Whether you have upgraded to Windows 11 or still use Windows 10, connecting a wireless printer should be easy. Windows should be able to connect automatically to any printer that's on the same network as your PC. But sometimes, Windows doesn't see your printer, and finding a solution can tricky.
If you can't seem to print, first make sure that your printer is actually connected to Wi-Fi. If restarting your printer, checking your cables, and rebooting your computer don't work, here are a few more quick solutions that will ensure Windows plays nice.
1. Find a Connected Printer
A printer can be connected to the internet over an Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection, or to a network computer via direct USB link. A printer connected in one of these ways can be shared with other users on the network by enabling print sharing on the server or on the computer to which the USB printer is connected.
If you believe your printer is connected, it should be listed under Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners in Windows 10. For those running Windows 11, your printer is listed under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
Unlike older versions of the operating system, Windows 10 and 11 usually do not require you to run a wizard to connect your printer. When you connect your printer to your computer, in most cases it should simply show up automatically in the list of installed devices.
But if your device is not listed, you can add it manually. Click the Add a printer or scanner button in Windows 10 or the Add device button in Windows 11. Windows starts searching your network for connected printers and lists its findings. Simply click the printer you want to connect to, then click Add device.
Windows then moves the printer to the list of installed printers and scanners. From here, when you click the printer name in the list, you can manage the machine as desired. Of course, a printer doesn't always install as it should. It may not appear at all in the list of available printers, or you might get a message that Windows can't connect to it.
2. Share a Network Printer
If the printer you wish to use is connected to a different computer on your local network, you must first make sure printer sharing is enabled. Open the Printer & scanners screen using the instructions above, then select the printer and click Manage. Go to Printer Properties, open the the Sharing tab, and enable Share this printer. (In Windows 11, you may first need to select Change Sharing Options before you can check the Share this printer box.)
Click Apply, and the printer is now available on your network. To connect from a different computer, return to the Printers & scanners menu and click Add a printer or scanner (Windows 10) or Add Device (Windows 11), and the printer should appear. Click Add device to link the printer with your computer.
3. Add an Unseen Printer
Just because you don't see a printer doesn't mean it isn't there. In an office, for example, some IT departments hide the names of all printers by default. Although IT likely has good reasons for doing so, hidden printers can be a hassle. And other issues could prevent you from seeing an accessible printer.
After conducting a search for a printer, click the printer that I want isn't listed to open a dialog box that will allow you to locate a printer by other means. You have five options here:
4. Run the Troubleshooter
At any point in this process, you can run the Windows troubleshooter to try connecting to the printer. To run the troubleshooter, the printer you’re having trouble connecting to or printing from must be displayed in the available devices list in the Printers & scanners menu. To run it, click the printer in the list, then click Manage.
In Windows 11, this brings up a control panel for that specific printer. Click Run the troubleshooter from the list of options to make Windows search for problems. Windows 10 users will instead see a new dialog box in which you click Run the troubleshooter in the menu.
If Windows detects an issue, it displays another dialog box informing you of the problem and, depending on what the problem is, provides a potential solution. For instance, Windows may want you to make the printer in question the default for the computer.
Click Apply this fix to make the change or Skip this fix to continue the troubleshooting process. What happens next depends on a number of factors, including (but not limited to) which option you pick and what problem(s) are detected.
If you choose to skip a suggestion, the troubleshooter will look for other issues, and, if it finds any, it displays another dialog asking if you want to apply the fix or keep looking for problems. Depending on what options you choose and what problems the troubleshooter finds, your issue might be solved right away, or it could take a few tries.
In the rare chance these troubleshooting steps can't solve the problem, contact IT (for office printers) or call customer service for your printer's manufacturer. In most cases, though, the techniques discussed here should eventually connect your PC to the printer.