How to Change Your Wi-Fi Network or Forget a Wireless Connection in Windows 11

How to Switch to a Different Wi-Fi Network

To connect to a different network — moving from your home Wi-Fi 📶 to a mobile hotspot, for example — you don’t need to change any settings first. Windows lets you pick a new network straight from the taskbar 🖥️.

1. Click the network icon in the taskbar 🖥️, next to the clock. This opens the Quick Settings flyout, which shows Wi-Fi 📶, Bluetooth 🔷, volume, and brightness controls.

   

2. Click the arrow next to Wi-Fi 📶 (or the Wi-Fi 📶 tile itself if Wi-Fi is already on). A list of nearby networks appears, sorted roughly by signal strength.

   

3. Select the network you want to join from the list, then click Connect.
4. Enter the network password if prompted, then click Next. Windows connects and the flyout shows the new network name with a connected icon next to it.

If the network you want isn’t in the list, it may be hidden (not broadcasting its name) or out of range. For a hidden network, open Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi 📶 and look for a manual connection option, then type the network name and security details exactly as given by whoever set up the router.

How to Forget a Wi-Fi Network You’re Currently Connected To

This is the fix for networks that keep auto-connecting when you don’t want them to, or for old networks (a previous employer’s office, a hotel, a friend’s house) you no longer need saved.

1. Click the network icon in the taskbar to open Quick Settings.

   

2. Click the arrow next to Wi-Fi to expand the list of networks.
3. Right-click the network you're connected to in the list. A small menu appears with network-specific options.

   

4. Select Forget. Windows disconnects you immediately and deletes the saved password. The network drops out of your "known networks" list, though it still shows up in the nearby networks list if it's in range — you'll just need to enter the password again to rejoin it.

If you don't see a Forget option when you right-click, the network may be managed by a work or school account pushing settings through mobile device management, or it could be a wired Ethernet connection rather than Wi-Fi — the Forget option only appears for wireless networks.

How to Forget a Saved Network You're Not Connected To

You can't right-click a network you're not currently joined to from the Quick Settings flyout — Windows only shows that option for the active connection. To forget any saved network, whether you're connected to it or not, use the full network settings page instead.

1. Open Settings by pressing Windows key + I, or right-click the Start button and select Settings.

   

2. Select Network & internet from the left-hand menu. You'll see your current connection status at the top, including Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and VPN.

   

3. Select Wi-Fi from the list of connection types.

   

4. Select Manage known networks. This opens a full list of every network your PC has ever saved a password for, whether it's in range right now or not.

   

5. Select the network you want to remove, then click Forget. There's no confirmation prompt — the network disappears from the list the moment you click it, and the saved password is gone.

This is the method to use for networks you're not near anymore, like a hotel Wi-Fi from a trip months ago that still shows up in your known networks list.

What Happens When You Forget a Network

Forgetting a network deletes more than just the password. Windows also discards the network's profile settings — whether you'd marked it as a Private or Public network, whether it was set as a metered connection (a setting that limits background data use, useful for mobile hotspots with data caps), and any firewall rules tied to that profile. If you reconnect to the same network later, Windows treats it as brand new and asks you to pick the network type again.

Forgetting a network does not require a restart and takes effect immediately. It also doesn't affect any other device on your account — forgetting a network on your laptop doesn't remove it from your phone or another PC, even if they're signed in with the same Microsoft account.

Why the Forget Option Might Be Missing or Greyed Out

A few things can block access to Forget or Manage known networks:

• Work or school-managed devices. If your PC is enrolled in a company's device management system (software that controls work computers), IT policy can lock network settings so only an administrator can add or remove saved networks. If this applies to you, you'll need to contact your IT department rather than troubleshoot it yourself.
• Standard user accounts on some configurations. On most home PCs, any user account can forget a network without needing administrator rights, since Wi-Fi profiles are typically per-user. On shared or domain-joined machines, though, this can be restricted — if clicking Forget does nothing or the button is greyed out, try the same steps from an administrator account.
• Airplane mode or Wi-Fi turned off. If Wi-Fi is switched off entirely, the Manage known networks page still works, but the Quick Settings flyout won't show any networks to interact with. Turn Wi-Fi back on from Quick Settings first.

For IT staff troubleshooting a network profile that won't clear through the Settings app, Windows stores saved network profiles in Registry Editor under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Profiles. This is useful for confirming whether a profile still exists after you've tried to forget it through Settings, but editing or deleting entries here directly is not something to do casually — there's no undo, and removing the wrong key can affect other saved connections. Stick to the Settings app method unless you're specifically troubleshooting a profile that refuses to clear any other way, and back up the registry before making any change here. This requires administrator privileges to access.

How to Undo Forgetting a Network

To get back online with that network, reconnect the normal way: open Quick Settings, select the network from the nearby list, and enter the password again. If it's a network you manage yourself (your home router, for instance), the password is usually printed on a sticker on the router itself if you don't remember it. For networks you don't manage, ask whoever set it up.

Stopping Windows From Connecting to Networks You Don't Want

If your real goal is to stop Windows from offering or auto-joining a particular network — rather than just removing one saved password — check the Connect automatically setting before you forget anything. On the network's entry in the Quick Settings Wi-Fi list, there's a checkbox for this; clearing it keeps the network saved but stops Windows from reconnecting to it without asking. This is a gentler option than forgetting the network outright if you still want quick access to it later without re-entering the password.

What to Do Next

With your network list cleaned up, it's worth checking your current connection's properties — Settings › Network & internet › Wi-Fi > your network's name — to confirm it's still set to the right network profile type for how you use it. If you're still having trouble getting a stable connection after switching networks, a quick adapter reset or driver check in Device Manager is usually the next place to look.