Test another device on the same network first. If both fail, check the router and internet service. If only the phone fails, restart it and rejoin the network. Save a network-settings reset for last because it removes saved connection details.
Differential
Likely causes of “Apple MacBook Air Wi-Fi will not connect or keeps disconnecting”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The router or modem
What separates it Every device on the network has no internet
How to confirm Restart the modem, then the router, and wait for the lights to settle
- 2
A stale saved network
What separates it Only this Mac cannot connect, though the network works elsewhere
How to confirm Forget this network in Wi-Fi settings and join it again with the password
- 3
Interference or distance
What separates it Speed is fine near the router and poor in another room, or drops when a microwave runs
How to confirm Move closer, use the 5 GHz band, and avoid a crowded 2.4 GHz channel
- 4
A VPN, DNS or security app
What separates it Pages fail to load although the Wi-Fi bars are full
How to confirm Turn off the VPN or switch DNS to your router's default, then test again
- 5
A hardware or software fault in the Mac
What separates it Wi-Fi shows no networks at all, or the option is grayed out
How to confirm Restart in Safe Mode, update macOS and run Wireless Diagnostics
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Which Wi-Fi band and channel the router uses and whether it is Wi-Fi 6 or 6E
- Whether other devices work at the same moment
- Wireless Diagnostics results and the exact message
- Which Air it is, M2, M3 or M4
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedTest another device
ReversibleCheck a phone or laptop on the same network to see whether the Air alone is affected.
Toggle Wi-Fi and restart
ReversibleTurn Wi-Fi off and on in the menu bar, then restart the Air.
Forget and rejoin
ReversibleOpen System Settings, Wi-Fi, choose the network, Details, then Forget This Network and join again.
Check the band
ReversibleOn a dual-band router, try the 5 GHz name; on an M3 or M4 Air a 6 GHz Wi-Fi 6E name also appears if the router supports it.
Run Wireless Diagnostics
ReversibleHold Option, click the Wi-Fi icon and open Wireless Diagnostics for the report.
Update macOS
ReversibleInstall pending updates, which carry Wi-Fi driver fixes.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Apple MacBook Air (M2, M3 and M4) will not connect to Wi-Fi or keeps disconnecting
- A MacBook Air that joins Wi-Fi but cannot load pages, or keeps dropping the network, has one of three problems: the router, the Mac's saved network settings, or interference at the Air itself. Test another device on the same Wi-Fi. If it is fine, turn Wi-Fi off and on, then Forget this network and rejoin it. If that fails, run Wireless Diagnostics by holding Option and clicking the Wi-Fi icon, and check the router's band and channel. The M2 Air supports Wi-Fi 6, and the M3 and M4 Airs support Wi-Fi 6E, so a 6 GHz network is only visible on the newer two.
- Wi-Fi by generation
- Apple lists Wi-Fi 6 for the M2 Air and Wi-Fi 6E for the M3 and M4 Airs, with Bluetooth 5.0 on the M2 and 5.3 on the M3 and M4.
- Fanless design
- The Air has no fan, so a hot Air can slow wireless as well as everything else; check Activity Monitor if Wi-Fi is slow only under load.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the MacBook Air 13-inch (M3), MacBook Air 15-inch (M3).
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If Wi-Fi shows no networks after a restart, a Safe Mode start and an update, contact Apple
- !If every device fails, the fault is the router or the provider, not the Air
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Restart, DHCP lease, date and time, another network, VPN, router firmware, Wi-Fi Recommendations and Wireless Diagnostics.
Ports, MagSafe 3, Wi-Fi 6, one external display, four speakers, adapters and weight.
Wi-Fi 6E, one external display plus a second with the lid closed, adapters and weight.
Thunderbolt 4, two external displays, 12MP Center Stage camera, adapters and weight.
Fanless design, one and two external display limits by generation, SSD, memory and the M5 generation.
Exact questions
Common questions
Why does my MacBook Air not see a 6 GHz network?+
The M2 Air supports Wi-Fi 6 and cannot use the 6 GHz band, while the M3 and M4 Airs support Wi-Fi 6E and can, if the router is Wi-Fi 6E.
What does Wireless Diagnostics do?+
It watches the connection while you reproduce the fault and gives a report on signal, noise and the network, which helps decide between the Mac and the router.
Is a Wi-Fi problem after a macOS update likely to be fixed by a new update?+
Often yes, since updates include Wi-Fi fixes, so install the latest point release and test again.
Why does my Air connect but have no internet?+
The router may have lost its upstream link, or DNS or a VPN is blocking traffic. Test another device before changing settings on the Mac.
wifi: model differences
Also covered: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (2018 to 2020).