To fix a printer that is offline, turn it on, reconnect its USB cable or put it on the same Wi-Fi network as your device, then choose it in the print window. If it still will not print, clear the print queue and follow the repair steps for your device below.
The short version
- Check power, paper, ink or toner, and any error on the printer first.
- Reconnect the cable or confirm that the printer and your device share the same Wi-Fi network.
- Choose the correct printer before clearing jobs or changing its setup.
- On Windows, clear the queue and restart Print Spooler; on Mac, resume or delete blocked jobs.
- Use the tool for your printer model if connection problems return.
| Fix | What it does | Time | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power and connection checks | Restores the basic connection | A few minutes | The printer is asleep or disconnected |
| Choose the printer | Sends the job to the right device | Under a minute | The destination is wrong |
| Windows queue and repair | Clears jobs and repairs setup | 5 to 10 minutes | Windows still cannot print |
| Mac queue and repair | Resumes jobs or rebuilds setup | 5 to 10 minutes | Mac printing is blocked |
| Phone and tablet printing | Checks discovery and print services | A few minutes | A mobile device cannot find the printer |
| Chromebook setup | Saves or corrects the printer | A few minutes | ChromeOS cannot print |
| Printer maker tools | Checks the model's connection | 5 to 10 minutes to run checks | Basic fixes have failed |
| Managed printer help | Gets administrator assistance | A few minutes to report | A work or school printer is unavailable |
Check power and the printer connection
Wake the printer and read its display or status lights. Clear a paper jam, reload paper, or deal with an ink or toner error before changing anything on your computer. Use the instructions for your model if the error needs more than replacing supplies.
For a power restart, turn the printer off and unplug it. Wait 30 seconds, plug it back in, and turn it on again. If wireless printing still fails, restart the computer or phone and your router, let the connection return, then try printing again.
For USB printing, connect the cable directly to the computer rather than through a hub. For Ethernet, check the cable between the printer and router. For Wi-Fi, check that wireless is enabled on the printer and that your device uses the same network name, also called the SSID.
If you changed your router or Wi-Fi settings, reconnect the printer to that network using its model's setup instructions. A printer configured for the old network needs its connection updated before the queue fixes below can help. Our steps for setting up a printer on Windows or Mac cover adding it after the connection is ready.
Choose the correct printer
Open the app's print window and check the selected printer before sending the document. In Chrome, press Ctrl + P on Windows or Command + P on Mac. Choose your printer as the destination, then select Print.
To keep that printer selected on Windows 11, open Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. Turn off Let Windows manage my default printer, select your printer, and choose Set as default. On Windows 10, use Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners, turn off the same option, then select the printer, Manage, and Set as default.
Clear the Windows queue and repair printing
Cancel blocked jobs first
On Windows 11, select Start and open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. Select your printer and choose Open print queue. Right-click each unwanted or stuck job and select Cancel.
On Windows 10, open Start > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners, select the printer, then choose Open queue. In its Printer menu, clear Pause Printing and Use Printer Offline if either is selected. Cancel stuck jobs before sending the document again.
If jobs remain blocked, search Windows for Services and open it. Right-click Print Spooler and choose Restart. This restarts the service that manages print jobs; it can help when the printer connection is working but printing remains unresponsive.
Clear files only if cancellation fails
In Services, right-click Print Spooler and select Stop. Open File Explorer and enter C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS in the address bar. Delete the files inside that folder, then return to Services and select Start for Print Spooler.
Use this file-clearing step only when canceling jobs does not empty the queue. It clears the pending print files, so send the documents you still need again afterward. For the full sequence, follow our steps to clear a printer queue on Windows.
Run repair before adding the printer again
Open Get Help and enter printer troubleshooter in its search bar. Follow the prompts to scan for printers and troubleshoot the configuration. You can use Microsoft's printer troubleshooter instructions if you need help starting the scan.
If repair does not help, return to Printers & scanners, select your printer, and choose Remove, then Yes on Windows 11. On Windows 10, select the printer and choose Remove device, then Yes. Keep the printer powered on and connected while adding it again.
On Windows 11, select Add device and choose the printer when it appears. On Windows 10, choose Add a printer or scanner, select the printer, then Add device. On Windows on Arm, use Windows' built-in printer installation unless your printer maker gives different instructions for your model.
Resume printing or rebuild the Mac queue
Resume or delete jobs
On macOS Sonoma 14 or later, click Print Center in the Dock to inspect the queue. If the printer is paused, click Resume. Select a job that is blocking the queue and click Delete Job, or select a paused job and click Resume Job.
On macOS Monterey 12, click the printer's icon in the Dock, or open Apple menu > System Preferences > Printers & Scanners, select the printer, and click Open Print Queue. Use Resume for a paused printer, Delete Job for a blocked job, or Resume Job for a paused job.
If the document is missing from that queue, check which printer you selected and print again to the intended device. Try another app, such as TextEdit, if only one app fails. That check helps you decide whether to troubleshoot the app or continue repairing the printer setup.
Add a fresh queue before resetting
Open the Apple menu, choose System Settings > Printers & Scanners, and click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax to create a fresh queue. Select the printer in the list and click Add. Give the network printer a minute or two to appear. If the new queue prints, delete the old queue rather than removing the working entry.
On macOS Monterey 12, open the Apple menu and use System Preferences > Printers & Scanners instead. Click the Add button at the bottom of the printer list, select your printer, and click Add. For a reset on that version, hold Control while clicking the printer list on the left, then choose Reset printing system.
Save a full reset for when the earlier fixes fail. In Printers & Scanners in System Settings, hold Control while clicking anywhere in the printer list and choose Reset Printing System. This deletes all saved printers, completed jobs, and printer presets, so you must add your printers again afterward.
If the printer needs Wi-Fi setup, check its setup assistant or supported WPS instructions. Some models create a temporary Wi-Fi network: install the printer's Mac setup software, enable that network, select it from the Mac's Wi-Fi menu, and complete the assistant. Switch back to your regular network afterward; Apple's AirPrint network setup steps explain the supported connection options.
Reconnect printing on a phone or tablet
Check AirPrint and app access
On iPhone or iPad, confirm that the printer supports AirPrint and shares your Wi-Fi network. Open the document's app, tap Share or Actions, then Print. Tap No Printer Selected, choose the printer, and tap Print in the upper-right corner.
If a compatible HP printer is missing, open its Embedded Web Server using its IP address and check that AirPrint is On in Network settings. For other models, follow the maker's AirPrint enablement instructions. AirPrint support alone does not confirm that the feature is enabled.
If you cannot find Print, check the app's help because not every app supports printing. For a printer companion app that needs network access, open Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network and enable the app. This permission controls the app's own access; Apple's system AirPrint service can still work without granting it.
Enable Android printing or use Wi-Fi Direct
On Android, open Settings > Connected devices > Connection preferences > Printing, select a print service, and turn it on. Some of these steps require Android 9 or later. If your phone uses different labels, check its maker's printing instructions rather than assuming every Android phone has the same menu.
Return to the document's app and look for Print under Menu or More. Select your printer, adjust the print settings if needed, then tap the Print icon. If no suitable service is available, use Add service in the printing settings and follow the setup prompts. Choose a service that supports your printer rather than installing an unrelated printer utility.
If your printer and print service support Wi-Fi Direct, enable it on the printer and choose its direct-print entry. Approve any connection prompts on the phone or printer, and keep the connection active until printing finishes. Mopria Print Service supports this route on compatible printers, including supported HP models.
Check the saved printer on a Chromebook
Connect the Chromebook and printer to the same Wi-Fi network. Select the time at the bottom right, then open Settings > Device > Printers and scanners > Print. Under Other available printers, select Save beside your compatible printer and check that it appears under Your saved printers.
If a saved printer will not print, select More > Edit beside its name and check the information for mistakes. If the details are correct, use More > Remove, then save or set up the printer again. For a printer that does not appear automatically, choose + Add printer manually and enter its name, IP address, protocol, and queue from the printer's instructions, then select Add.
A USB connection is another supported option: connect the printer and follow the on-screen notification. Chromebook does not support Bluetooth printing. If a work or school Chromebook prevents you from adding the printer, ask your administrator to help.
Use the repair tool for your printer model
Use the utility offered for your exact printer model and operating system. A button sequence for one printer may not exist on another, so check the model's support page before changing network settings. These options give you a next step when ordinary connection and queue checks fail.
HP
For HP, open the HP app on Windows or Mac, select your supported printer, and choose Diagnose & Fix. Click Start, leave the app open during the analysis, and follow the results. HP Print and Scan Doctor is retired; use the replacement tool.
Canon
For supported Canon models on Windows, open Wi-Fi Connection Assistant, review its message, and select Yes. Choose Diagnose and Repair, then follow the on-screen instructions. Check compatibility first because some Canon models do not support this function. For Wi-Fi setup on supported models, use Canon PRINT with the printer's Easy wireless connect instructions.
Epson
For Epson models that offer it, search Windows 11 for Epson Printer Connection Checker and follow its prompts. On Windows 10, open it from Epson Software in Start. Follow the on-screen connection checks before replacing software.
On Windows 8.x, open Epson Printer Connection Checker from the Apps screen. On Windows 7, use Start > All Programs > Epson Software > Epson Printer Connection Checker. If the software needs replacing, follow the steps to download and update Epson printer drivers; use Epson Software Updater for supported firmware updates.
Brother
For Brother, follow the recovery controls documented for your model. On the MFC-J5340DW, use Wireless Status > Recover WLAN > OK. If Recover WLAN does not appear, check Brother's firmware update instructions for this model.
On the DCP-T436W, press Wi-Fi and Color Copy together, then try printing when the Wi-Fi light stays lit. A network configuration or WLAN report can show the IP address or connection error for further checks.
Ask IT about a managed printer
If a work or school printer is unavailable, ask the person who manages it to check its connection and access. Tell them which printer you selected and what error appears. For a printer shared from another Mac, that Mac must be awake and printer sharing must be enabled.
Skip instructions that rely on Google Cloud Print. It has been unsupported since January 2021, so it cannot restore printing. Use the supported printing options on your device or the setup your organization provides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my printer offline even though it is connected to Wi-Fi?
A Wi-Fi connection alone does not confirm that the printer and your device share the same network or that the queue is working. Check the network name and selected printer, then clear blocked jobs using the steps for your device.
Should I remove and reinstall my printer?
Try that after checking power, the connection, and the queue. Adding the printer again is a documented repair step on Windows, Mac, and Chromebook, but a Mac printing-system reset should be saved for when the earlier fixes fail.
Why does my printer go offline after changing routers?
It may still be configured for the previous wireless network. Reconnect it using your model's setup instructions, then confirm that your computer or phone is on the same network before trying another print job.
Can a stuck print job make the printer show offline?
A stuck job can block new documents, and a spooler problem can leave the printer unresponsive. Clear the Windows queue and restart Print Spooler, or use the Mac queue controls above to delete a blocked job or resume printing.
Where is Use Printer Offline on Windows?
On Windows 10, open the printer's Open queue window and check the Printer menu. Clear Use Printer Offline if selected; on Windows 11, start with the current queue controls and Get Help repair steps above.
Will resetting the Mac printing system delete my printers?
Yes, it removes all saved printers, completed print jobs, and printer presets. You must add your printers again afterward, so try resuming jobs and creating a fresh queue before using the reset.