Mac Wi-Fi keeps dropping out: how to stop it

Why it happens

A saved network can hold on to old details after a router update, and that makes the connection stutter. A weak signal or a crowded channel does the same, especially through walls or in a busy block of flats. Sleep, VPNs and Wi-Fi extenders can add to it.

How to fix it

1. Before you start, make sure you know the Wi-Fi password. Check the router sticker, or open the Passwords app, click Wi-Fi in the sidebar, pick your network and hold the pointer over the dots next to Password.

   Passwords›Wi-Fi

2. Open the Apple menu, choose System Settings and click Wi-Fi in the sidebar.

3. Click Details next to your network, then click Forget This Network and confirm. This removes the saved password from this Mac and from your other devices that use iCloud Keychain, which is why you need it handy.

   Wi-Fi›Details…

4. Pick the same network from the list, type the Wi-Fi password and click Join. Use it for a while and see if the drops stop.

5. Still dropping? Hold down the Option key, click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar and choose Open Wireless Diagnostics. Follow the steps on screen. It checks your connection and can keep watching it while the problem happens.

6. When it finishes, read the summary. It often names the cause, such as a weak signal or a crowded channel, and suggests what to change on the router.

Still not fixed?

1. If your router shows two names, one often ending in 5G, join the 5 GHz one. It's faster and usually less crowded than 2.4 GHz, though it doesn't reach as far.

   Wi-Fi

2. Move closer to the router, or move the router into the open and away from microwaves, cordless phones and thick walls. Restart the router by unplugging it for 30 seconds.

3. If the drops started after waking from sleep or after an update, turn Wi-Fi off and on in Wi-Fi settings and install any waiting update in Software Update.

   General›Software Update

4. If you use a VPN, turn it off for a while. A VPN that keeps reconnecting can look exactly like Wi-Fi dropping.

   VPN

5. Check whether phones and other computers drop at the same moments. If they do, the router or your internet line is the problem, so call your internet provider.

6. If only this Mac drops, on every network you try, including a phone hotspot, the Wi-Fi hardware may be at fault. Contact Apple Support or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.