> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://blog.harshkohli.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Printer Offline? Fixes for Windows, Mac, Phones - URL: https://blog.harshkohli.com/printer-offline-fix/ - Published: 2026-11-07T03:43:12.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-13T12:49:48.000Z - Description: Printer shows Offline on Windows, Mac or your phone? Clear Use Printer Offline, restart the spooler, fix Wi-Fi and SNMP, re-add AirPrint or Android print. - Author: Harsh Kohli - Tags: How-To, Fixes, Software, PC & Hardware *Updated 11 November 2026\. Steps checked against Microsoft's offline-printer troubleshooting page, Apple's Mac printing guide and AirPrint help (HT201311 / support 109349), Google's Pixel print help, and HP's Wi-Fi connection troubleshooting notes.* For the WSD-port step I also used Brother's and Xerox's support notes on replacing WSD ports. Short answer: power-cycle the printer, put the PC or phone on the same Wi-Fi (not Guest), clear **Use Printer Offline** and the stuck queue, restart the Print Spooler, then remove and re-add the printer. On a network printer that flips offline every few hours, turn off SNMP status on the TCP/IP port. Mac and phones usually need the same-network check, then a re-add over AirPrint or Android's Default Print Service. If the printer was added automatically and keeps dropping, swap its WSD port for a Standard TCP/IP port (Step 9) and reserve its IP. This is for "printer shows Offline" when the machine is powered on and you can still reach it somehow. If Wi-Fi itself says connected with no internet, fix that first with my [Wi-Fi connected but no internet on Windows 11](https://blog.harshkohli.com/wifi-connected-no-internet-windows-11/) guide — a printer can't stay online on a broken network. Printer shows online but only certain Word documents fail to print since mid-November? That's likely [a known bug in the November 2026 Windows update](https://blog.harshkohli.com/windows-november-update-printing-fails/), not an offline printer. **Jump to:** - [Step 1: Power, paper and same Wi-Fi](#step-1-power-paper-and-same-wi-fi) - [Step 2: Clear Use Printer Offline and the queue](#step-2-clear-use-printer-offline-and-the-queue) - [Step 3: Restart the Print Spooler](#step-3-restart-the-print-spooler) - [Step 4: Turn off SNMP status on network printers](#step-4-turn-off-snmp-status-on-network-printers) - [Step 5: Remove and re-add the printer on Windows](#step-5-remove-and-re-add-the-printer-on-windows) - [Step 6: Fix offline printers on Mac](#step-6-fix-offline-printers-on-mac) - [Step 7: Fix printing from iPhone and Android](#step-7-fix-printing-from-iphone-and-android) - [Step 8: When the IP or band keeps moving](#step-8-when-the-ip-or-band-keeps-moving) - [Quick reference table](#quick-reference-table) - [Step 9: Swap a WSD port for a Standard TCP/IP port](#step-9-swap-a-wsd-port-for-a-standard-tcpip-port) - [FAQ](#faq) ## Step 1: Power, paper and same Wi-Fi Microsoft, Apple and HP all start here, and skipping it wastes an hour in Settings. Walk over to the printer before you touch the PC. - **Power-cycle.** Turn the printer off, unplug it, wait about 30 seconds, plug it back in, turn it on. Microsoft's offline-printer page lists this as the first general step for a reason — a stuck NIC or half-asleep radio looks exactly like "Offline". - **Paper, ink, jam.** Empty trays and blinking error lights make some models report offline to Windows even though the Wi-Fi light is green. Clear the jam, load paper, close every door. - **Same network name.** Phone, laptop and printer must share one SSID. Guest / IoT / visitor networks usually isolate devices from each other. HP's Wi-Fi troubleshooting notes call this out: guest and captive-portal networks are a dead end for printing. - **2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz.** Plenty of home printers still only join 2.4 GHz. If your phone is on a 5 GHz-only SSID and the printer is on "Home-2.4", they are not on the same network for AirPrint or Android discovery. Join both to the same band, or use one combined SSID the printer can actually see. Print a network config page from the printer's own menu if it has one. Confirm the SSID and IP match what you expect. If the Wi-Fi light is off or amber, stop — fix wireless on the printer first, not on Windows. ## Step 2: Clear Use Printer Offline and the queue Windows can mark a printer offline on purpose. The toggle lives in the print queue, not in Settings' main page, which is why people miss it. 1. Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners (Windows 11) or Settings → Devices → Printers & scanners (Windows 10). 2. Select the printer → **Open print queue**. 3. In the queue window, open the Printer menu. Clear the checkmark on **Use Printer Offline**. Clear **Pause Printing** if that is ticked too. Microsoft's Windows 10 offline guide calls both of these out when you set the default printer. 4. Cancel stuck jobs: … (ellipsis) → Cancel all, or select each document → Document → Cancel. 5. While you're here, set this printer as default if you want — but turn off **Let Windows manage my default printer** first if the Set as default button is missing. If the queue was full of old jobs from last week, clearing it alone often flips the status back to Ready. If it snaps back to Offline after one print, keep going — that points at SNMP or a bad port, not a paused queue. ## Step 3: Restart the Print Spooler The spooler is the Windows service that holds the queue. When it wedges, every printer looks dead. Microsoft's offline guide resets it as a dedicated step. 1. Taskbar search → type `services` → open **Services**. 2. Find **Print Spooler** → right-click → Restart. 3. Startup type should be Automatic. If it was Disabled, set Automatic, Start, then retry a print. Prefer the command line? Open an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell and run: ``` net stop spooler net start spooler ``` Or in PowerShell: `Restart-Service Spooler`. Same service. If Restart fails with "access denied", you aren't elevated. If it fails because a dependent service won't stop, reboot once and come back to Step 4. Stuck Windows services show up in other places too — if the PC itself feels like it is thrashing while you wait on the spooler, my [100% disk usage on Windows 11](https://blog.harshkohli.com/windows-11-100-disk-usage-fix/) checklist is the sibling fix. ## Step 4: Turn off SNMP status on network printers This is the fix for "it prints, then goes Offline again an hour later" on HP, Epson, Brother and Canon network models. Windows' Standard TCP/IP port polls the printer over SNMP. When the printer ignores the poll (firewall, sleepy firmware, UDP 161 blocked), Windows paints it Offline even though RAW printing on port 9100 still works. Microsoft Q&A threads and the port-monitor docs describe the same workaround. 1. Settings → Printers & scanners → your printer → **Printer properties** (not the plain Properties link). 2. Ports tab → select the checked TCP/IP port → **Configure Port…**. 3. Uncheck **SNMP Status Enabled** → OK → Apply → OK. 4. Restart the Print Spooler (Step 3) once more. Trade-off: Windows stops getting fancy status (toner low, door open) through SNMP. Printing itself still uses RAW or LPR. For most home setups that is a fine trade. If you manage dozens of printers on a server, Microsoft documents the same change via `prnport.vbs -t -r PORTNAME -md` — overkill for one home HP. ## Step 5: Remove and re-add the printer on Windows Corrupt port, stale driver, IP that moved under DHCP — removing and adding again is Microsoft's cleanup step when the toggles above don't stick. 1. Settings → Printers & scanners → select the printer → **Remove** → Yes. 2. On Windows 11, next to Add a printer or scanner, click **Add device**. On Windows 10, click Add a printer or scanner. 3. If it appears, add it. If it does not, choose the manual / "printer isn't listed" path and add it by IP address (Standard TCP/IP). Use the IP from the printer's network config page. 4. Prefer the Microsoft IPP or the built-in class driver when Windows offers it. Manufacturer installers still break on some ARM / Copilot+ PCs — Microsoft's offline page literally warns about that and points you at Add device instead of the vendor CD. After re-adding a TCP/IP printer, jump back to Step 4 and disable SNMP before you walk away. Otherwise the offline dance returns in a day or two. ## Step 6: Fix offline printers on Mac Apple's "Solve printing problems on Mac" guide is short and honest: same network, resume the queue, correct driver or AirPrint, then reset the printing system if you have to. 1. Confirm the Mac and the printer share one Wi-Fi or Ethernet network. AirPrint will not cross a guest VLAN or a phone hotspot into the home LAN. 2. Open **Print Center** (or click the printer icon in the Dock). If the toolbar shows paused, resume it. Delete any job stuck with an error — one bad PDF can block everything behind it. 3. System Settings → Printers & Scanners. Select the printer, remove it, then click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax and pick the AirPrint entry (not a stale manufacturer driver from 2019). 4. Still missing from the list? Restart the printer, the Mac and the router in that order — Apple and HP both recommend the full power cycle when discovery dies. 5. Last resort: Control-click (or right-click) in the printers list → **Reset Printing System…** → confirm. This wipes every printer, scanner and fax queue on the Mac. Re-add only what you need, preferably as AirPrint. Shared printers attached to another Mac only work while that Mac is awake and Printer Sharing is on. If the "server" Mac sleeps, your queue goes offline and there is nothing wrong with your laptop. ## Step 7: Fix printing from iPhone and Android Phones don't have a Use Printer Offline toggle. They fail discovery, which feels the same: no printer in the list, or a greyed-out name. **iPhone / iPad (AirPrint)** — Apple's own steps (support page 109349): 1. Printer and iPhone on the same Wi-Fi. Not Personal Hotspot. Not a different band-only SSID. 2. Open the app → Share / Actions → Print. Tap No Printer Selected and pick the AirPrint printer. 3. Nothing listed? Confirm the model is on Apple's AirPrint printer list, update iOS, power-cycle printer + router + phone, then retry. VPN profiles sometimes break Bonjour discovery — Apple Community troubleshooting often starts by removing a freshly installed VPN to test. **Android** — Google's Pixel help ("Print from your device"): 1. Settings → Connected devices → Connection preferences → Printing. 2. Turn **Default Print Service** on. Wait for it to scan. 3. Printer still missing? ⋮ menu → Add printer (often by IP). Enter the address from the printer's network page. 4. Manufacturer apps (HP Smart, Epson Smart Panel, Canon Print, Brother iPrint&Scan) can bridge models Default Print Service doesn't see. Use one or the other while testing — two print services fighting over the same job is a classic mess. 5. Still stuck: Settings → Apps → Show system apps → Print Spooler → Storage → Clear cache (and Clear data if needed), then toggle Default Print Service off/on. AirPrint over USB-to-AirPort or Bluetooth is not a thing — Apple says so flatly. Wireless or wired Ethernet to the LAN, full stop. ## Step 8: When the IP or band keeps moving If the printer is fine after re-adding and offline again after the router reboots, the address moved. DHCP handed the printer a new IP; your Windows TCP/IP port still points at the old one. - On the router, set a **DHCP reservation** for the printer's MAC address so it always gets the same IP. Then edit the Windows port (or re-add by that IP). - Or set a static IP on the printer itself in its network menu, outside the router's DHCP pool. Write it down. - Mesh / "Smart Connect" systems that merge 2.4 and 5 into one name still confuse older printers. Give the printer a dedicated 2.4 GHz SSID if it keeps falling off. - After any router change, restart the printer so it renews cleanly. Lag and bufferbloat fixes on the same router are covered in my [high ping and lag guide](https://blog.harshkohli.com/fix-high-ping-lag-online-games/) if gaming feels broken at the same time printing does — same box, different symptom. ## Step 9: Swap a WSD port for a Standard TCP/IP port If Windows found the printer on its own, there's a good chance it's attached to a WSD (Web Services for Devices) port rather than a port tied to the printer's IP address. WSD is handy for discovery, but Brother and Xerox both tell people to replace it when a network printer keeps going offline, and a Microsoft Q&A answer about Brother printers after a big Windows update says the same. It's the change I'd make right after reserving the IP in Step 8. - Get the printer's IP from its screen or the network config page from Step 1. - Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → your printer → **Printer properties** → **Ports** tab. - If the ticked port starts with WSD, click **Add Port** → **Standard TCP/IP Port** → **New Port**, type the IP and finish the wizard. Add Port greyed out means you need an admin account. - Make sure the new port is ticked, click **Apply**, then print a test page from the General tab. If the wizard stops at "Additional port information required", Windows can't reach that IP at all, so the problem is the network: wrong Wi-Fi, a firewall, or an address that moved. The old WSD port can stay in the list. It does nothing once it's unticked. And because the new port is a Standard TCP/IP port, go back to Step 4 and check the SNMP box while you're in there. ## Quick reference table | Symptom | Try first | Then | | ----------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | | Windows queue says Offline, printer awake | Step 2 (clear Use Printer Offline + Cancel all) | Step 3 (restart Print Spooler) | | Prints once, goes Offline later | Step 4 (disable SNMP Status) | Step 8 (DHCP reservation) | | Printer missing after a Windows update | Step 5 (remove / re-add by IP) | Built-in driver, not the vendor installer | | Mac queue paused or grey | Step 6 (resume / delete stuck job) | Remove + add as AirPrint; Reset Printing System last | | iPhone shows No Printer Selected | Same Wi-Fi, not Guest (Step 1 + 7) | Power-cycle printer/router/phone; check AirPrint list | | Android only offers Save as PDF | Enable Default Print Service (Step 7) | Add by IP, or maker app; clear Print Spooler | | Works on PC, fails on phone (or reverse) | Step 1 (SSID / 2.4 vs 5 / Guest) | Step 8 (pin the IP) | Official pages worth keeping open while you work: [Microsoft — Troubleshooting offline printer problems](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/printer/troubleshooting-offline-printer-problems-in-windows?ref=blog.harshkohli.com), [Apple — Solve printing problems on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/solve-printing-problems-on-mac-mh14002/mac?ref=blog.harshkohli.com), [Apple — AirPrint from iPhone or iPad](https://support.apple.com/en-us/109349?ref=blog.harshkohli.com), [Apple — About AirPrint](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102895?ref=blog.harshkohli.com), [Google — Print from your device](https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/3473588?ref=blog.harshkohli.com), and [HP — Troubleshoot a Wi-Fi connection](https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/ish%5F2026505-1746064-16?ref=blog.harshkohli.com). **Related guides:** two more from me that pair well with this one: [Windows Update stuck at 0% or 100%](https://blog.harshkohli.com/windows-update-stuck-fix/) and [the KB5127648 boot loop](https://blog.harshkohli.com/kb5127648-boot-loop-fix/). ## FAQ ### Why does Windows say my printer is offline when it is on? Usually one of three things: Use Printer Offline is checked in the queue, the Print Spooler is wedged, or SNMP status polling failed on a TCP/IP port. Walk Steps 2–4 in that order before you reinstall drivers. On printers Windows picked up by itself, a flaky WSD port is the fourth suspect. Swapping it for a Standard TCP/IP port (Step 9) usually settles it. ### Should I turn SNMP Status Enabled back on later? Only if you care about Windows showing toner and door status through SNMP. Leaving it off does not block printing. On flaky home printers I leave it off permanently. ### Why can my laptop print but my phone cannot? Different SSID or band. Phones often prefer 5 GHz while the printer sits on 2.4 GHz, or the phone joined Guest. Put both on the main LAN, then re-open AirPrint or Default Print Service. ### Does Reset Printing System on Mac delete my documents? No — it removes printers, scanners, fax devices and their queues from the Mac. Your files stay. You do have to add every printer again afterward. ### USB cable still offline — now what? Try another cable and another port, then remove the printer and re-add it while the cable is plugged in. On Windows, Device Manager → Universal Serial Bus controllers → uninstall the USB printing support entry and rescan. On Mac, System Information → USB should list the printer; if it does not, the cable or the printer's USB board is the problem, not the queue. ### Is the manufacturer app required in 2026? For basic printing, no — Windows IPP / class drivers, AirPrint and Android Default Print Service cover most recent models. Use the maker app when you need ink orders, firmware updates, or a scanner that the OS print stack does not expose.