How to forget Wi-Fi network on Windows 10

You no longer want to connect to a Wi-Fi network? Use these steps to tell Windows 10 to forget the connection details.

Forget Wi-Fi on Windows 10
Forget Wi-Fi on Windows 10

On Windows 10, every time you connect to a Wi-Fi network a profile for that particular network with its SSID (Service Set Identifier), network security key, and other information will be created on your device. In the future, if you want to connect, you simply select the wireless network, and Windows 10 will do the rest automatically.

The only caveat is that Windows 10 will save a profile of every network even if you no longer plan to use that particular connection or if it gets corrupted, but you can quickly delete (or forget) a wireless network in a number of ways.

In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to forget a Wi-Fi network on Windows 10 using the Settings app, taskbar, and Command Prompt.

Forget Wi-Fi network connections using Settings

To remove previously configured and currently connected Wi-Fi networks, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings on Windows 10.

  2. Click on Network & Internet.

  3. Click on Wi-Fi.

  4. Click the Manage known networks option.

    Wi-Fi settings manage known networks option
    Wi-Fi settings manage known networks option
  5. Select the network you want to remove, and click the Forget button.

    Forget Wi-Fi network profile
    Forget Wi-Fi network profile

    Once you complete the steps, the Wi-Fi network you selected will be removed from your computer. If you need to remove other networks, simply follow the same steps.

Forget Wi-Fi network connections using taskbar

To forget a wireless connection from the taskbar, use these steps:

  1. Click the wireless icon in the notification area.

  2. Right-click the network and select the Forget option.

    Forget Wi-Fi profile from taskbar
    Forget Wi-Fi profile from taskbar

After you complete the steps, you’ll no longer see nor you will be able to connect to the same network unless you manually configure it again.

Forget Wi-Fi network connections using Command Prompt

To use netsh with Command Prompt to remove network files, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.

  2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

  3. Type the following command to identify the network and press Enter:

    netsh wlan show profiles
  4. Type the following command to remove the wireless network and press Enter:

    netsh wlan delete profile name="WIFI NAME TO REMOVE"

    Netsh delete Wi-Fi network profile on Windows 10
    Netsh delete Wi-Fi network profile on Windows 10
Quick tip: Alternatively, you can forget all networks at once using this command: netsh wlan delete profile name=* i=*.

Once you complete the steps, the Wi-Fi network will be removed from Windows 10.

Update August 10, 2020: Originally published in December 2017, and it’s been revised to reflect the new changes on Windows 10.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].