How to Add a Printer on a Mac: Wi-Fi, USB and AirPrint Steps

Setting up a printer is usually easier on a Mac than on any other computer, because most printers made in the last several years support Apple’s AirPrint and need no software. This guide shows how to add a printer on a Mac over Wi-Fi, with a USB cable, or by entering the printer’s IP address, and what to do when the Mac simply will not see the printer.

The steps are for macOS Ventura and later, which use System Settings. On older Macs with System Preferences, the section has the same name, and you click the + button to add a printer. This is an independent guide, not affiliated with Apple or any printer maker.

Before you start

• Turn the printer on and wait until it has finished starting up.
• For a wireless printer, connect it to your Wi-Fi first, using its touchscreen, its setup app or the maker’s instructions. Our guide to connecting a wireless printer to Wi-Fi explains the common methods.
• Make sure your Mac is on the same Wi-Fi network. If your router has a separate guest network, both must be on the main one.
• Install any pending macOS updates in System Settings > General > Software Update, as they include printer software.

Add a Wi-Fi (AirPrint) printer

1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
2. Click Printers & Scanners in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down).
3. Click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax.
4. Your printer should appear in the list on the Default tab. Select it.
5. In the Use menu, choose AirPrint if it is offered, or the model-specific software macOS suggests.
6. Click Add.

The printer now appears in the Print dialog of every app. If your printer was already listed in Printers & Scanners before you started, you may not need to add it at all; it might simply be waking up.

Add a USB printer

1. Connect the printer to the Mac with a USB cable (you may need a USB-C adapter on newer Macs).
2. Turn the printer on. macOS often adds it automatically.
3. If a message asks to download software for the printer, click Install. This comes from Apple’s software update servers.
4. If the printer does not appear, open Printers & Scanners, click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax and select it.

If the Mac reports that software is not available, check the printer maker’s support site for a macOS driver for your exact model. Download it only from the maker’s own domain.

Add a printer by IP address

When a network printer does not appear automatically, adding it by IP address usually works.

1. Find the printer’s IP address. Most printers can print a network configuration or network status page from their settings menu, or show it on the touchscreen under Wi-Fi or network settings.
2. In Printers & Scanners, click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax, then click the IP tab (the globe icon).
3. Enter the IP address in Address.
4. Choose AirPrint or Internet Printing Protocol - IPP in Protocol. If that fails, try HP Jetdirect - Socket, which many brands support.
5. Check the Use menu, then click Add.

Because a router can hand the printer a different address later, it helps to reserve the printer’s IP address in the router settings. Our router login guide shows how to reach those settings.

When the Mac cannot find the printer

Work through these in order:

1. Restart everything: turn off the printer, restart the Mac, restart the router, then turn the printer back on.
2. Check the network: print the network page and confirm the Wi-Fi name matches your Mac’s. Printers often only use 2.4 GHz; see 2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz if your router uses separate names.
3. Remove and re-add: in Printers & Scanners, select the printer, click Remove Printer, then add it again.
4. Clear stuck jobs: open the printer queue from Printers & Scanners and delete any jobs that will not print.
5. Reset the printing system: in Printers & Scanners, Control-click in the printer list and choose Reset printing system. This removes every printer and job, so add your printers again afterwards.

If you recently changed your router or internet provider, the printer is probably still trying to join the old network; see reconnect a printer after a new router.

Scan from an all-in-one printer

If your printer also scans, macOS usually sets up the scanner at the same time. To scan:

1. Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners and select the printer.
2. Click Open Scanner (on some models, select Scan first).
3. Choose the document type, resolution and where to save, then click Scan.

You can also use the Image Capture app in your Applications folder, which works with most scanners and lets you save directly as PDF or JPEG. If the scanner does not appear even though printing works, check the printer maker’s site for macOS scanning software for your model, and see scanner not working for more fixes.

Set the default printer

When you have more than one printer, choose which one appears first: in Printers & Scanners, open the Default printer menu and pick a printer, or choose Last Printer Used. You can also set the default paper size there, which matters if pages print with odd margins; US and Canadian readers normally want US Letter.

Avoid fake printer support

Searching for “printer setup” often brings up ads for sites that look like the printer maker and offer a “driver download” or a support phone number. Some are scams that try to sell unnecessary support or get remote access to your Mac. Type the maker’s web address yourself, and remember that no genuine printer setup requires you to phone anyone. If you have already been caught, follow what to do after a tech-support scam.

For problems with a printer you are also using from Windows, our printer says offline in Windows 11 guide covers the PC side.