A command-line tool for managing Wi-Fi on macOS, written in Swift using the CoreWLAN framework.
It doesn't use a deprecated airport tool under the hood. So works on recent macOS versions.
This tool provides WiFi management capabilities:
- 📡 Scan for wireless networks with detailed information
- 🔌 Connect/Disconnect from networks
- 🔐 Password retrieval from keychain
- ⚡ Power control (on/off)
- 🔧 MAC address display
It uses native macOS frameworks instead of command-line utilities, so no external dependencies required.
Installation simply copies the script into a directory on your PATH.
I intentionally do not build or ship a binary to avoid macOS Location Services permission prompts and code-signing/notarization hassles. The tool runs directly with the Swift interpreter instead.
brew install rgeraskin/homebrew/wifi-cli# Install to /usr/local/bin (default PREFIX)
make install
# Or specify a custom installation path
PREFIX=~/.local make installwifi-cli v0.1.0 - A command-line tool for managing Wi-Fi in macOS
Usage: wifi-cli [-h] [-v] [-q] [--json] [-i INTERFACE] COMMAND [OPTIONS]
Commands:
scan Scan for wireless networks
interfaces List available Wi-Fi interfaces
mac Show Wi-Fi device hardware (MAC) address
join SSID [PASSWORD] Join a wireless network (use empty string "" for open networks)
disconnect Disconnect from current network
showpass SSID Show password for network (requires keychain access)
power status Show Wi-Fi power status
power on Turn Wi-Fi power on
power off Turn Wi-Fi power off
Options:
-h, --help Show this help message
-v, --version Show version
-q, --quiet Quiet mode (minimal output)
--json Output JSON (scan and interfaces commands only)
-i, --interface Specify Wi-Fi interface (default: first available)
Notes:
- The --json and --quiet flags cannot be used together
- When joining an open network, provide an empty string "" as the password
- Quiet scan prints unique SSIDs (deduplicated) sorted alphabetically
- When password is omitted for a secured network, Keychain will be tried
$ wifi-cli scan
Scanning on interface: en0
Please wait...
Found 15 networks:
SSID Signal(dBm) Channel Security
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MyNetwork -45 6 WPA2
CoffeeShop-Guest -67 11 Open
Neighbor-5G -72 36 WPA3
...$ wifi-cli --json scan
[
{"ssid":"MyNetwork","rssi":-45,"channel":6,"security":"WPA2"},
{"ssid":"Neighbor-5G","rssi":-72,"channel":36,"security":"WPA3"}
]$ wifi-cli interfaces
Available Wi-Fi interfaces:
en0 - power: on (current)
en1 - power: off
# JSON output
$ wifi-cli --json interfaces
[
{"name":"en0","powerOn":true},
{"name":"en1","powerOn":false}
]# Join a protected network
$ wifi-cli join "MyNetwork" "password123"
Scanning for network 'MyNetwork'...
Found network, attempting to join...
Successfully joined 'MyNetwork'
# Join an open network (use empty string "" for password)
$ wifi-cli join "OpenNetwork" ""
Scanning for network 'OpenNetwork'...
Found network, attempting to join...
Successfully joined 'OpenNetwork'
# Join a protected network using stored Keychain password (omit password)
$ wifi-cli join "MyNetwork"
Scanning for network 'MyNetwork'...
Found network, attempting to join...
Successfully joined 'MyNetwork'$ wifi-cli disconnect
Disconnected from network$ wifi-cli showpass "MyNetwork"
Retrieving password for 'MyNetwork' from keychain...
Password: password123
### Quiet Scan Output
```bash
$ wifi-cli -q scan
CoffeeShop-Guest
MyNetwork
Neighbor-5G# Check power status
$ wifi-cli power status
Wi-Fi device en0 is currently powered on
# Turn WiFi off
$ wifi-cli power off
Wi-Fi device en0 powered off
# Turn WiFi on
$ wifi-cli power on
Wi-Fi device en0 powered on$ wifi-cli mac
Wi-Fi MAC Address (en0): aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff- Swift (I use Swift 6.2, maybe it works with older versions)
To get the swift command on macOS:
- Install Xcode from the App Store (includes Swift), or
- Install the Command Line Tools:
xcode-select --installVerify installation:
swift --versionThis tool is built using:
- Swift for modern, safe, and performant code
- CoreWLAN framework for WiFi management
- Security framework for keychain access
Inspired by tuladhar/macOS-wifi-cli.
make testMIT License
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues or pull requests.