To find Forget This Network on your iPhone, open Settings > Wi-Fi > Edit, then tap the information button beside the saved network. If the option is still missing, turn off Auto-Join when that switch remains editable. This stops automatic connections while preserving the saved network.
The short version
- Check saved networks: Open Settings > Wi-Fi > Edit to find networks you previously joined.
- Stop reconnecting: Turn off Auto-Join when forgetting is unavailable and the switch remains editable.
- Try another device: Network removal syncs between devices using iCloud Keychain with the same Apple Account.
- Save resets for last: Reset Network Settings removes previously used networks and unmanaged VPN settings, while settings installed by profiles or device management remain.
| Option | When it applies | Result or limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Connected network information screen | Previously joined networks whose removal is permitted | Forgets the selected network |
| Edit in Wi-Fi settings | Known networks, including disconnected ones | Provides access to saved network removal |
| Turn off Auto-Join | The switch remains editable | Stops automatic joining and preserves the network |
| Another Apple device | Same Apple Account with iCloud Keychain | Syncs network removal between devices |
| Xfinity hotspot controls | You use Xfinity hotspots | Stops automatic joining for each hotspot name |
| Reset Network Settings | You accept a broader network reset | Removes previously used networks and unmanaged VPN settings |
| Remove Profile | A removable profile supplies the network | Also removes settings and accounts supplied by that profile |
| Remove Management | Your managed iPhone allows unenrollment | Also removes associated settings and certificates |
| Administrator removal | The organization manages the configuration | Administrator removes it through device management |
| Apple Configurator | The profile permits removal through the appropriate Mac | Removes the configuration profile |
| Apple Configurator listing | A compatible Mac needs the administrative tool | Official Mac App Store download location |
| Delete the configuring app | An app created the hotspot configuration | Removes that app’s configurations and keychain entries |
| Temporary app connection expiry | The app uses joinOnce | Disconnects and removes the temporary configuration |
| Turn off Wi-Fi in Settings | You need to stop Wi-Fi connections immediately | Preserves saved networks |
| Control Center | You need a temporary disconnection | Automatic joining can resume later |
| Captive login screen | A hotel, airport, or café network presents a login | Disconnects without deleting saved credentials |
| Turn off Auto-Login | The captive network offers this control | Shows the welcome screen on the next connection |
| Reset All Settings | You also intend to reset other preferences | Resets network settings and removes Apple Pay cards |
| Erase All Content and Settings | You intend to erase the iPhone | Removes content and settings, including network settings |
| Computer restoration | You intend a factory restoration | Erases the iPhone rather than one network |
| Apple Devices download page | A compatible Windows computer needs the app | Leads to Apple Devices in the Microsoft Store |
Find the network in its saved settings
Forgetting removes the saved network from your iPhone. For a network you are currently connected to, open Settings > Wi-Fi and tap the information button beside its name. Tap Forget This Network, then tap Forget to confirm.
If the option is missing there, open Settings > Wi-Fi, tap Edit, then tap the information button beside the saved network. This list includes known networks even when you are not connected to them.
Forgetting from this screen also removes the saved network. Tap Forget This Network, then tap Forget. If the option is missing here too, turn off Auto-Join when it remains editable, or address the profile or app supplying the network.
Stop automatic connections
Open Settings > Wi-Fi > Edit, tap the network’s information button, then turn off Auto-Join. Switch Wi-Fi off and back on to disconnect from it. The saved network remains, but your iPhone stops joining it automatically.
For Xfinity hotspots, open Settings > Wi-Fi and tap the information button beside XFINITY. Turn off Auto-Join, then repeat for xfinitywifi. Xfinity provides this as an alternative to deleting those networks.
For an immediate stop to Wi-Fi connections, turn off Wi-Fi completely by opening Settings > Wi-Fi and turning off Wi-Fi. This preserves saved networks and does not restore the missing option. For a temporary disconnection instead, open Control Center and tap the Wi-Fi button.
Remove a managed network configuration
If your organization prohibits removal, ask its administrator to remove the Wi-Fi configuration through its device-management service. Apple says the service can remove configurations it installed. The administrator’s console labels depend on the management vendor.
If you have a removable configuration profile, removing it also removes the other settings and accounts that profile supplies. Open Settings > General > VPN & Device Management, select the configuration profile, then tap Remove Profile.
If your managed iPhone allows unenrollment, removing management also removes its associated settings and certificates. Open Settings > General > VPN & Device Management, select the management entry, then tap Remove Management. If user removal is prohibited, have the organization’s administrator handle the configuration.
You can also remove eligible profiles using Apple Configurator on the appropriate managing Mac. If you need the tool, get Apple Configurator from Apple’s Mac App Store listing on a compatible Mac. An installed supervision profile may require the supervising instance of Configurator.
Removing the profile also removes the settings and accounts it supplies. Connect the iPhone to the appropriate Mac and select it in Apple Configurator. Choose Actions > Remove > Profiles, then click Remove.
Forget it from another Apple device
If another iPhone, iPad, or Mac uses iCloud Keychain with the same Apple Account, you can forget the network there. Apple says network removal syncs between devices with that setup.
Forgetting the network on the other device also removes it from devices sharing it through iCloud Keychain. On another iPhone or iPad, open Settings > Wi-Fi > Edit, then tap the network’s information button. Tap Forget This Network, then tap Forget.
Forgetting on your Mac also removes the network from devices sharing it through iCloud Keychain. Open the Apple menu > System Settings > Wi-Fi > Advanced, then click the network’s More Options button. Choose Remove From List, then click Forget.
Leave a network with a login screen
On a hotel, airport, café, or other captive-network login screen, tap Cancel. If subsequent choices appear, select Other Network to disconnect and return to Wi-Fi settings. This leaves saved credentials intact.
To prevent automatic connections, open Settings > Wi-Fi and tap the network’s information button. Turn off Auto-Join when that control is available.
Remove a configuration created by an app
If an app created the hotspot configuration through Apple’s hotspot configuration system, deleting that app removes its configurations and associated keychain entries. This applies to configurations that app created, not networks created by you, another app, or an unrelated management profile.
Deleting the configuring app removes the app along with its hotspot configurations and keychain entries. To delete the app from iPhone, touch and hold it on the Home Screen, then tap Remove App. Tap Delete App, then tap Delete.
Reset network settings
Use a network reset only if you accept removing more than the single network you want to forget. Settings installed by a configuration profile or device management remain, so address those through profile removal or your administrator.
Resetting network settings removes previously used networks and unmanaged VPN settings. Open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset, then tap Reset Network Settings.
Reset other settings only when needed
If you also intend to reset other preferences, Reset All Settings is the broader option. For the narrower task of removing unmanaged network settings, choose Reset Network Settings.
Resetting all settings resets network settings and other preferences and removes Apple Pay cards. Open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset, then tap Reset All Settings.
Erase only when you intend a full reset
A full erase of your iPhone is disproportionate for a missing network option alone. Use these routes only when you intend to remove the device’s content and settings, including its network settings.
Erasing removes your iPhone’s content and settings, so back up needed data first. Open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. Enter the requested credentials and tap Continue as each prompt appears.
You can also perform a factory restoration from a compatible Mac or Windows computer. If your Windows computer needs Apple Devices, open Apple’s download page for Apple Devices and follow the app link to the Microsoft Store.
Computer restoration erases the iPhone’s content and settings, so back up needed data first. Sign out of the feature named Find My as required, then connect the iPhone by USB. Open Finder on Mac or Apple Devices on Windows, select the iPhone, then choose General > Restore iPhone. Click Restore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Wi-Fi reconnect after I disconnect through Control Center?
Automatic joining can resume after a location change, a restart, manually reconnecting, or 5 a.m. local time. Tapping the Wi-Fi button in Control Center provides only a temporary disconnection.
Can I make a hotel network show its welcome screen again?
If the captive network offers the control, open Settings > Wi-Fi, tap the network’s information button, then turn off Auto-Login. The welcome screen appears on the next connection. This setting alone does not forget or disconnect the network.
Can I let an app’s temporary Wi-Fi connection expire without deleting the app?
Yes, if the app uses Apple’s joinOnce hotspot configuration. Expiring that connection disconnects the hotspot and removes its temporary configuration. Leave the configuring app in the background for more than 15 seconds, or let the iPhone sleep. This behavior does not apply to ordinary saved networks.
Does Reset All Settings erase personal data and media?
Your personal data and media remain when you choose Reset All Settings. It resets preferences, including network settings, and removes Apple Pay cards. Erasing the iPhone’s content and settings is a separate operation.