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Hello, Let‘s Talk About Forgetting Networks on Your Mac

Have you ever had the frustrating experience of your Mac automatically connecting to a WiFi network you don‘t want it to? Or maybe you have a lengthy list of old networks clogging up your settings? If so, then learning how to forget and remove networks on Mac can provide some useful relief.

In this guide just for you, we’ll explore:

  • Reasons you’d want to forget a network
  • Step-by-step instructions for removal
  • Alternatives like just disabling auto-join
  • Additional considerations

Here’s a quick overview before we dive into the nitty gritty details:

👋 Overview

📝 Why: Prevent annoying connections, remove unused networks, change passwords
🗄️ How: Forget from Network settings menu & confirm removal  
🤔 Or: Simply turn off Auto-Join instead to disable connections
❓ Things to know: Rejoining will require new password entry

Equipped with this knowledge, you’ll be able to tidy up your network settings and prevent those irritating random connections going forward…

A Brief History of Network Management on Mac OS

To provide helpful context, let‘s first briefly explore the evolution of network management and connectivity on Mac operating systems over the years:

Year Milestone
1999 Original iBook introduces AirPort WiFi capabilities
2001 Mac OS X formally allows manual network configuration
2007 iPhone OS 1.0 enables easy WiFi management on mobile devices
2016 macOS Sierra automatically switches between trusted networks
2022 Ventura prioritizes connectivity based on network usage

As you can see, Apple has consistently improved and refined network management over the past 20+ years.

Forgetting outdated or problematic connections is just one part of having control over your connectivity experience. And while WiFi capabilities have advanced greatly, the process to forget hasn‘t changed too much.

Now let‘s dive into the step-by-step guide…

Here’s How to Forget Networks You’re Currently Using

If you’re actively connected to a network you want removed from your Mac‘s memory, follow these instructions:

  1. Click the Apple menu and select System Settings
  2. Choose Network > Wi-Fi in the sidebar
  3. Click on Details right next to the WiFi network
  4. Select the Forget This Network option
  5. Confirm removal by clicking Remove

Forget this network modal dialog on Mac

Once you hit remove, you‘re all set! That pesky network will no longer automatically connect again.

Wasn‘t too painful right? Now let‘s tackle clearing out your list of remembered networks…

Removing Networks You’re Not Connected To

If you want forget saved networks you’re NOT currently connected to:

  1. Head to the Network settings section as before
  2. Click the Advanced button at the bottom
  3. A list of every WiFi network you‘ve ever accessed will pop up
  4. Locate the one you want gone and click the … icon
  5. Choose Remove From List > Remove to confirm deletion

Here‘s what that remembered network list looks like for visual reference:

Full list of WiFi networks remembered on Mac

And that’s all it takes to banish that network from your MacBook!

Now let‘s explore a useful alternative to outright deletion…

Alternative Option: Disable Auto-Join

Instead of permanently removing a network, you also have the handy option to simply disable automatic connections.

When viewing network details, you‘ll notice an Auto-Join toggle switch. Flipping this to off stops future auto connections while retaining the password and details.

I‘d recommend this route if:

  • You only connect occasionally instead of daily
  • A changed password is NOT the reason for removal
  • You anticipate connecting again in the future

Disabling auto join gets the same annoying connection stopping benefits without the potential hassle of forgetting then rejoining networks completely unnecessarily.

Additional Tips to Know Before Forgetting Networks

Here are a few other tidbits worth highlighting as you manage network connections on your Mac:

✏️ If you forget then want to rejoin a network later, you‘ll have to re-enter the password
🔒 Saved passwords are securely encrypted by the system for safety
📱 Forgetting networks works similarly on iPhone and iPad too
🛡️ Supervised or managed devices may restrict the ability to modify networks

And that just about wraps up the full scoop on properly forgetting and removing WiFi networks on Mac!

Hopefully this guide gave you the step-by-step details you need to finally take control of annoying automatic connections for good. Let me know if you have any other tips or questions!

Jeremy
Amateur Network Tech Specialist

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