How To Connect To A Wireless Printer Windows 10

Need to know

Your PC or Mac should commonly have no trouble finding a printer
If it tin't, there are a number of things yous can try on each operating system
Every bit a terminal resort, you can ever set up your printer as an IP or network printer

Wireless printers, whether Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, can be put just near anywhere without worrying about cablevision ataxia.

But although they make life easier once they're up and running, the lack of a physical connection to your computer can make setting them upwardly a little more hands-on.

Setting up your printer

At that place's no one single style of setting up a wireless printer. The major printer brands – Brother, Canon, Epson, and HP, among others – all use different steps to prepare their printers on Wi-Fi networks or via Bluetooth. Even within the same brand, the way you get started changes from product to product.

The best advice is to consult your printer'due south product or user manual. If you can't notice yours, try searching for it online using the verbal production proper name, which should exist somewhere on the printer, either printed directly on the case or on a sticker. Only download user manuals from the manufacturer's website.

On this page:

Connect a printer to Windows ten
Connect a printer to Mac
Gear up an IP printer on Windows 10 or Mac
Words to know

Connect a printer to Windows 10

Different printers have their ain ready-up processes for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Consult your owner's manual to see how to become started.

Tip: You lot might demand to update to the latest version of Windows 10 to make sure you have upwardly-to-appointment commuter support.

Wi-Fi printers

Windows x should hands find any printer connected to the same local network via Wi-Fi.

Go to the Start carte and click Settings, Devices, and then Printers & scanners. Select Add together a printer or scanner and wait for your printer to announced in the listing, then select information technology and hit Add together device.

If Windows doesn't observe your printer, selectThe printer that I want isn't listed and follow the instructions.

Another solution could be to plug the printer into your laptop or desktop with a USB cablevision. This can forcefulness the estimator to recognise the printer and install the drivers. After information technology'southward washed, unplug the printer from USB and see if your estimator continues to detect information technology.

If Windows doesn't already have them, the printer drivers should download and install. If not, you lot can get them from the manufacturer's website.

Bluetooth printers

First, make sure your printer is open up to new Bluetooth pairings. Check your owner's transmission for instructions.

To enable Bluetooth on your Windows calculator, click the notification icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen and check that Bluetooth is toggled on. You might take to clickExpand to see the Bluetooth command.

To find the printer, go to theStart menu and selectSettings,Devices, thenPrinters & scanners. Now clickAdd together a printer or scannerand afterward a short while your printer should appear in the listing. Select information technology and hitAdd device.

Windows should download and install the drivers, if you don't have them already. If not, go them from the manufacturer's website.

Connect a printer to Mac

In that location shouldn't be any variation betwixt different types of Macs when setting up a new printer, equally long as they're using the same version of macOS. These are the instructions for macOS ten.xv (Catalina).

For the easiest way to connect, check if your printer is compatible with Apple's AirPrint (though non-AirPrint printers tin can however work using tertiary-party software). AirPrint is built-in, and so it eliminates the need to download and install drivers (for Wi-Fi, not Bluetooth), is easy to apply and requires minimal setting up when connecting to new printers.

Apple has a list of AirPrint-compatible printers on its website, just most modern units take the functionality.

Wi-Fi printers

If you lot don't have an AirPrint printer, get to theApple menu and clickSystem Preferences thenSoftware Update and install any new updates. If your printer has AirPrint, y'all can skip this pace.

Later you've connected your printer to the aforementioned network as your Mac, information technology should announced in the Nearby printers section of any app'south print carte du jour orPrinters & Scannersapp preferences.

If it doesn't, you can search for information technology. In the Apple menu, select Organization Preferences then Printers & Scanners. If your printer isn't in the list, click Add and your Mac volition search for new printers. It could have a infinitesimal or 2. Once it displays, select your printer and click Add. Install whatsoever new software y'all're asked to.

Another solution is to plug the printer directly into your Mac via USB cable. This can sometimes force the Mac to acknowledge the printer'due south beingness and as well install any necessary software or drivers. Once installation is consummate, unplug the cable and see if your Mac can notice it on the Wi-Fi network.

If you take a non-AirPrint-enabled printer and a Mac, y'all can connect the printer to the Mac via USB cable, then share the printer over Wi-Fi to other devices. Simply get to Arrangement Preferences, Printers & Scanners and select your printer so click the checkbox next to 'Share this printer on the network'.

Bluetooth printers

If both your printer and Mac are Bluetooth-enabled, you tin can print wirelessly without a Wi-Fi network.

If you don't have an AirPrint printer, go to the Apple tree menu and click System Preferences so Software Update and install whatever new updates. If your printer has AirPrint, you lot tin skip this step.

Each printer has a different fashion of setting upward its Bluetooth connection, so bank check your user manual and follow the instructions to get it ready to connect.

To add your printer to your Mac'south printer list, go to the Apple menu and then click Organisation Preferences and then Printers & Scanners. Select the Add together button so click Default. From the list of printers, select yours and click Add.

If your printer doesn't brandish, search for information technology by proper name in the search field. If it still doesn't appear, you might need to install the latest Bluetooth commuter for the printer from the manufacturer'due south website.

Download and install new software if yous're prompted to.

Ready an IP printer on Windows 10 or Mac

How to find your printer'southward IP accost

If you lot're having a lot of trouble finding a printer on Windows or a Mac, y'all tin add information technology as a network printer via its IP address.

To discover the IP address, admission your router's settings menu. Instructions on how to do this are printed on a sticker somewhere on your router – ordinarily the bottom.

Router menus are all different. Wait for an option called something like 'Attached Devices' or have a poke effectually until you find a listing of device names. The printer'southward device proper name will likely be the aforementioned as the production name. The IP address should be conspicuously labelled.

Windows network printers

Windows calls IP printers "network printers". To gear up i up, click the search icon in the bottom left of your screen or press Windows key + Q and type in 'control console'. Select the Control panel and click View devices and printers under Hardware and audio.

At the acme of the window, clickAdd a printer and and soThe printer that I want isn't listed. Check the boxAdd a printer using a TCP/IP address or hostname then clickNext. Enter the printer's IP accost into the 'Hostname or IP address' field and clickNext. Follow the rest of the prompts to finish set-up.

Mac IP printers

IP printers on macOS should be a final resort considering it mightn't offer a full range of functionality, depending on which protocol it supports. An IP printer on macOS must work with ane of these protocols: AirPrint, HP Jetdirect (Socket), Line Printer Daemon (LPD) or Cyberspace Printing Protocol (IPP).

From theApple menu, selectArrangement Preferences,Printers & Scanners, thenAdd. ClickIP and enter the printer information:

IP address
Protocol – select AirPrint if possible
Queue – leave blank if you're not certain
Device proper noun – to place the printer on your Mac. It doesn't need to match the device's proper name in the router menu
Location – to help you identify it from the printer pop-upwardly menu
Use – select the appropriate software for the printer. If not selected past default, clickSelect Printer Software and select your printer from the list.

From theApple carte, selectOrganization Preferences,Printers & Scanners, thenAdd together. ClickIP and enter the printer information:

IP address
Protocol – select AirPrint if possible
Queue – go out blank if you're not certain
Device name – to identify the printer on your Mac. It doesn't need to match the device'due south proper noun in the router card
Location – to help you identify information technology from the printer pop-up menu
Use – select the appropriate software for the printer. If not selected by default, click Select Printer Software and select your printer from the list.

Words to know

When post-obit a printer's set-up guide, you lot might run into the following terms.

Commuter

A printer driver is a piece of background software that teaches your device how to apply information technology. Without the driver, your PC, tablet or phone won't know how to 'drive' the printer.

When first connecting to a printer, your computer, tablet or telephone should automatically download and install or update the drivers, and so an cyberspace connection might be needed during set-up. Nevertheless, Windows has some up-to-date printer drivers pre-installed, so you might be able to skip this step. And Apple'south AirPrint technology side-steps the demand for drivers.

If the installation isn't automatic, yous tin can search for the drivers online. Brand certain you only download them from the manufacturer's website, wherever possible.

Network fundamental

Your network primal is your home network's password, including your Wi-Fi. If you never changed your network cardinal, it should be on the same sticker as the SSID. However, we strongly advise you create your ain personal primal or use a password manager.

SSID

Your Service Set Identifier (SSID) is the name of your abode network and Wi-Fi connectedness.

If y'all never changed your router's SSID, it'll be printed on a sticker, commonly on the bottom of the route.

Wireless connection

This is a vague term that can refer to any wire-free connection technology. For printers, it usually means Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or both.

WLAN

Your Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is your Wi-Fi network.