How to Fix HP Printer Offline on Windows and Mac

1. Run HP Diagnostic Tools

It's a good idea to start using tools like "Diagnose & Fix" or "HP Print and Scan Doctor" to quickly find common problems and might be able to fix them quickly. It's like checking for simple solutions first, which can save you time and effort.

Run HP Diagnose and Fix

The steps below will apply to both Windows and Mac.

1. Step 1: Install HP Smart App (Windows, macOS):
   Install the HP Smart app on your Windows or macOS computer and set up the printer.
2. Step 2: Setting Up on Wi-Fi Network:
   • Place printer and computer near Wi-Fi router.
   • Turn on Wi-Fi on the computer and connect to your network.
   • If using Ethernet, temporarily disconnect it and use Wi-Fi for setup.
   • Enable Bluetooth on the computer for printer detection during setup.
3. Step 3: Download HP Smart App:
   • Get the HP Smart app from Microsoft Store (Windows) or Mac App Store (macOS).
   • Sign in with Microsoft if prompted, or continue without signing in.
4. Step 4: Creating/Signing in to HP Account:
   • If using HP Smart for the first time, create or sign in to an HP account.
5. Step 5: Adding Printer:
   • From app home screen, click "Add Printer" or the Add icon.
   • Follow the prompts to set up your printer.
6. Step 6: Troubleshooting with Diagnose & Fix:
   • Find and run "Diagnose & Fix" within HP Smart app.
   • In Windows click, Diagnose & Fix icon. In macOS, open Diagnose & Fix from printer menu.
   • Click "Start" to run the troubleshooter.
   • Follow provided instructions for any detected issues.

If the problem isn't solved, explore additional resources or visit HP Customer Support to search for specific issues or error messages.

Use HP Print and Scan Doctor

For now, "HP Print and Scan Doctor" is for Windows only, macOS users can use the "Diagnose & Fix" feature in the HP Smart app for similar printer issue diagnostics and solutions.

For Windows Only

1. Step 1: First, check that you have loaded papers in the primary tray.
2. Step 2: Then, make your HP printer turn on.
3. Step 3: Go to the taskbar, search for "HP Print and Scan Detector," and open it (it will come as preinstalled application on HP computers).
4. Step 4: The next step is to click the "Start" button on the welcome screen.
5. Step 5: Now, choose the printer from the given product list and run the diagnostic.
6. Step 6: If there is no printer option on the product list, choose "My product is not listed" and follow the on-screen guidelines to resolve it.

2. Printer Configuration Issues

If the settings are not right, your printer might go offline. Here are various types of setup issues and easy steps to fix your HP printer on Windows or macOS.

Set the Default Printer

Check if your printer is set as the default printer. If your preferred printer isn't set as the default, it might appear as offline.

For Windows

1. Step 1: Go to the taskbar, search for "Printers & Scanners", and open it.
2. Step 2: Next, make sure that your default printer option is toggled off.
3. Step 3: If there is a green check mark, you already have set the default printer.
4. Step 4: If there is no green mark, click the printer icon on the list to get the main menu.
5. Step 5: Now, choose the "Set as Default" option to set your HP printer as default.
6. Step 6: As it is now online, you will no longer have the "My HP printer is offline" statement.

For Mac

1. Step 1: Go to the Apple menu and select "System Preferences."
2. Step 2: Then, click on "Printers & Scanners."
3. Step 3: Choose the printer to designate as the default.
4. Step 4: Now, choose the "Set Default Printer" option to set your HP printer as default.

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Disable Use Printer Offline Mode

For Windows

1. Step 1: Open the Windows search bar, type "control panel," and from the results, click "Control Panel."
2. Step 2: In the Control Panel, select "Hardware and Sound" or "Devices and Printers."
3. Step 3: Find your printer in the list of devices and right-click on it.
4. Step 4: Choose "See what's printing" or "Open print queue."
5. Step 5: In the print queue window, click the "Printer" menu at the top.
6. Step 6: If the printer is offline, there will be a checkmark next to "Use Printer Offline." Click it to disable offline mode.
7. Step 7: Your printer will switch to online mode and should be ready for printing.

For Mac

1. Step 1: Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner.
2. Step 2: Select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.
3. Step 3: In System Preferences, click on "Printers & Scanners" or "Print & Scan."
4. Step 4: Choose your printer from the list on the left.
5. Step 5: Click "Options & Supplies" or "Open Print Queue."
6. Step 6: In the open print queue window, click the "Printer" menu at the top.
7. Step 7: If your printer is in offline mode, you'll see an option to "Resume" or "Unpause" printing. Click it to disable offline mode.

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Disable SNMP Function (Simple Network Management Protocol)

SNMP is typically used in networks to monitor and manage devices centrally. For everyday home users, turning on SNMP might not be needed. However, you might need permission from those in charge if you're at work and dealing with a work printer. If you need to disable SNMP, follow these steps:

For Windows

1. Step 1: Go to the Apple menu and select "System Preferences."
2. Step 2: Then, click on "Print & Scan."
3. Step 3: Choose the printer from the left-side list.
4. Step 4: Click "Options & Supplies," find "Enable SNMP" and disable it.
5. Step 5: Now, close the Printer window and restart your Mac.

For Mac

1. Step 1: Go to the Apple menu in the top-left corner and select "System Preferences."
2. Step 2: Then, click on "Printers & Scanners" or "Print & Scan."
3. Step 3: Select your printer from the list on the left-hand side.
4. Step 4: Click the "Options & Supplies" or "Open Print Queue."
5. Step 5: In the Options tab, look for an option related to SNMP or "Enable SNMP" and uncheck or disable it.
6. Step 6: Close the Printer Options window.
7. Step 7: Restart your Mac for the changes to take effect.

3. Print Queue Problems

Disable Use Printer Offline Mode

Stuck print jobs can make a printer go offline by causing a traffic jam in the print queue. Clearing these jobs can fix the problem and restore regular printing.

For Windows

1. Step 1: Search "printer" in the Windows search bar and select "Printer & scanners."
2. Step 2: Pick your printer from the list, click on it, and choose "Open print queue."
3. Step 3: Find the documents in the print queue window. Select each, click "Document," and choose "Cancel" to remove them.

For Mac

1. Step 1: Click Apple menu, choose "System Settings", then "Printers & Scanners."
2. Step 2: Choose the active printer and click "Open Print Queue."
3. Step 3: In the print queue, pick the job to cancel and click the close button (X) next to it.
4. Step 4: To clear the queue, either press "Command + A" to select all and "Command + delete" to cancel, or click "Printer" in the menu bar and select "Cancel All Documents."

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Reset Printing Queue Manager:

Windows and Mac have a service that manages the print queue, which can have issues and cause printer offline problems. Resetting this service can help fix it.

For Windows

1. Step 1: Search "services" in Windows' search taskbar and select "Services."
2. Step 2: Scroll to "Print Spooler," click it, and look for "Restart the service options". Alternatively, right-cick "Print Spooler" and choose the "Restart" option.

For Mac

1. Step 1: Click Apple menu, select "System Settings," then choose "Printers & Scanners."
2. Step 2: Right-click an empty space, and choose "Reset printing system."
3. Step 3: A confirmation pop-up will appear, letting you know that resetting the printing system will remove all printers. To continue, click the "Reset" button.
   
   Note: If prompted, enter your administrator password and click the "OK" button.
4. Step 4: Once the printing system is reset, you can re-add your printers by clicking the "+" button in the Printers & Scanners window and following the instructions on the screen.

4. Update Printer Drivers

Disable Use Printer Offline Mode

It's common to have HP printer offline error with corrupted printer drivers. So, if your printer has out-of-date drivers, it may be a reason for poor printing experience. In this case, the above method will not work. You will need to get new and updated printer drivers.

For Windows

1. Step 1: Open the run box by pressing the Window key+ R.
2. Step 2: Type "devmgmt.msc" and press Enter for Device Manager.
3. Step 3: Now, click printers or print queues.
4. Step 4: Right-click on the printer to pick update driver.
5. Step 5: Select automatic search for drivers and check if the printer is listed.
6. Step 6: If listed, click Update to install drivers.

For Mac

1. Step 1: Go to the Apple menu and select "System Preferences."
2. Step 2: Then, click Software Update.
3. Step 3: Check the printer's list for updates.
4. Step 4: If listed, click Update to install drivers.