighting Wi-Fi, device settings, and account issues than getting work done, K3 Technology can help. We are a managed IT and cybersecurity provider with offices in Denver and Dallas, supporting businesses that want dependable technology without the day-to-day hassle. Contact K3 Technology to talk about how we can support your team.