Forget a Wi-Fi Network with networksetup

List every Wi-Fi network the Mac remembers and delete one so it never auto-joins again.

macOSnetworksetupWi-FiMedium risk

Run `networksetup -listpreferredwirelessnetworks en0` to list saved networks, then `sudo networksetup -removepreferredwirelessnetwork en0 "Name"` to forget one.

01Command

Command

$ networksetup -listpreferredwirelessnetworks en0 && sudo networksetup -removepreferredwirelessnetwork en0 "CoffeeShop"

02What it does

This is the terminal version of System Settings > Wi-Fi > Details > Forget This Network. The saved list also drives auto-join order, so removing old networks makes reconnecting more reliable. The undo command re-adds the network to the preferred list, but macOS will prompt for the password the next time it joins. This only changes the remembered list on this Mac — the wireless router and its settings are untouched.

03Risk

RiskMedium risk

Requirementssudo required for the remove/add steps; you will need to re-enter the password when reconnecting.

!Warning: Run from an admin account; after forgetting, reconnecting requires the password again.

04Undo

Undo

$ sudo networksetup -addpreferredwirelessnetworkatindex en0 "CoffeeShop" 0 WPA2PSK

05Sources

networksetup — network configuration tool (macOS man page)
SS64 · technical · 2026-09-17
Evidence: Documents -listpreferredwirelessnetworks, -removepreferredwirelessnetwork and -addpreferredwirelessnetworkatindex.

Last verified: 2026-09-18 · Category: System & Settings

06Related solutions

Reset the Wi-Fi connection on Mac

macOSWi-FiTerminal

Power-cycle the Wi-Fi interface to fix dropouts and stuck connections — no reboot needed.

Medium risk ✓ 2026-09-16