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Mac says the printer is not connected

Your Mac shows "The printer is not connected" when it can't reach the printer over USB or the network. Check power and the address, then re-add it.

Updated

What this error means

macOS shows "The printer is not connected" in the print queue when it tries to send a job and gets no answer from the printer. For a USB printer it usually means the Mac can't see the printer on the cable at all. For a Wi-Fi or Ethernet printer it means the address macOS has saved isn't responding. The job stays in the queue, and it may print by itself once the connection returns; if not, you can resume it after fixing the cause.

Common causes

  • The printer is off, asleep or showing an error
  • A loose or faulty USB cable, hub or adapter
  • The printer or the Mac has dropped off the Wi-Fi network or joined a different one
  • The printer's IP address has changed since you added it
  • A VPN or network setting stopping the Mac reaching local devices

How to fix it

Start with the first fix. They’re ordered from safest and quickest to most involved.

Fixes for macOS

0 of 6 steps tried

  1. Check the printer is on and ready

    Make sure the printer is switched on and awake, and clear any message on its screen such as a jam or empty tray. Printing a page from the printer's own control panel, such as a configuration or status report, confirms the printer itself is working.

  2. Check the USB connection

    Plug the cable straight into the Mac rather than through a hub or display, and try another port or cable. With a USB-C Mac, use an adapter you know works with other devices. To check whether the Mac sees the printer, hold Option, choose Apple menu > System Information and select USB; the printer should appear in the list.

  3. Check the network connection

    Confirm the printer is on the same Wi-Fi network as the Mac, not a guest network or an extender's separate network; the printer's screen or a network configuration page shows which network it's on. Restart the printer and router, and turn off any VPN on the Mac while you test, since many VPNs block local devices.

  4. Check whether the printer’s IP address changed

    Find the printer's current IP address on its screen or network page. If you originally added the printer by IP address, the Mac still uses the old one. Open Terminal and run the command below with the current address; replies mean the printer is reachable there, so remove and re-add it. Reserving the printer's address in your router stops it changing again.

    ping -c 4 192.168.1.50

  5. Remove and re-add the printer

    Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners, select the printer and click Remove Printer. Click Add Printer, Scanner or Fax, select the printer from the Default list and choose AirPrint in the Use menu if it's offered. Printers added from this list are found by name, so the Mac keeps up if the address changes. On macOS 12 or earlier, the same options are in System Preferences.

  6. Reset the printing system as a last resort

    In Printers & Scanners, Control-click (or right-click) in the printer list and choose Reset printing system. This removes every printer, every queued job and any custom printer settings from the Mac, so only do it if re-adding one printer didn't help. Afterwards, add your printers again.

Common questions

The printer works from other devices but not my Mac. Why?

The Mac's saved setup is probably out of date, for example pointing to an old IP address, or the Mac is on a different network or a VPN. Removing the printer and adding it again from the Default list usually fixes it.

Will resetting the printing system delete my documents?

No. It removes printers and queued print jobs only. Your files are untouched, and you can print them again once the printer is added back.

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