Printer says offline?
Offline almost always means your computer cannot reach the printer right now. It rarely means the printer is broken.
What does your computer say?
1 of 2Likely cause
Likely cause: the printer and computer are not on the same network, or the printer lost its Wi-Fi connection.
- 1Turn the printer off and on. Wait for it to finish starting and show a connected state.
- 2Confirm your computer and the printer are on the same Wi-Fi network, not a guest network.
- 3Restart your router, wait a few minutes, then restart the computer.
- 4Try printing again. If it still says offline, remove and re-add the printer in your system’s printer settings.
Likely cause
Likely cause: a loose cable, a bad port or a cable that has worn out.
- 1Make sure the printer is on and the cable is firmly seated at both ends.
- 2Plug the cable into a different USB port on the computer, without a hub if you use one.
- 3Try a different cable if you have one.
- 4Restart the printer and the computer, then print again.
Likely cause
Likely cause: the "Use Printer Offline" setting is on, or jobs are paused or stuck.
- 1Open the printer’s queue from your system’s printer settings.
- 2Look in the printer menu for "Use Printer Offline" or "Pause Printing" and make sure they are turned off.
- 3Cancel any stuck jobs in the queue.
- 4Restart the printer and print one small document.
Most likely causes
The printer and computer are not on the same network
A router restart, a changed Wi-Fi name or a guest network can leave the printer on a different network than your computer.
A loose or damaged cable
A USB or network cable that is slightly out of its port can drop the link without any obvious sign.
"Use Printer Offline" or a paused queue
This setting can get turned on by accident, or after a failed job. The system then stops sending anything.
The printer is asleep or in an error state
A printer in deep sleep or showing an error can look offline to your computer until it is restarted.
What to try, in order
- 1Restart the printer, then the router, then the computerWait for each to fully start before moving to the next. This clears most short network drops.
- 2Check the connectionFor Wi-Fi, confirm both devices are on the same network. For USB or network cable, reseat both ends or try another port.
- 3Turn off offline and pause settingsOpen the printer’s queue from your system’s printer settings and make sure "Use Printer Offline" and "Pause Printing" are off.
- 4Remove and re-add the printerDelete the printer entry in your system’s printer settings, then add it again. Install the driver from the manufacturer’s website if asked.
Do not change router security settings to fix this. A simple restart and a same-network check solve most cases.
When to stop and replace
If the printer stays offline after a restart, a cable swap and re-adding it, and the printer itself shows a network or error message you cannot clear, contact the manufacturer’s support. If it will not power on or connect on any computer, it may need service or replacement.
What "offline" means
When your computer says a printer is offline, it is telling you it cannot reach that printer right now. The printer may be turned on and perfectly healthy. The break is in the path between the two: Wi-Fi, a cable, a setting, or a stalled queue.
Do the quick restart in order
Turn off the printer, restart your router, then restart the computer. Bring them back in that order and give each a few minutes to finish starting. This resets the network addresses and clears most short drops without any settings changes.
Check the connection type
On Wi-Fi, make sure the printer and the computer share the same network. A guest network, a second router or a changed network name can split them apart. On USB or a network cable, push both ends in fully and try a different port or cable.
Look at the offline setting
Open the printer’s queue from your system’s printer settings. If a menu option says to use the printer offline or to pause printing, turn it off. Cancel any stuck jobs while you are there. Our Windows guide and Mac guide explain where printers live in each system.
Re-add the printer if needed
Remove the printer in your system’s printer settings and add it again. If the system asks for software, download the driver from the manufacturer’s website. For more on that, see driver or connection issue.
Confirm it works
Print a single small page, or use one of our test page PDFs. If jobs queue but do not print, read print job stuck in queue. For other symptoms, see all printer problems.
Good questions
Why does my printer keep going offline?
How do I turn off Use Printer Offline?
Does reinstalling the driver help?
Could the router be the problem?
Related problems
- Driver or connection issueThe printer is not found or will not connect.
- Print job stuck in queueJobs sit in the queue and never print.
- Test page prints, documents don’tThe printer works but your files will not print.
