WPS button won't connect the printer to Wi-Fi

Press the router's WPS button (some need holding for a few seconds, until a light blinks), then within two minutes start WPS on the printer by holding its WPS button or choosing the WPS push button option in its wireless menu. Some guides start with the printer instead; the order matters less than staying inside the two-minute window.

Bring the printer within a few meters of the router for setup. Make sure nothing else is connecting by WPS at the same moment, because a router that sees two devices at once usually stops both.

Many routers ship with WPS off, and some providers' routers and many mesh systems leave it out entirely because of its history of security weaknesses. Look in the router's settings page or app, usually under wireless or security settings.

If you decide to turn WPS on for setup, use the push button method rather than the PIN method, and turn WPS off again once the printer connects. The printer stays connected, because WPS only hands over the network name and password.

WPS isn't supported on networks set to WPA3 only, so the button may be greyed out or do nothing. Connect the printer by typing the password instead. If the printer doesn't support WPA3 at all, it can't join a WPA3-only network by any method; check for a printer firmware update that adds WPA3 before considering your router's WPA2/WPA3 mode, which is less strict than WPA3 only.

Many printers only use 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. If the router's 2.4 GHz band is switched off, the printer can't join, whichever method you use. Turn the band on in the router's settings, keeping the same network name and password.

On a printer with a screen, open its wireless setup wizard, choose your network and type the Wi-Fi password; this works on every router, with or without WPS. Passwords are case-sensitive, so check capitals and symbols.

If the printer seems stuck on an old network, restore its network settings from the setup or network menu, then try again. Check your manual for exactly what the reset clears.

The maker's official app can send your Wi-Fi details to the printer. Put the printer into setup mode as the app or manual describes, keep your phone on the Wi-Fi network you want the printer to join, and follow the steps.

The app may ask for Bluetooth, location or local network access to find the printer during setup. Allow them while you set up; you can review them later in your phone's settings.

Some printers create a temporary Wi-Fi network of their own during setup, and the app asks you to join it briefly. Your phone normally switches back to your home network afterwards; if it doesn't, rejoin it in your Wi-Fi settings.