Mac Wi-Fi not working: how to fix it
When Mac Wi-Fi is not working, the cause can be the router, the internet provider, the network settings saved on the Mac, a VPN or a profile. This guide starts with the quick fixes and goes on to the checks that show which one it is, including the built-in Wireless Diagnostics.
Quick fixes first
- Click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar or in Control Center, turn Wi-Fi off, wait a few seconds and turn it back on.
- Check another device on the same network. If it has no internet either, restart the router: unplug it for a few seconds and plug it back in.
- Restart your Mac: Apple menu › Restart. It then gets a fresh network address from the router.
- Check the date and time in System Settings › General › Date & Time. A wrong clock can break secure connections.
If the Wi-Fi menu shows Wi-Fi Recommendations, your Mac has found a problem: choose it to see what it suggests.
Forget the network and join it again
This helps when the router’s settings or password changed. Have the Wi-Fi password at hand: see how to find a Wi-Fi password on Mac.
- Choose Apple menu › System Settings and click Wi-Fi in the sidebar.
- Scroll down and click Advanced to see the networks your Mac knows.
- Click the More Options button (•••) next to the network, choose Remove From List, then click Forget.
- Back in Wi-Fi settings, click the network and enter its password.
With iCloud Keychain on, the network is also forgotten on your other devices signed in to the same Apple Account.
Run Wireless Diagnostics
- Quit your open apps and join the network if you can.
- Hold Option and click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar, then choose Open Wireless Diagnostics.
- Follow the onscreen instructions. When it finishes, the Summary lists the problems it found and possible fixes.
Wireless Diagnostics doesn’t change your network settings. It also saves a report in /var/tmp, named WirelessDiagnostics with a .tar.gz ending, which you can send to your internet provider or Apple Support.
Check VPN, security apps and profiles
- VPN: turn it off in System Settings › VPN or in the VPN app, then try again.
- Security apps that filter traffic, such as firewalls and web filters, can block internet access. Turn them off for a moment to test.
- Profiles: open System Settings › General › Device Management (on macOS Sonoma: Privacy & Security › Profiles). A profile can set up network or VPN settings. Removing a profile deletes its settings, and on a work or school Mac ask your administrator first.
If the internet still doesn’t work
- Try another network, for example your iPhone’s hotspot. If the Mac works there, the problem is the router or the provider: update the router’s firmware or call your provider.
- While on a working network, update macOS in System Settings › General › Software Update.
- If Wi-Fi works but some sites don’t open, flush the DNS cache.
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Questions and answers
Why is Wi-Fi not working on my Mac when other devices connect fine?
Usually it’s the Mac’s saved network settings, a VPN or a profile. Forget the network and join it again, turn off VPN and run Wireless Diagnostics.
Why does my Mac say it’s connected to Wi-Fi but there is no internet?
The Mac reaches the router, but the router doesn’t reach the internet, or the Mac has a stale network address. Restart the router and the Mac, then check other devices on the same network.
Does forgetting a Wi-Fi network delete anything?
Only the saved network and its password. Nothing else changes, and you can join it again with the password.