Quick Wi-Fi fix: turn Wi-Fi off and on again

Why it happens

Your Mac's Wi-Fi connection can get stuck after sleep, an update or a router hiccup, even while the icon still looks connected. Turning Wi-Fi off and on drops the old connection and starts a fresh one. It clears a lot of small glitches in seconds.

How to fix it

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

2. Turn off the Wi-Fi switch at the top.

   Wi-Fi

3. Wait about ten seconds, then turn it back on.

4. Your Mac usually rejoins your network by itself. If it doesn't, click your network's name and type the password.

5. Open a website to check it works. Next time you can do the same from the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar or from Control Center.

Still not fixed?

1. Check whether other devices work on the same Wi-Fi. If none do, restart your router: unplug it, wait 30 seconds and plug it back in.

2. Forget the network and join it again. Click Details… next to your network, choose Forget This Network…, then join it and type the password.

   Wi-Fi›Details…

3. Connected but pages won't load? Click Details… next to your network, open TCP/IP and click Renew DHCP Lease.

   Wi-Fi›Details…›TCP/IP

4. In a hotel, café or airport, open a web browser. Many public networks show a sign-in page you have to accept before the internet works.

5. Restart your Mac and install any waiting update in General > Software Update.

   General›Software Update

6. If every device fails at home, call your internet provider. If only your Mac can't connect, on every network, contact Apple Support or a repair shop, as the Wi-Fi hardware may need checking.