Since macOS Ventura, there’s no list you can drag to prioritize Wi-Fi networks on Mac. Instead, macOS ranks your known networks automatically. It favors the network you manually choose most often, then the most recently joined private network. After that, it compares Wi-Fi standard, frequency band, security, and signal strength. So the real fix is simple. Turn off Auto-Join for networks you don’t want, and manually join the one you do.
Maybe your Mac keeps grabbing a slow extender, a neighbor’s guest network, or your iPhone hotspot. This guide explains why. More importantly, it shows which settings actually change the outcome. It also covers one popular fix that quietly affects your iPhone too.
Why You Can’t Drag Networks Into Order Anymore
Up through macOS Monterey, Network preferences had a Preferred Networks list. You dragged networks up or down, and your Mac tried them from the top. Many older guides still describe that exact screen.
However, macOS Ventura replaced System Preferences with System Settings. The list of known networks survived, but the drag handles didn’t. Today the list has no reorder option at all. That’s why the old way to prioritize Wi-Fi networks on Mac no longer works.
That change wasn’t an oversight. Apple moved the Mac onto the same auto-join logic that iPhone and iPad already used. As a result, your Mac now makes the decision itself, following a set of rules Apple publishes.
How macOS Decides Which Wi-Fi Network to Join
Apple documents the full ranking in a support article on how Apple devices choose known networks to auto-join. Here’s the order, from highest priority to lowest:
- Most preferred network. Every known network earns a score. Manually joining a network raises it, while manually disconnecting lowers it.
- Private networks. These are home and office networks, and they include a Personal Hotspot. The most recently joined one wins.
- Public networks. Think hotels, airports, cafés, and carrier-managed hotspots such as Passpoint.
- Configuration method. Networks installed by a device management profile beat networks you joined by hand.
- Wi-Fi standard. Wi-Fi 7 comes first, then Wi-Fi 6E and 6, then Wi-Fi 5, and so on.
- Frequency band. 6 GHz ranks highest, followed by 5 GHz, 5 GHz DFS channels, and finally 2.4 GHz.
- Security. WPA Enterprise beats WPA Personal, which beats WEP. Open networks you haven’t joined manually in two weeks are skipped.
- Signal strength. Only at the very end does the strongest signal win.
Notice where signal strength sits. It’s dead last. That one detail explains most “my Mac joined the wrong network” complaints.
Why Your Mac Picks the “Wrong” Network
Once you know the ranking, the usual culprits become predictable. Here are three patterns worth checking first.
A newer extender outranks an older router
Say your main router is Wi-Fi 5, and you added a Wi-Fi 6 extender with its own network name. Both count as private networks. If neither has a clear score or recency advantage, the tiebreakers take over. The extender’s newer Wi-Fi standard then beats the router, even when you’re sitting right beside the router. Consequently, your Mac connects through the weaker, slower hop.
The 5 GHz band wins by default
Many routers broadcast two names, such as “HomeNet” and “HomeNet_5G.” The band rule nudges your Mac toward 5 GHz. That’s usually good for speed. Through thick walls or at a distance, though, 2.4 GHz can be the steadier choice. Similarly, a 6 GHz network outranks both.
Your iPhone hotspot counts as a private network
Apple groups Personal Hotspot with home and office networks. So if you used your hotspot recently, it can win on recency alone. That’s why some Macs jump to the iPhone right after waking up.
Step 1: Turn Off Auto-Join for Networks You Don’t Want
This is the closest thing to a manual priority list that macOS still offers. It works on macOS Ventura and every version since.
- Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
- Click Wi-Fi in the sidebar.
- Scroll down and click Advanced to see your known networks.
- Click the More Options (…) button next to the network you want to demote.
- Turn off Auto-Join.
Your Mac keeps the password, so you can still pick that network from the Wi-Fi menu anytime. It simply won’t choose it on its own. In other words, you prioritize Wi-Fi networks on Mac by removing the competition rather than ranking it.
Step 2: Teach macOS Which Network You Prefer
The scoring system rewards deliberate choices. Therefore, you can nudge it in your favor.
When your Mac lands on the wrong network, don’t just leave it there. Open the Wi-Fi menu and click your preferred network instead. That manual connection raises its score. Likewise, manually disconnecting from the unwanted network lowers that network’s score.
Apple doesn’t say how many manual choices it takes to shift the ranking. So expect this to work through repetition, not a single click. Pair it with Auto-Join off for the worst offenders. Together, they’re the most reliable way to prioritize Wi-Fi networks on Mac today.
Why “Remove From List” Can Backfire
Forgetting a network looks like the cleanest fix. But there’s a catch with iCloud Keychain. According to Apple, forgetting a network on one device makes your other devices forget it too. That detail is easy to miss.
For example, removing your office guest network on your Mac also removes it from your iPhone. That’s a problem if your phone genuinely needs it.
Auto-Join off is more surgical. It stops your Mac from choosing the network without wiping it everywhere. Save Remove From List for networks you’ll never use again, like an old hotel or a router you replaced.
Stop Your Mac From Jumping to Your iPhone Hotspot
Hotspot behavior has two separate controls, and most guides only mention one.
First, go to System Settings > Wi-Fi and find Ask to join hotspots near the bottom. Set it to Never or Ask To Join. This setting only covers what happens when no known Wi-Fi network is available.
Second, check whether the hotspot already appears under Advanced in your known networks. Once you’ve joined it, it becomes a known private network. At that point, the recency rule can pick it over your home Wi-Fi. Turning off Auto-Join for the hotspot entry closes that gap.
Can You Still Use Terminal to Reorder Networks?
You’ll find older advice recommending the networksetup command. For instance, this lists your saved networks:
networksetup -listpreferredwirelessnetworks en0
On most MacBooks, Wi-Fi is en0. Some desktop Macs use en1 instead.
Reordering is a different story, though. The command -addpreferredwirelessnetworkatindex was built for the old ordered list. On Apple’s community forums, users on Ventura reported that the index value was ignored. Moreover, Apple’s published auto-join rules don’t mention list order anywhere.
There’s also a risk for work Macs. IT admins have reported that removing and re-adding a network this way can detach it from its management profile. So for everyday use, stick with Auto-Join and manual joins.
Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet Is a Separate Setting
Sometimes the real question isn’t which Wi-Fi network, but whether to use Wi-Fi at all. That’s controlled by service order, not network priority.
Go to System Settings > Network, click the More Options (…) menu below the list, and choose Set Service Order. Then drag Ethernet above Wi-Fi. This decides which connection type your Mac prefers when several are active.
Fix It at the Router When Nothing Else Sticks
Sometimes the cleanest fix isn’t on the Mac at all. If an extender or split-band setup keeps winning, the problem is two competing network names.
A mesh system avoids this by broadcasting one network name everywhere. Alternatively, many routers let you merge 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz under a single name. Your Mac then handles band selection within one network instead of choosing between two.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you still prioritize Wi-Fi networks on Mac in System Settings?
Not with a ranked list. Since macOS Ventura, System Settings shows known networks without any way to reorder them. Instead, you control priority by turning off Auto-Join for unwanted networks and manually joining your preferred one.
Why does my Mac connect to a weaker Wi-Fi network?
Signal strength is the last factor macOS considers. Your Mac first weighs your manual choices and how recently you joined each private network. Then it compares Wi-Fi standard and frequency band. As a result, a weaker network can win if it ranks higher on those earlier rules.
Does turning off Auto-Join delete the Wi-Fi password?
No. Turning off Auto-Join keeps the network and its password saved on your Mac. You can still join it manually from the Wi-Fi menu whenever you want.
Will forgetting a Wi-Fi network on my Mac affect my iPhone?
Yes, if both devices use iCloud Keychain with the same Apple Account. Forgetting a network on one device makes your other devices forget it as well.
Bottom Line
macOS Ventura and later don’t let you drag networks into a custom order. Instead, Macs follow Apple’s published ranking. Manual preference comes first, then recency for private networks. After that come Wi-Fi standard, frequency band, security, and finally signal strength. To prioritize Wi-Fi networks on Mac, turn off Auto-Join for unwanted networks. Then manually join the one you prefer. Avoid Remove From List unless you want the network gone from every device on your iCloud Keychain.