Why Your Printer Is Offline (and How to Fix It)

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Fix printer offline issues for HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, and more

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IN THIS ARTICLE

1 Unplug and restart your printer.

2 Restart your computer and router.

3 Check your cable connection.

4 Make sure your printer is on the right Wi-Fi network.

5 See if your printer is in offline mode (Windows).

6 Check your default printer settings.

7 Update your printer software.

8 Check for driver updates.

9 Run the printer troubleshooter (Windows).

10 Run diagnostics in the printer app.

11 Clear pending print jobs.

12 Reset the spooler service (Windows).

13 Reset your printing system (Mac).

14 Remove and reinstall your printer.

15 Install your printer manually in Windows.

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Written by Stan Kats | Edited by Megaera Lorenz, PhD

Last Updated: September 2, 2026 Fact Checked

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Does your computer show your printer as “offline” even though it’s turned on and connected? Luckily, this issue is usually easy to fix. Common causes range from minor software glitches and problems with your settings to physical or wireless connection issues. In this article, we’ll explain why your printer might be offline and how to fix it.

Why Your Printer is Offline

If your printer shows as "offline," it might be connected to the wrong Wi-Fi network, or the cable connection might not be secure. Reboot your printer, computer, and router to clear glitches. Clear the queue to remove backlogged print jobs. If all else fails, uninstall and reinstall the printer.

Steps

1

Unplug and restart your printer.

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1. 
   A temporary glitch could lead to your printer appearing offline. Before trying more advanced troubleshooting steps, power off your printer and completely unplug it from its power source (and your computer, if there’s a wired connection). Wait at least 30 seconds, then plug your printer back in and turn it on.
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2

Restart your computer and router.

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1. 
   A glitch in any of these devices could cause printer connection issues. Reboot your computer to resolve any temporary errors that might be interfering with the printer. If your printer is connected over Wi-Fi, it might also help to restart the router.

   • To restart your router, simply unplug it, wait about 2 minutes, and plug it back in. It might take a few minutes for your network to come back online.

3

Check your cable connection.

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1. 
   A loose cable can cause your printer to appear offline. Make sure the USB cable connecting your computer to your printer is plugged all the way in. Check for signs of damage to the cord. You can also try a different cable.
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4

Make sure your printer is on the right Wi-Fi network.

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1. 
   Your printer will appear as offline if your device is connected to a different network. If you use a Wi-Fi printer, check the display panel on your printer to see what network it’s currently connected to. Consult your user’s manual if you’re not sure how to do this. To check the network connection on your computer:

   • Windows: Click the Wi-Fi icon in the taskbar at the bottom of the screen, then view which network you’re connected to in the pop-up.
   • Mac: Click the Wi-Fi network in the toolbar at the top of your screen. In the drop-down, view the current network you’re connected to under Known Networks.

5

See if your printer is in offline mode (Windows).

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1. 
   This setting in Windows can cause offline errors. Here’s how to check if your printer is set to offline mode (and fix it, if so):

   • Click the Start menu and search for control panel. Click on Control Panel in the results.
   • Open Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers.
   • Select Printers and Scanners.
   • Select your printer from the list.
   • Scroll down and click More devices and printers settings.
     • If you’re in Windows 10 or earlier, you might automatically jump right to this menu after opening Devices and Printers.
   • Right-click your printer under the Printers header and select See what’s printing.
   • In the window that pops up, click Printer.
   • If Use Printer Offline is checked in the drop-down, click it to uncheck it.
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6

Check your default printer settings.

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1. 
   You might get offline errors if your computer sends jobs to the wrong printer. Make sure the printer you’re actually trying to print from is set as the default. Here’s how to do it:

   • Windows:
     • Open the Start menu and select Settings > Bluetooth & devices (or Devices in Windows 10) > Printers & scanners.
     • Make sure “Let Windows manage my default printer” is turned off under Printer preferences.
     • Find the printer you want to use as your default printer and click Set as default next to its name. If you’re using Windows 10, click Manage > Set as default.
   • Mac:
     • Click the
       
       Apple menu in the top left corner of your screen and select System Settings > Printers & Scanners. You’ll need to scroll down in the left menu pane to find it.
     • In the right menu pane, click the pop-up next to “Default printer” and select the name of your printer from the list.
     • You can also Ctrl-click or right-click a printer in your list of available printers and select Set Default Printer from the pop-up.

7

Update your printer software.

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1. 
   If your printer came with its own software, it may need an update. Many printers have their own software that you can use to manage print jobs, troubleshoot problems, and more. If your printer came with its own app, check the manufacturer’s website to see if a more recent version is available.

   • Most printers that are compatible with macOS will install using your Mac’s built-in AirPrint software. However, in some cases, you can opt to connect the printer to your Mac using the printer manufacturer’s software instead. Make sure you have the latest software installed, then do the following:
     • Go to
       
       Apple menu > System Settings > Printers & Scanners.
     • Ctrl-click or right-click the printer and select Remove Printer > Remove Printer.
     • Click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax.
     • Select your printer and click the Use pop-up, then click Select Software. Select the printer software you installed on your computer.
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8

Check for driver updates.

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1. 
   An outdated printer driver can cause problems. If you’re using a Mac, drivers for your printer and other devices should be updated automatically whenever you update your operating system. However, on Windows, you may need to update drivers separately. To update your printer’s driver:

   • Right-click the Start menu and select Device Manager.
   • Expand the Printers category.
   • Right-click your printer and select Update driver.
   • Select Search automatically for updated driver software. If a driver update is available, follow the prompts to install it.
   • If Windows doesn’t find a new driver, or if the update doesn’t fix the problem, go to the printer manufacturer’s website and see if a new driver is available for download there. Go back to Device Manager > Printers > your printer > Update driver and select Browse my computer for drivers. Select the driver you downloaded and click OK > Next.

9

Run the printer troubleshooter (Windows).

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1. 
   The troubleshooter can help identify and fix problems with your printer. If you’re using Windows 11, you can run the printer troubleshooter from the Get Help app. Open the Start menu and search for get help, then click Get Help in the results. Search for printer troubleshooter and launch the printer troubleshooter from the results. Follow the prompts onscreen.

   • In Windows 10, open the Start menu and search for troubleshoot. Select Troubleshoot settings > Additional troubleshooters > Printer > Run the troubleshooter.
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10

Run diagnostics in the printer app.

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1. 
   Your printer software may have its own troubleshooting utility. If your printer came with its own app, open it and check for some kind of “Diagnostics” or “Troubleshooting” tool. The options will vary depending on your brand and model of printer.

   • For example, if you have an HP printer, open the HP app and click Diagnose & Fix (or Printers > Diagnose & Fix on Mac). Click Start and follow the prompts to identify and fix potential problems.

11

Clear pending print jobs.

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1. 
   A pileup of stalled print jobs can cause offline printer errors in Windows or macOS. To clear out your printer queue:

   • Windows:
     • Open the Start menu and select Settings > Bluetooth & devices (or Devices in Windows 10) > Printers & scanners.
     • Select your printer and click Open print queue (or just Open queue in Windows 10).
     • Click … > Cancel all to delete any pending jobs in the queue. If you’re using Windows 10, select any documents under Document Name and select Document > Cancel.
   • Mac:
     • Open Finder and go to Applications > Utilities > Print Center.
     • Select any pending print jobs you see in the queue and click the x icon to delete them.
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12

Reset the spooler service (Windows).

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1. 
   This service manages your printing queue in Windows. If there’s a problem with it, your printer might appear to be offline. To reset it:

   • Search for services in the Start menu or taskbar and select Services.
   • Scroll through the list of services until you find Print Spooler. Right-click it and select Restart.

13

Reset your printing system (Mac).

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1. 
   This will completely remove all printers and printer presets from your system. It might also resolve whatever glitch is causing your printer to appear offline. To reset your Mac’s printing system:

   • Click the
     
     Apple menu and select System Settings > Printers & Scanners.
   • Right-click or Ctrl-click your printer in the list of printers and scanners. If you don’t see any printers, just right-click or Ctrl-click the empty space under the Printers header.
   • Select Reset Printing System.
   • Add your printer again by clicking the Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax button and following the prompts onscreen. You can find more detailed instructions for adding a printer in this guide from Apple.
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14

Remove and reinstall your printer.

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1. 
   This may help resolve problems with your printer settings. To remove your printer and reinstall it:

   • Windows:
     • Click the Start menu and select Settings > Bluetooth & devices (or Devices in Windows 10) > Printers & scanners.
     • Click your printer and select Remove (or Remove device in Windows 10) > Yes.
     • In the same menu, select Add a printer or scanner > Add device. Follow the prompts to re-add your printer.
   • Mac:
     • Go to
       
       Apple menu > System Settings > Printers & Scanners.
     • Right-click or Ctrl-click your printer and select Remove Printer > Remove Printer.
     • Re-add the printer by clicking Add Printer, Scanner or Fax and selecting your printer from the menu. Follow the on-screen prompts to reinstall it.

15

Install your printer manually in Windows.

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1. 
   There’s a known issue with Windows installing printers on ARM PCs. In some situations, Windows may have trouble correctly installing your printer using the manufacturer’s software. This is especially a problem with ARM PCs, such as Copilot+ PCs. You can check if your computer is an ARM PC by opening the Start menu and going to Settings > System > About. Check under Device specifications to see if your device has “ARM based processor” listed next to System type. If so, you’ll need to install your printer using Windows rather than the manufacturer’s installer:

   • Open the Start menu and go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices (or Devices in Windows 10) > Printers & scanners.
   • Select Add a printer & scanner > Add device (or just Add a printer or scanner in Windows 10).
   • If you see your printer, select it and click Add device.
   • If you don’t see your printer, or if adding it automatically isn’t working, you may need to add it manually using the printer’s IP address. Users in this Reddit post report success using this method when their printer continually gives “offline” errors:
     • Select Add a new device manually next to The printer that I want isn’t listed (or just click The printer that I want isn’t listed in Windows 10).
     • Select the option to add a printer using the TCP/IP address or hostname.
     • Select TCP/IP Device in the Device type drop-down.
     • Enter your printer’s IP address or hostname. You should be able to find it in the menu on your printer’s display screen. Check the manual for more information.
     • Click Next and follow the prompts to finish setting up your printer.
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