Where Does macOS Store Known Wi-Fi Networks?
macOS tracks known Wi-Fi networks and their priority in an airport preferences plist under SystemConfiguration.
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Your Mac's memory of every Wi-Fi network lives in a property list most users never open. Network names, security types, auto join flags, and ordering all sit in the airport preferences file.
The file explains phantom network behavior. A network that refuses to stay forgotten or joins in the wrong order is usually an entry here surviving in iCloud Keychain sync. Editing means plists and backups, but reading it clarifies what the Wi-Fi menu only hints at.
Where macOS stores this, by platform
/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.airport.preferences.plist
Known networks, priority order, and interface details live here. Back up before touching: deleting it forgets every network at once.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the Wi-Fi passwords then?
In your Keychain, not in this file. The plist stores network names, hardware details, and join priority. Passwords live as Keychain entries, which is why wiping the plist forgets networks but keeps no secrets exposed.
Can deleting this file fix broken Wi-Fi?
Back up the SystemConfiguration folder, delete the airport plist plus its siblings, and reboot. macOS rebuilds clean files and often drops stubborn connection behavior with them. Restore the backup if anything worsens.
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