Scan to email not working or emails never arrive

Find the printer's IP address on its network or Wi-Fi status screen, or print a network configuration page. Type that address into a web browser on a computer on the same network to open the printer's built-in settings page, then look for a scan to email, email or SMTP section. You may need the admin password, which on many newer printers is printed on a label or listed in the manual.

Your email provider lists its outgoing mail server name, port and security type on its help pages. Commonly that's port 587 with STARTTLS, or port 465 with SSL/TLS. Make sure SMTP authentication is turned on, the user name is your full email address, and the sender or from address matches the account you sign in with.

Many providers no longer let devices sign in over SMTP with your normal account password. Some let you create an app password, a separate code for one device, once two-step verification is turned on in your account's security settings. Enter it in the printer's password field instead of your normal password. If your provider has stopped password sign-in for devices entirely, go to the next step.

Several makers run their own scan to email service through their app or online account, which sends the message from the maker's servers so the printer never stores your email password. Some newer and office printers can also sign in to certain email providers with a modern sign-in method, the most secure option where offered. Check the maker's official support site to see what your model supports.

Email providers now require modern encryption, and older firmware may not support it, which shows up as a connection or secure connection error even when every detail is right. Update the firmware from the printer's menu, its settings page or the maker's official support site, then send a test again.

Secure connections can fail if the printer's date and time are far off, so set them correctly or turn on automatic time. On the settings page, check the printer has a gateway and DNS server listed; without them it can reach your computer but not the internet.

Many providers cap messages at roughly 20 to 25 MB, and attachments grow by about a third when they're encoded for sending. Scan documents at 200 or 300 dpi in black and white or grayscale rather than color, pick a higher compression option if offered, and split very long jobs. Some printers also have their own maximum email size setting.

Look in the recipient's spam or junk folder, and send a first test to your own address. Check the printer's address book entry for typos, and make sure the from address is a real mailbox, because some servers reject mail from an address that doesn't match the signed-in account.

If you need the document sent now, scan it to your computer, a USB drive or the maker's phone app, then attach the file to an email yourself. This avoids the printer's email settings entirely.