How to clear WiFi history

Question

I want to delete the WiFi network history on my device to enhance privacy and security. How can I do this on platforms like Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS?

A clear guide for each operating system would be very useful.

Answer 1

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to clear WiFi history on various platforms to enhance your privacy and security:

Windows

For Windows 10 and Windows 11

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator:

• Press Windows Key + X and select "Windows Terminal (Admin)" or "Command Prompt (Admin)".
• Alternatively, right-click on the Start button and select "Windows Terminal (Admin)" or "Command Prompt (Admin)".

2. Clear WiFi History:

Type the following command and press Enter:

netsh wlan delete profiles key=clear

This command will clear all WiFi network profiles. If you want to delete a specific network, first, list all networks with netsh wlan show profiles, then delete a specific one with netsh wlan delete profile name="YourNetworkName".

3. Confirm:

You'll see a confirmation message for each network deleted.

Additional Step for Complete History Purge

1. Open Registry Editor (with caution)

• Press Windows Key + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
• Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList.
• Backup this key before making any changes (right-click on NetworkList, select Export).
• Under Profiles, you'll see various subkeys. Delete the subkeys you wish to remove from your WiFi history. Be cautious with edits here.

macOS

Clearing WiFi Network History on macOS

1. Forget Networks via WiFi Preferences:

• Click on the Apple menu, select System Preferences, then click on Network.
• Select Wi-Fi from the left sidebar.
• Click Advanced.
• Go to the Wi-Fi tab.
• Select the network you want to forget from the list, then click the minus (-) button at the bottom.
• Click Remove to confirm. Repeat for all networks you wish to forget.

Clearing All WiFi History (including system logs)

1. Using Terminal (for advanced users):

• Open Terminal.
• Type the following command to delete all WiFi preferences (this will reset all WiFi settings):
• sudo rm -rf /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/
• Enter your admin password when prompted.

Android

Clearing WiFi Network History on Android

1. Via Settings App:

• Open Settings.
• Go to Connections or Wireless & networks (depending on your device).
• Select Wi-Fi.
• Tap the three vertical dots or the gear icon (depending on your Android version) to open Wi-Fi settings or Advanced.
• Look for Saved networks or Manage wireless networks and tap on it.
• Select the network you want to forget, then tap Forget or Forget Network.

Clearing All WiFi History

2. The above method is the standard way to clear WiFi history. However, for a deeper cleanse, you can:

• Go to Settings > Storage > Internal Storage > Android > data.
• Look for the wifi or wpa_supplicant folder under an app's data directory (if directly accessible on your device) and clear the data.

iOS (iPhone/iPad)

Clearing WiFi Network History on iOS

1. Forget a Network:

• Open Settings.
• Tap on Wi-Fi.
• Find the network you want to forget under "My Networks" and tap the "i" icon next to it.
• Tap Forget This Network, then confirm.

Clearing All WiFi History

1. Reset Network Settings:

• Open Settings.
• Tap General.
• Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone/iPad.
• Tap Reset.
• Select Reset network settings.
• Enter your passcode if prompted.
• Confirm the action.