To forget a Wi‑Fi network on a Mac, you remove it from your saved networks so your Mac stops auto‑connecting and forgets the password.

How to Forget a Network on Mac

(Quick Scoop style guide + a bit of storytelling flair) Imagine you’re sitting in a café, and your Mac keeps stubbornly jumping to an old, slow hotspot instead of the fast new one you actually want. That’s because your Mac remembers that old network as a “preferred” one. Time to declutter those memories. Below are practical, up‑to‑date ways to do it, including the method Apple documents for macOS Ventura/Sonoma and later.

Method 1: The Simple Way (System Settings)

This is the standard way on modern macOS (Ventura, Sonoma, etc.).

A. Forget the network you’re currently using

  1. Click the Apple menu  in the top‑left corner.
  1. Choose System Settings.
  1. In the sidebar, click Wi‑Fi.
  1. Next to the network you’re currently connected to, click Details.
  1. Click Forget This Network.
  1. Confirm by clicking Remove or Forget when prompted.

After this, your Mac disconnects and won’t auto‑join that network anymore.

B. Forget a network you joined in the past

If you’re not currently on that network but you’ve used it before:

  1. Apple menu  → System Settings.
  1. Click Wi‑Fi in the sidebar.
  1. On the right, scroll down and click Advanced to show all known networks.
  1. Find the network in the list and click the button next to it (such as an info or options icon).
  1. Choose Remove From List or Forget This Network.
  1. Confirm when prompted.

Your Mac and any other devices using iCloud Keychain will also forget that Wi‑Fi, so they’ll stop auto‑joining it.

Method 2: Older macOS (System Preferences → Network)

On earlier macOS versions that still show System Preferences instead of System Settings , the flow is slightly different but the idea is the same.

  1. Click the Wi‑Fi icon in the menu bar and choose Network Preferences… , or open System Preferences from the Apple menu and click Network.
  1. Select Wi‑Fi on the left, then click the Advanced… button.
  1. In Preferred Networks , select the Wi‑Fi you want to forget.
  1. Click the minus (–) button under the list to remove it.
  1. Click OK , then click Apply to save the changes.

After this, macOS no longer auto‑connects to that Wi‑Fi and the saved password is removed from the preferred list.

Method 3: When the Wi‑Fi Icon Is Missing

If you don’t see the Wi‑Fi icon in your menu bar, you can still reach the same settings.

  1. Apple menu  → System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS).
  1. Click Network or Wi‑Fi , depending on your version.
  1. Then follow the same Advanced / Known networks / Forget This Network steps from above.

This is handy if you’ve hidden the icon or if it’s not showing for some reason.

Method 4: Power‑User Options (Keychain / Terminal)

If you enjoy going a bit deeper, there are more “manual” ways to clean up Wi‑Fi history.

A. Keychain Access (delete saved Wi‑Fi credentials)

Keychain stores Wi‑Fi passwords; deleting an entry forces your Mac to forget that password.

  1. Open Keychain Access (in Applications → Utilities).
  1. Use the search bar to type the Wi‑Fi network name (SSID).
  1. Right‑click the matching entry and choose Delete.
  1. Confirm and enter your Mac admin password if asked.

This is more “permanent” and should be used carefully so you don’t delete unrelated items.

B. Terminal (for advanced users or scripts)

For scripting or bulk cleanup, Terminal offers direct commands.

  • Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities).
  • Use a command like:
    networksetup -removepreferredwirelessnetwork en0 NETWORK_NAME
    replacing NETWORK_NAME with the exact Wi‑Fi name, and en0 with your Wi‑Fi interface if different.

There are also commands to list preferred Wi‑Fi networks and remove several in a row, which is useful on heavily used machines.

Method 5: If Your Mac Is Managed (Profiles)

On work or school Macs, Wi‑Fi can come from a configuration profile.

  1. Open System Settings or System Preferences.
  1. Look for Profiles.
  1. Select the profile that manages the Wi‑Fi network and click the minus (–) button to remove it.

Removing that profile also removes any managed Wi‑Fi settings that came with it, which might be necessary if you’re no longer part of that organization.

Mini “Forum” Take: What People Often Ask

“My Mac keeps connecting to an old network I don’t use anymore. How do I stop it doing that automatically?”

Common answers in forum threads boil down to:

  • Open Wi‑Fi / Network settings.
  • Go to the known / preferred networks list.
  • Remove the old network or uncheck any Automatically join option if available.

Some users also recommend Wi‑Fi analysis tools for more complex interference or multi‑network setups, but that’s overkill if you just want your Mac to forget one hotspot.

Tiny SEO‑Friendly Wrap‑Up (for your post)

If you’re writing about how to forget a network on Mac , you can highlight:

  • It’s mainly done through System Settings → Wi‑Fi → Details / Advanced → Forget This Network.
  • Older versions use System Preferences → Network → Wi‑Fi → Advanced → minus (–).
  • Power users can use Keychain Access or Terminal for extra control.

And you can note that this is still relevant “as of the latest macOS releases in the mid‑2020s,” which helps with freshness and “latest news” style phrasing.

TL;DR (bottom):
Go to your Mac’s Wi‑Fi settings, open the list of known or preferred networks, select the one you don’t want, and choose Forget / Remove so your Mac stops auto‑joining and forgets the password.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.