My mac refuses to connect to personal hotspot - sometimes!!
How can I get my desktop to forget 25 nearby networks and actually connect to mine??
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raina_b22
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Community Specialist
Hello perry2305,
I understand you want your Mac to forget nearby Wi-Fi networks and connect to yours. I'm happy to help you out with this.
Your Mac will automatically show all networks nearby that it's picking up a signal from. However, you can adjust some settings so that it's automatically connecting to networks you prefer. Connect to your Hotspot and go into System Preferences > Network. Select your connection from the list on the left. You should see your network name listed. Underneath that make sure that "Automatically join this network" is selected. If you select the Advanced tab, you can view all of your preferred Wi-Fi networks. Make sure your hotspot connection is on that list and near the top. If you see any networks in the list you don't want your Mac to connect to, select them and then click on the minus sign.
Are you using Personal Hotspot with an iPhone? If so, and you're ever not able to connect on your Mac, you may find the steps in If Personal Hotspot is not working on your iPhone or iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular) helpful. You can find steps on how to troubleshoot issues with your Mac not being able to connect to Wi-Fi here: If your Mac doesn't connect to the Internet over Wi-Fi.
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
Take care.