Where Are Preferred Wi-Fi Networks Stored on Mac?
macOS airport preferences plist with known networks and passwords in the keychain.
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macOS remembers preferred Wi-Fi networks in the airport preferences plist with join order and security types, while actual passwords live in the login keychain as AirPort entries. Deleting a network forgets both halves.
Copying the plist between Macs migrates the network list without passwords. Export keychain items separately for the full move.
Where macOS stores this, by platform
/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.airport.preferences.plist
Lists preferred networks in join order with security settings. Passwords sit in the login keychain as AirPort network password items, not in this file. Forget networks in System Settings rather than hand-editing; back up the plist before experiments.
Frequently asked questions
How do I back up Mac Wi-Fi passwords?
Export the AirPort entries from Keychain Access plus the plist above for the network list. The plist alone restores names without credentials.
Why does my Mac join the wrong network?
Join order follows the preferred list in the file above. Drag networks into priority order in Wi-Fi settings to fix it.
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