How to Change Wi-Fi Password on Mac

In today’s world of cybercrime, it’s very good practice to change passwords for your accounts and applications frequently. It’s no different when it comes to Wi-Fi networks. Many of the ones you use may change their passwords and you should probably be changing yours also.

Once the Wi-Fi network’s password has been changed you will need to change the passwords on all the devices you connect to those networks, including your Mac. Changing the Wi-Fi password on your Mac is very simple and almost anyone can do it within a few short minutes.

I’m Eric, a software engineer, and computer enthusiast. I have been around computers for nearly 40 years but since technology constantly changes, I am still learning new things and hopefully, I can pass the information on to you. 

Being able to change your Wi-Fi password is something everyone should learn how to do and I can help you.

If you’re ready to see how to do it, just keep reading and we will step through it. We will also take a look at why you might sometimes need to change the Wi-Fi password, the possible effects, and what you need to do if the name of your Wi-Fi network changes. 

Changing Your Wi-Fi Password

Let’s first get straight to it and show you how to change the password, since that is the main reason you are here. This is a fairly quick and simple process that you can follow along with me.

Step 1: Click on the Wi-Fi symbol on the upper right side of the screen.

Step 2: Select System Preferences.

Step 3: In the Network window click on the Advanced button.

Step 4: In the Advanced window, select the network for which you need to change the password for. Once selected, click on the minus button below the list of networks, to remove it.

Tip: Be sure to remember the network name because you will need it in the following steps.

Step 5: Click on the Plus button to add a Wi-Fi connection.

Step 6: Type the network name into the field and then enter the new password.

Step 7: Click OK and you will then be connected back to the network.

To be clear here we are changing the password on your Mac to match a new or different password on your Wi-Fi connection. You will need to make sure that you know the new password of that Wi-Fi network.

If you have trouble reconnecting to the network, take a look at this troubleshooting page from Apple to get more help.

Why Change My Password?

If you found this article because you need to change your password, then I’m sure you already have a reason to do so and know why. If not, you may be wondering why you would even need to change the password for your Wi-Fi connection.

First of all, you will need to change it because you have changed the password to your Wi-Fi network which is set in the Wi-Fi router’s configuration console. Or you may use someone else’s Wi-Fi and they have informed you that they changed the password and given you the new one.

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons that you or someone else may have changed the Wi-Fi network password.

• Network Security – for security purposes, it is good practice to change your network password regularly. Not many people do this, but it is a good idea for security, especially if you have given the password out to guests.

• Security Breach – If you feel an unwanted user or hacker is getting into your network, they may have gotten your password somehow. You will want to change it so that they no longer have access.

• Router Reset – Sometimes your router’s settings may get corrupted, you mistakenly changed something you didn’t mean to or you forgot the password. There are times when you may need to do a factory reset of your router. This will reset the password.

If you don’t set the password back to what you previously had then you might need to change the password on your devices including your Mac.

• New Router – If you get a new router and set up a new wireless network you will probably use a new password and will need to use the new one to connect to the new network.

Effects of Changing Wireless Network Password

As shown above, if you have a security breach or just like to change your Wi-Fi password to provide better network security, that is perfectly understandable and recommended in many cases.

This sounds pretty simple and it actually is, but before you do so you might want to think about what that change will do. You may have forgotten how many devices you have connected to that network. Don’t forget that all of them will need to be changed.

Below is a list of devices that might be affected by the password change, so don’t forget about them or you may find them not operating properly because they have been disconnected from your network.

• Desktop Computers
• Laptop Computers
• Phones
• Tablets
• Game Systems
• Smart TVs
• Wireless Printers
• Wireless Cameras
• Home Security Systems
• Satellite Television Receivers
• Cable Television Receivers.
• Wi-Fi Extenders
• Multimedia Streaming Devices
• Baby Monitors
• Digital E-Readers
• Friends and Visitors Devices.

While this is not a complete list, hopefully, it will spark your memory of anything that you may have connected to your Wi-Fi. You’ll be surprised at the things you have connected that you may have forgotten about.

What If the Name of the Wi-Fi Network Has Been Changed?

It’s possible that you or the person responsible for the wireless network has also changed the name of that network. In that case, you won’t just need to change the password but also the name of the network. In essence, you will be creating a whole new connection to it.

Just follow the same steps as above but instead of entering the old Wi-Fi network name, enter the new name that you have been given. If you are unsure of the exact name you can always search for it by clicking on the show networks button in the Add a Wi-Fi Network Profile popup.

This will give you a list of available Wi-Fi networks that you can connect to. Just scroll down through the list to find the one you are looking for and select it.

Final Words

For security and other reasons, the passwords for Wi-Fi networks often need to be changed. When this happens you will also need to change the Wi-Fi password on your Mac. As you can see above this is a rather quick and simple process.

I hope that these steps can help you to easily change your password when needed. As usual please let us know if you have any questions or comments. We would love to hear from you.