Leaves a weak network by itself
When your signal falls below your threshold, Better Wi-Fi looks for a network this Mac has joined before that is clearly stronger, and switches to it. You stop noticing dead spots instead of fighting them.
Better Wi-Fi · Part of Recento Pro
Auto switch to stronger Wi-Fi on your Mac
Better Wi-Fi moves your Mac off a weak or dead network and onto a stronger one you already use. Free in Recento Pro.
macOS 14 or later · Apple Silicon & Intel
A Mac holds on to the Wi-Fi network it joined first. Walk from the living room to the office and it can stay on the faint router two rooms away while a strong one sits right next to you. Worse, a router can show full bars while its internet connection is down, and the Mac happily stays put. What you want is for your Mac to auto switch to stronger Wi-Fi by itself.
Better Wi-Fi lets your Mac auto switch to stronger Wi-Fi. When the signal drops below a level you choose, it checks the networks this Mac already knows, and if one is clearly stronger it offers to move you there, or does it straight away and tells you with a notification that quotes the signal numbers. It can also leave a network that has stopped reaching the internet. Better Wi-Fi is one of the tools in Recento Utilities, part of Recento Pro.
What Better Wi-Fi does
Only networks you already trust
It only ever joins networks saved on this Mac, using the passwords macOS already keeps in its own keychain. Recento never sees or stores a Wi-Fi password.
Leaves networks with no internet
A router with full bars and a dead connection looks perfect to a signal check. With this switch on, Better Wi-Fi notices when a network stops carrying traffic and moves you to another known network, even if its signal is weaker.
No flip-flopping between routers
You decide how much stronger a network must be before a switch (10, 15 or 20 dB), and a five-minute cooldown follows every switch. Two networks of similar strength will not bounce you back and forth.
Ask first or switch straight away
By default Recento suggests the switch and you say yes. Turn on Switch without asking and it moves you right away, then tells you with a notification naming both networks and their signal levels.
See every nearby network
Nearby Networks lists what is in range with its signal strength in dBm and whether this Mac knows it. Switch History records the changes Recento made, the ones it suggested, and the ones you made yourself.
A charging reminder at home or at the office
Save your home or office Wi-Fi as a place. If your MacBook has been on battery there for a few minutes, Recento suggests plugging in the charger, at most once a day per place.
How it works
- 1Download Recento Pro and open Recento Utilities from the Hub, the app grid.
- 2Choose Better Wi-Fi in the sidebar.
- 3Allow Location Services for Recento Pro when asked. macOS hides Wi-Fi network names without it.
- 4Turn on Automatic switching and pick your weak signal threshold and required improvement.
- 5Optional: save your current network as Home or Office for the charging reminder.
- 6Carry on working. Better Wi-Fi checks the signal and steps in only when it needs to.
Who it's for
- People in large homes: with a main router and an extender, the Mac uses whichever is stronger where you are sitting.
- Office workers: move between floors and meeting rooms without dropping to one bar.
- Remote workers on unreliable connections: leave a network the moment its internet goes down.
- Students and library users: hop to the stronger of the known campus networks.
- MacBook owners who forget to charge: a nudge to plug in when you are at home or at your desk.
Free and paid
| Feature | Free version | Recento Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-switch & charging reminder | Included | Included |
Recento Pro costs $9.99 a month after a 2 day free trial (cancel any time) or $99 one time. Better Wi-Fi is free either way.
Plans, trial and refund terms are on the Recento Pro pricing section.
Privacy and permissions
- Location Services: macOS only reveals Wi-Fi network names to apps that are allowed Location Services. Recento uses this only to read nearby network names. It never collects or stores your location.
- Notifications (optional): used to tell you when Recento switched networks and for the charging reminder. Without them both stay silent.
- Passwords: Wi-Fi passwords stay in the macOS keychain. Recento never reads or stores them, and macOS may ask for a network's password itself the first time.
- What is stored: your settings, the networks you saved as Home or Office, and your switch history stay on your Mac.
Requirements
- macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
- Any Mac with Wi-Fi: Apple silicon or Intel.
- Location Services allowed for Recento Pro.
- At least one other Wi-Fi network this Mac has joined before, in range.
- The charging reminder needs a Mac with a battery.
Questions
Why does my Mac stay on a weak Wi-Fi network?
macOS tends to keep the network it is already on, even when a stronger one you have used before is nearby. Better Wi-Fi watches the signal and moves you to the stronger known network when yours drops below the level you set.
Will it join networks I have never used?
No. Better Wi-Fi only switches to networks saved on this Mac, the ones you have joined before. Networks you have never joined are listed as Not known and are never chosen.
Why does Better Wi-Fi need Location Services?
macOS hides Wi-Fi network names from apps that are not allowed Location Services. Recento needs the names to tell networks apart. It does not collect or store your location.
Can it leave a Wi-Fi network that has no internet?
Yes. With Leave networks with no internet on (the default), Recento notices when a network stops reaching the internet and moves you to another known network, even one with a weaker signal.
Will it keep switching back and forth?
No. A switch needs a clear improvement in signal, 15 dB by default, and every switch is followed by a five-minute cooldown.
Does it ask before switching?
By default it suggests the switch and waits for you. Turn on Switch without asking to have it switch straight away, though macOS may still ask for a network's password the first time.
How does the charging reminder work?
Save your home or office network as a place. When your Mac has been on battery on that network for a few minutes, you get a notification suggesting the charger, at most once a day per place. A network with the same name somewhere else counts as the same place.
Is Better Wi-Fi free?
Yes. Automatic switching and the charging reminder are both included in the free version of Recento Pro.
Stop working on one bar of Wi-Fi
Download Recento Pro and let your Mac find the stronger network.
