Chromebook Won’t Print? Try These 12 Easy Fixes! [2024]

We’ve all been there—you’re in the middle of an important task, and just when you need to print something, your Chromebook decides it’s not in the mood. It’s like your Chromebook knows the worst possible time to take a break. But don’t worry, you’re not alone in this. Printing issues with Chromebooks are more common than you might think, and the good news is that they’re usually easy to fix.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through some straightforward steps to get your Chromebook back on speaking terms with your printer. So, let’s tackle this together, one step at a time. But before we get into the solutions, let’s take a look at some of the common causes of printing issues on Chromebooks.

Common Causes of Printing Issues on Chromebooks

Understanding the causes can help you troubleshoot effectively:

• Printer Incompatibility: Chromebooks have built-in drivers that may not be compatible with all printer models. Older printers or those requiring specific drivers may not work.
• Network Connection Problems: Both the Chromebook and printer must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network for wireless printing to work. Issues with the network configuration can prevent successful connections.
• USB Connection Issues: If using a USB cable to connect the printer, problems with the cable itself or the USB ports on either device can cause printing failures.
• Outdated Chrome OS: Running an outdated version of Chrome OS can lead to compatibility issues with printers.
• Outdated Printer Firmware: Older printer firmware may not work well with the latest Chrome OS versions, causing printing problems.

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How to Fix ‘Chromebook Won’t Print’ Issues?

If your Chromebook isn’t printing, don’t worry. Just check out the tested solutions below for some easy fixes.

1. Check Printer Compatibility

Before attempting any fixes, ensure your printer is compatible with Chrome OS. Go to your printer manufacturer’s website and search for your specific printer model. Look for information on Chrome OS or Chromebook compatibility.

You can also look at the ‘Certified “Works with Chromebook” printers’ list on the Chromebook Help forum by Google to see if your printer is listed there. If your printer is on the list, proceed to the next step. If it’s not, you might need to consider getting a compatible printer.

How This Helps: Ensuring your printer is compatible with Chrome OS is crucial because not all printers work seamlessly with Chromebooks. If your printer is incompatible, you may need to consider purchasing a different model that is verified to work with Chrome OS.

2. Connect Both Devices to the Same Network

1. Turn on your printer and connect it to your Wi-Fi network. Refer to your printer’s manual for instructions on how to connect it to your home Wi-Fi.
   

   

2. On your Chromebook, click on the time in the bottom right corner to open the quick settings menu.
   

   

3. Ensure your Chromebook is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your printer. If not, click on the Wi-Fi icon and select your network from the list.
   

   

How This Helps: Both devices must be on the same network to communicate effectively. If they are not connected to the same Wi-Fi, the Chromebook will not be able to find the printer, leading to printing failures.

3. Select Your Printer

1. Press Ctrl + P on your Chromebook to open the print dialog.
   

   

2. In the print dialog, click on the “Destination” dropdown menu and look for your printer in the list. If you see it, select it and proceed to print.
   

   

3. If your printer is not listed, click on “See more” at the bottom of the list.
   

   

How This Helps: Selecting the correct printer is essential for printing. If the wrong printer is selected, or if the printer is not visible, the print job will not go through. This step ensures that the Chromebook recognizes and is set to use the correct printer.

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4. Add Your Printer Manually

1. If your printer is still not showing up in the list, click on the time in the bottom right corner to open the quick settings menu.
   

   

2. Click on the gear icon ⚙️ to open the Settings menu.
   

   

3. Scroll down and click on “Advanced” to expand the advanced settings.
   

   

4. Under “Printing”, click on “Printers”.
   

   

5. Click on Add Printer icon
   

   

6. Enter the following information about your printer:
   • Name: Give your printer a name that will help you identify it.
   • Address: Enter your printer’s IP address. You can find this by printing a network configuration page from your printer.
   • Protocol: Select “Internet Printing Protocol (IPP)” from the dropdown menu.
     

     

7. Click “Add” to save the printer settings.
   

   

How This Helps: Manually adding your printer can resolve issues where the automatic detection fails. This ensures that the Chromebook can communicate with the printer directly by using its IP address, which is especially useful for networked printers.

5. Restart Devices

1. Turn off your printer and wait for about 30 seconds.
2. Turn your printer back on and wait for it to fully power up.
   

   

3. On your Chromebook, click on the time in the bottom right corner and select “Sign out”.
   

   

4. Sign back in to your Chromebook and check if the printer is now recognized.

How This Helps: Restarting both devices can clear temporary glitches or connectivity issues that may be preventing the printer from being recognized. This simple step often resolves many common problems.

6. Check Printer Settings

1. Click on the time in the bottom right corner and select the gear icon ⚙️ to open Settings.
   

   

2. Scroll down and click on “Advanced” to expand the advanced settings.
   

   

3. Under “Printing”, click on “Printers”.
   

   

4. Ensure that your printer is listed correctly with the right name and IP address.
5. If necessary, remove the printer by clicking on the three-dot menu next to it and selecting “Remove”.
6. Add the printer again manually using the steps in Section 4.

How This Helps: Verifying and correcting printer settings ensures that the Chromebook is properly configured to communicate with the printer. If there are discrepancies in the printer name or IP address, it can lead to connection issues.

7. Update Chrome OS

1. Click on the time in the bottom right corner and select the gear icon ⚙️ to open Settings.
   

   

2. Scroll down and click on “About Chrome OS”.
   

   

3. Click on “Check for updates”.
   

   

4. If an update is available, it will start downloading automatically. Once downloaded, click “Restart” to install the update.

How This Helps: Keeping Chrome OS updated ensures that you have the latest features, bug fixes, and compatibility improvements. Updates can resolve issues that may affect printing functionality.

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8. Update Printer Firmware

1. Visit your printer manufacturer’s website and search for your specific printer model.
2. Look for a “Support” or “Downloads” section and find the latest firmware update for your printer.
3. Follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer to download and install the firmware update on your printer.

How This Helps: Printer firmware updates can fix bugs and improve compatibility with newer operating systems, including Chrome OS. This is essential for ensuring that your printer functions correctly with your Chromebook.

9. Use a USB Connection (if applicable)

1. Ensure your printer is turned on and ready to print.
2. Connect your printer to your Chromebook using a USB cable.
3. A notification should appear on your Chromebook, asking if you want to set up the printer. Click “Set up” to proceed.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the USB printer setup.

How This Helps: Using a USB connection can bypass network issues entirely, allowing you to print directly from your Chromebook. This method is often more reliable when wireless connections fail.

10. Troubleshoot Wireless Connection

1. On your printer, ensure that the Wi-Fi is enabled and that it is connected to the correct Wi-Fi network.
2. Power cycle your printer by turning it off, waiting for 30 seconds, and then turning it back on.
3. Power cycle your Wi-Fi router by unplugging it from the power source, waiting for 30 seconds, and then plugging it back in.
4. Wait for the router to fully power up and reconnect your Chromebook and printer to the Wi-Fi network.

How This Helps: Troubleshooting the wireless connection ensures that both devices are properly connected to the network. This can resolve issues caused by network interruptions or misconfigurations.

11. Check for Print Quality Issues

1. Check the ink or toner levels in your printer. Replace any cartridges that are low or empty.
2. Clean the printer heads by following the instructions in your printer’s manual. This can help resolve issues with blurry or faded prints.
3. Run a test print from your printer to ensure that the print quality is satisfactory.

How This Helps: Addressing print quality issues ensures that your documents print clearly and correctly. Low ink or clogged print heads can lead to poor print results, which may be mistaken for connectivity problems.

12. Contact Support

If the steps above didn’t fix the printing issue on your Chromebook, don’t stress. You can always reach out to your printer’s customer support—they might have more specific tips based on your printer model. And if you’re still stuck, try posting your problem on the Chromebook Help Forum or contact Google support for some extra help.

Just follow these solutions, and you should be able to fix most of the printing problems on your Chromebook. Make sure your printer and Chromebook are compatible, double-check that everything’s connected to the same network, keep your software updated, and if all else fails, try connecting in a different way. You’ve got this!

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Wrapping Up

In the end, dealing with printing issues on a Chromebook can be frustrating, but it’s important to remember that most problems have a straightforward solution. Hopefully, this guide has helped you navigate through the issue with ease.

Now that your Chromebook and printer are back on speaking terms, you can finally get back to what you were doing—minus the tech headaches. If you still have any questions about this issue, don’t hesitate to drop them in the comments below. Thanks for reading!