What forgetting a network actually does
When your device connects to Wi-Fi, it saves the network name, the password, and various settings so it can reconnect automatically next time. Forgetting the network deletes that stored profile. The next time you want to use that Wi-Fi, your device treats it like a brand-new network and asks for the password again.
This is why forgetting is such a useful troubleshooting step. If the router’s password has changed, your device keeps trying the old one and fails silently. If the connection drops repeatedly, grabs the wrong frequency, or shows a vague error, a stale saved profile is often the cause. Forgetting and reconnecting forces a clean start. Just make sure you know the current password before you forget, because you will have to type it in again.
Forget a network on Windows 11
Windows keeps every saved network in one list, so you can remove any of them, not just the one you are currently using.
- Open Settings.
- Click Network and internet.
- Select Wi-Fi.
- Click Manage known networks.
- Find the network you want to remove and click Forget.
A quick shortcut is to right-click the wireless icon in the taskbar and open network settings from there. Windows 10 follows nearly the same path: Settings, Network and Internet, Wi-Fi, then Manage known networks, where each saved network has a Forget button. The list can be long if you connect to a lot of networks, so scroll to find the right one.
Forget a network on a Mac
On recent macOS versions the setting is in System Settings, while older versions route through the Advanced network options.
- Open System Settings.
- Click Wi-Fi in the sidebar.
- Find the network under Known Networks.
- Click the more options button, the three dots in a circle, next to it.
- Choose Forget This Network and confirm if prompted.
On older macOS the path runs through System Preferences, then Network, then the Advanced button, where you select the network under Preferred Networks and click the minus button to remove it. You may be asked for administrator permission to make the change, so have your Mac password handy.
Forget a network on an iPhone or iPad
Apple separates the network you are currently on from other networks your device has saved, so there are two slightly different routes.
- Open Settings and tap Wi-Fi.
- To forget the network you are connected to, tap the information icon, the i in a circle, next to its name.
- Tap Forget This Network, then tap Forget to confirm.
To remove a network you are not currently connected to, tap Edit in the top corner of the Wi-Fi screen. That reveals the full list of networks your device remembers. From there you can delete one or tap its information icon and choose Forget This Network. After forgetting, the network reappears in the list of available networks if it is in range, ready for you to reconnect with the password.
Forget a network on Android
Android wording varies by manufacturer, but two common paths cover most phones.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Network and internet, then Internet or Wi-Fi. On Samsung phones, tap Connections, then Wi-Fi.
- Tap the network you want, or the settings gear next to it.
- Tap Forget.
On many phones you can also press and hold the network name in the Wi-Fi list and choose Forget from the menu that appears. Because menu labels change across Android versions and brands, look for a similarly named option if these steps do not match exactly. The outcome is the same: the saved profile is deleted and the network behaves as new.
Reconnecting after you forget
Once a network is forgotten, reconnecting is straightforward.
- Open your Wi-Fi settings and find the network in the list of available networks.
- Tap or click it.
- Enter the current password.
- Wait for the device to connect and confirm you have internet access.
This is exactly why the forget step helps after a password change. By clearing the old saved password, you force the device to prompt you for the new one, which it would otherwise never ask for. If the network still will not connect after forgetting and re-entering the password, the problem likely lies with the router or the broader connection rather than the saved profile, so restarting the router is a sensible next move.
When to forget a network
Forgetting is worth trying in several common situations. Reach for it when the Wi-Fi password has recently changed, when your device connects but has no internet, when it repeatedly drops or refuses to reconnect, or when you want to stop a device from automatically joining a public or guest network you no longer trust. It is a safe, reversible step. The only thing you lose is the saved password, and as long as you have that to hand, you can reconnect in under a minute.
Forget versus disconnect
It is worth knowing the difference between forgetting a network and simply disconnecting from it, because they solve different problems. Disconnecting, or turning Wi-Fi off, leaves the saved profile in place, so your device will rejoin the same network automatically the next time it is in range. That is fine when you just want a temporary break from a connection. Forgetting goes further by deleting the stored profile entirely, which is what you need when the saved settings themselves are the problem, such as an out-of-date password. If a quick disconnect and reconnect does not fix a flaky connection, forgetting is the stronger step to try next.
If you still cannot connect after forgetting
Forgetting and rejoining resolves most profile-related problems, but if the network still refuses to connect, the cause is probably elsewhere. First, confirm you are typing the current password exactly, since Wi-Fi passwords are case sensitive and a single wrong character blocks the connection. Next, check whether other devices can join the same network; if none can, the issue is with the router or the internet service rather than your device. Restarting the router by unplugging it for about thirty seconds clears many faults. On a computer, running the built-in network troubleshooter can reset the adapter and reveal configuration problems. If only one device fails while others connect fine, restarting that device and installing any pending system updates is usually the quickest route back online.
A note on saved networks and privacy
Forgetting networks you no longer use is also good housekeeping. Phones and laptops keep a long memory of every network they have joined, and some of those saved profiles can cause a device to connect automatically to open networks with the same name elsewhere. Clearing out old cafes, airports, and hotels from your known networks list keeps your device from rejoining places you will never visit again and tidies up the list for the networks that matter.
