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Guide · Wi-Fi won’t connect

Mac or Windows PC won’t connect to Wi-Fi? What to do when it won’t join, drops or rejects the password

By the AI Repair team · Updated

Your Mac or PC won’t join the Wi-Fi, says the password is wrong, keeps dropping off, or can’t even see your network. The cause is usually simple: Wi-Fi is off, the password has changed, the router needs a restart, or your computer has kept old settings for the network. These eight fixes go from the quickest to the more involved, with the steps for a Mac and for Windows. If your computer joins the Wi-Fi but no page loads, our guide to Wi-Fi with no internet is the one you need.

In short

Check that Wi-Fi is on and that you chose your own network. Type the password again slowly: capitals count. Move closer to the router and restart it. Then restart your computer, and forget the network and join it again.

On a Mac: turn Wi-Fi on in the Wi-Fi menu or in System Settings › Wi-Fi (on macOS 12, System Preferences › Network › Wi-Fi). Still stuck? Hold Option, click the Wi-Fi icon and choose Open Wireless Diagnostics.

On a Windows PC: turn Wi-Fi on and Airplane mode off from the network icon on the taskbar. Still stuck? Run the Network and internet troubleshooter in the Get Help app. Network reset comes last.

1. Check that Wi-Fi is on

Wi-Fi is easy to switch off by accident, and a computer with Wi-Fi off shows no networks at all.

On a Mac: click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar, or click Control Center and then Wi-Fi, and turn Wi-Fi on. Or choose Apple menu › System Settings, click Wi-Fi in the sidebar and turn on the switch. On macOS 12 Monterey, click the switch at the top of the Wi-Fi menu, or choose Apple menu › System Preferences › Network, select Wi-Fi and click Turn Wi-Fi On.

On a Windows PC (Microsoft’s guide):

  1. Click the network, sound or battery icon at the right of the taskbar. Quick Settings opens.
  2. Turn on Wi-Fi, and check that Airplane mode is off: it turns Wi-Fi off too.
  3. Some laptops have a Wi-Fi switch of their own. If yours does, make sure it’s on.

On Windows 10, click the network icon on the taskbar to find the Wi-Fi and Airplane mode buttons. On both, Airplane mode is also in Start › Settings › Network & internet › Airplane mode.

2. Choose your network from the list

On a Mac: click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar. Networks you’ve joined before are under Known Networks (Preferred Networks on macOS 12): click yours. If it isn’t there, click Other Networks, then its name, and type the password when asked (Apple’s steps).

On a Windows PC: in Quick Settings, click the arrow next to the Wi-Fi button (Manage Wi-Fi connections), choose your network and click Connect. Don’t see it? Click Refresh network list at the bottom of the list. On Windows 10, the list opens when you click the network icon (Microsoft’s guide).

Make sure it’s your own network, not one with a similar name: a neighbor’s, a guest network or an extender’s. Many routers show their faster and slower bands as two networks, such as “Home” and “Home-5G”. If one won’t work, Microsoft suggests trying the other.

If your network isn’t in the list

  • Move closer. Apple says a typical Wi-Fi network reaches about 150 feet (45 meters), but it varies from home to home (Apple’s tips).
  • An older PC may not see a router’s faster 5 GHz network at all. If your router also has a 2.4 GHz network, join that one.
  • A hidden network doesn’t show its name, so you join it by typing the name. On a Mac, click the Wi-Fi icon, then Other Networks, then Other at the bottom of the list. Type the network’s exact name, choose its kind of security in the Security menu, type the password and click Join. It works the same on macOS 12. Whoever set up the network can tell you its name and security.
  • On a Mac, Location Services helps it find and join nearby networks reliably, Apple says. In System Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services, scroll down, click Details next to System Services, turn on Networking and wireless and click Done. On macOS 12, in System Preferences › Security & Privacy, click the lock, then on the Privacy tab select Location Services and Enable Location Services. Click Details next to System Services, select Networking & Wireless and click Done (Apple’s steps).

3. Type the password again, carefully

Wi-Fi passwords are case-sensitive: a capital A isn’t the same as a small a. Type it slowly. A lock next to a network’s name means it needs a password (Apple’s tips). Where to find it:

  • On the router. A label on it, its booklet or the sheet from your provider often shows the network’s name and password, which may still be the ones in use.
  • On your iPhone, if it’s on the network. Keep it unlocked and close to your Mac, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on. Click the network on your Mac, then tap Share Password on the iPhone when it asks (Apple’s steps). Or, on iOS 16 or later, open Settings › Wi-Fi on the iPhone, tap the info button next to the network, then tap Password.
  • On another Mac that’s on the network, with macOS 13 or later: in System Settings › Wi-Fi, click Advanced, then the More button (⋯) next to the network, and choose Copy Password. macOS 12 doesn’t have Copy Password.
  • On another Windows PC that’s on the network: choose Start › Settings › Network & internet, click Properties at the top, and click Show next to Wi-Fi network password. On Windows 10, choose Start › Settings › Network & Internet › Status › Network and Sharing Center, click your Wi-Fi network’s name, then Wireless Properties. On the Security tab, select Show characters (Microsoft’s guide).
  • In a hotel, café or library, ask the staff or look for a sign. Some of these networks then ask you to sign in on a web page: our other guide shows how to bring up that page.

Did someone change the password on the router? Your computer may keep trying the old one, or keep asking for it. Forget the network and join it again with the new one (fix 6). If a password you know is right still fails, Microsoft suggests restarting the router and updating its firmware (fix 4).

4. Move closer, and restart the router

Sit near the router and try again. Then try another device, such as a phone, on the same Wi-Fi. If it can join, the router is working and the trouble is on your computer: go on to fix 5. If nothing can join, restart the router and the modem, as Microsoft describes:

  1. Unplug the router, then the modem. If your provider gave you one box for both, unplug just that.
  2. Wait at least 30 seconds.
  3. Plug the modem back in, and wait until its lights stop blinking.
  4. Plug the router back in. Give both a few minutes to start up fully, then try to join again.

Everyone in the house loses the Wi-Fi for those few minutes. If you look after the router, Apple recommends keeping its firmware up to date and using WPA3 or WPA2 security: older kinds, such as WEP or anything with TKIP in its name, make networks less reliable and make Apple devices show a warning. The router maker’s app or website shows how (Apple’s recommended settings).

5. Restart your computer

A restart clears many passing glitches, and your computer asks the router for a fresh address as it starts. Save your work first. On a Mac, choose Apple menu › Restart; on a Windows PC, choose Start › Power › Restart. Then try to join again.

6. Forget the network and join it again

This removes the network and its saved password from your computer, so it starts fresh. Apple suggests it after the router’s settings or password have changed (Apple’s steps). Have the password ready.

On a Mac:

  1. Choose Apple menu › System Settings, then click Wi-Fi in the sidebar.
  2. Scroll down and click Advanced. Under Known Networks, click the More button (⋯) next to your network, choose Remove From List, then click Forget.
  3. Choose the network in the Wi-Fi menu and type its password.

On macOS 12: choose Apple menu › System Preferences › Network, select Wi-Fi and click Advanced. Select your network in the list, click the remove button (–), then OK and Apply.

If you use iCloud Keychain, your iPhone, iPad and other Macs forget the network too, and will ask for the password again.

On a Windows PC: choose Start › Settings › Network & internet › Wi-Fi › Manage known networks, click your network, then Forget. Then choose it in the Wi-Fi list on the taskbar and type its password. Windows 10 has the same steps (Microsoft’s guide).

7. Let your computer look for the problem

On a Mac (Apple’s guide):

  • Wi-Fi Recommendations: click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar or in Control Center. When macOS spots a problem, the menu shows Wi-Fi Recommendations: choose it to see what it suggests. It isn’t offered on a phone’s Personal Hotspot or on work networks that use WPA Enterprise.
  • Wireless Diagnostics: hold Option, click the Wi-Fi icon, and choose Open Wireless Diagnostics. Then follow the steps on the screen.

On a Windows PC: click Start, type Get Help, open the app, and search for Network and internet troubleshooter. It runs its checks and tries to fix most problems by itself. On Windows 10, choose Start › Settings › Network & Internet › Status, then Network troubleshooter.

8. Install updates

Updates bring fixes for Wi-Fi. If your computer can’t join your Wi-Fi, connect it with a network cable, or to another network such as your phone’s hotspot, to download them.

  • On a Mac: choose Apple menu › System Settings › General › Software Update. On macOS 12, it’s System Preferences › Software Update.
  • On a Windows PC: choose Start › Settings › Windows Update and click Check for updates; on Windows 10, Start › Settings › Update & Security › Windows Update. Your PC maker’s website has its Wi-Fi drivers too. If your PC can’t get online at all, Microsoft suggests downloading them on another computer and bringing them over on a USB stick.

If it joins, then keeps dropping

  • Your Mac may be switching networks. It joins the known network it rates best, and one you joined once, such as a neighbor’s, can take over (how Apple devices choose). To stop your Mac joining one by itself, open System Settings › Wi-Fi, click Advanced, then the More button (⋯) next to it, and turn off Auto-Join. It keeps the password. On macOS 12, in System Preferences › Network, select Wi-Fi, click Advanced and clear the Auto-Join box next to it.
  • Your Mac doesn’t rejoin by itself? In System Settings › Wi-Fi, click Details next to your network and turn on Automatically join this network. On macOS 12, select Wi-Fi in System Preferences › Network and select Automatically join this network.
  • One name for every band. Apple says a router that gives its 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands different names can keep devices from connecting reliably. If you look after the router, give them one name.
  • On a Windows PC, power saving can switch the Wi-Fi off. Click Start, type Device Manager and open it. Expand Network adapters, right-click your Wi-Fi adapter and choose Properties. On the Power Management tab, clear Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power, then click OK.

A weak signal, interference, and drops after sleep: our other guide covers those under If Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting.

If Wi-Fi is missing, or nothing has worked

On a Mac with no Wi-Fi in System Settings › Network, Apple says the Wi-Fi service may not be set up. Click the Action pop-up menu (⋯), choose Add Service, choose Wi-Fi in the Interface menu, and click Create (Apple’s steps). On macOS 12, in System Preferences › Network, click the add button (+) below the list, choose Wi-Fi in the Interface menu, and click Create. To start your Mac’s network settings fresh, Apple suggests a new network location: our other guide shows how.

On a Windows PC with no Wi-Fi button, Microsoft suggests checking the laptop’s Wi-Fi switch, if it has one, then the Wi-Fi adapter:

  1. Click Start, type Device Manager and open it.
  2. Expand Network adapters, and right-click your Wi-Fi adapter. Its name often says Wireless or Wi-Fi.
  3. Choose Enable device. If the menu says Disable device instead, it’s already on: leave it.

Network reset is Microsoft’s last step. It removes your network adapters and their settings, then puts them back with the defaults when the PC restarts, so save your work first. Choose Start › Settings › Network & internet › Advanced network settings › Network reset, then Reset now and Yes; on Windows 10, it’s Network & Internet › Status › Network reset. You may need to set up a VPN app again afterwards.

If Wi-Fi still won’t turn on or find any network, the Wi-Fi in your computer may need a repair. For a Mac, contact Apple Support or an Apple Authorized Service Provider; for a PC, its maker.

Advice you can skip

  • Hiding your network’s name to keep it safe. Apple says it doesn’t hide the network or stop anyone joining, and it can make your devices easier to identify. A strong password with WPA3 or WPA2 security protects your network.
  • Letting in only the devices on a list (MAC address filtering). Apple says those addresses are easy to copy, and Macs, iPhones and many PCs can use a different address for each network, so they may be shut out. Our other guide explains those private addresses.
  • Deleting the network’s password in Keychain Access on a Mac. Forgetting the network (fix 6) is Apple’s way to remove it with its password.
  • Factory-resetting the router before you’ve restarted it and updated its firmware. A reset erases its settings, including your network’s name and password, so every device has to join again.
  • Resetting the SMC or NVRAM on a Mac with Apple silicon. Apple says those steps aren’t needed there.

Common questions

Why won’t my Mac connect to Wi-Fi when my phone will?

Then the router is working, and something on your Mac is stuck, often an old saved password or setting for that network. Turn Wi-Fi off and on, restart your Mac, then forget the network and join it again (fix 6). The same steps help a Windows PC, and so does its Network and internet troubleshooter.

Why does my computer say the Wi-Fi password is wrong when it’s right?

Often the password was changed on the router and your computer is still trying the old one. Forget the network and join it again with the current password. Check the capitals too: Wi-Fi passwords are case-sensitive. If it still fails, restart the router and update its firmware.

Where can I find my Wi-Fi password?

Look for a label on the router or the sheet from your provider. An iPhone on the network shows it in Settings › Wi-Fi: tap the info button next to the network, then Password. Another Mac with macOS 13 or later can copy it in System Settings › Wi-Fi › Advanced; macOS 12 can’t. A Windows PC shows it in Settings › Network & internet › Properties, next to Wi-Fi network password.

Why can’t my laptop see my Wi-Fi network?

Wi-Fi may be off, Airplane mode on, or the router too far away or not working. Some networks are hidden and must be joined by typing their name, and an older laptop may not see a router’s 5 GHz network. Move closer, restart the router, and try its 2.4 GHz network if it has one.

How do I stop my Mac joining the wrong Wi-Fi network?

Turn off Auto-Join for the network you don’t want. In System Settings › Wi-Fi, click Advanced, then the More button next to it, and turn off Auto-Join. Your Mac keeps its password, and you can still join it yourself. On macOS 12, clear the Auto-Join box next to it in System Preferences › Network › Wi-Fi › Advanced.