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Wi‑Fi slow on your Mac but fast on your phone?

Updated October 23, 2026

Short answer

Start by measuring your speed on both devices. On the Mac, try the 5 GHz network, move closer to the router, turn off your VPN and iCloud Private Relay, forget and rejoin the network, and run Wireless Diagnostics (Option-click the Wi‑Fi icon).

First, measure

Run a speed test on the Mac and on the phone, in the same spot. Byter’s one-click test or networkQuality in Terminal both work. See how to test your speed on a Mac.

10 fixes to try

  1. Join the 5 GHz network if your router has one. It’s usually faster at short range.
  2. Move closer to the router, or away from walls and microwaves.
  3. Turn off your VPN and test again.
  4. Turn off iCloud Private Relay (System Settings → your name → iCloud) or Limit IP address tracking (Wi‑Fi → Details) to test.
  5. Check Low Data Mode: if it’s on, some apps deliberately go slower.
  6. Forget the network and rejoin: Wi‑Fi → Details → Forget This Network.
  7. Restart the router and your Mac.
  8. Look for downloads: an update or iCloud sync can eat your bandwidth. Check Activity Monitor → Network.
  9. Run Wireless Diagnostics: hold Option, click the Wi‑Fi icon in the menu bar and choose Open Wireless Diagnostics.
  10. Update macOS (on unlimited Wi‑Fi), as Wi‑Fi fixes often come in updates.

Keep an eye on it

Byter shows your live speed in the menu bar and notifies you when your network is slow and when it recovers, so you can see exactly when and where problems happen.

Questions

Why is my MacBook Wi‑Fi slower than my phone?

Common causes are the 2.4 GHz band, distance, a VPN or Private Relay, background downloads, or a stuck connection. Try the fixes above in order.

How do I run Wi‑Fi diagnostics on a Mac?

Hold Option, click the Wi‑Fi icon in the menu bar and choose Open Wireless Diagnostics.

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