Setup & mobile
Printing from a Chromebook
ChromeOS prints to most current printers without drivers. Add yours in Settings, print with Ctrl + P, and fix a printer that won’t show up or stay saved.
You’ll need: The printer on the same Wi-Fi as the Chromebook, or a USB cable · The printer’s IP address, for adding it by hand
Try this first
Press Ctrl + P on the page you want to print and open the Destination menu; ChromeOS often lists nearby network printers there already. If yours is missing, choose See more, or open Settings, search for Printers and select Save next to your printer in the list of available printers.
Didn’t work? Go to the full stepsWhat you’ll notice
- Your printer isn’t in the Destination list
- The printer is found but won’t save, or asks for a model
- Jobs show as failed or stuck in Print jobs
- A school or work Chromebook won’t let you add a printer
Usually caused by
- Most commonThe Chromebook and printer are on different networks
- SometimesThe printer’s IP address changed after it was saved
- SometimesThe printer isn’t announcing itself on the network
- SometimesThe wrong protocol was chosen when adding it by hand
- SometimesAn administrator controls printing on a managed Chromebook
- Less commonThe printer is too old for driverless printing
Step by step
Work down the list in order. Tick off each step as you go: your progress is saved on this device.
ChromeOS
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Check the Wi-Fi network
Select the time in the corner of the screen and check the Chromebook is on the same Wi-Fi as the printer, not a guest network or a phone hotspot.
You should see: The network name matches the one on the printer’s network report.
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Open the printer settings
Open Settings > Advanced > Print and scan > Printers. Layouts change between ChromeOS versions, so if you can’t see that path, type Printers into the search box at the top of Settings.
You should see: You see your saved printers and a list of printers available to save.
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Save a printer ChromeOS has found
In the list of printers available to save, select Save next to yours. If ChromeOS asks for a manufacturer and model, choose them from the lists, picking the closest match if your exact model isn’t there.
You should see: The printer moves into your saved printers.
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Add it by IP address if it isn’t found
Choose the option to add a printer manually. Give it a name, enter the printer’s IP address, set the protocol to IPP and leave the queue as
ipp/print, then select Add.You should see: The printer appears in your saved printers.
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Print with Ctrl + P
In any page or app, press Ctrl + P, choose your printer under Destination, check the pages, copies and colour settings, then select Print.
You should see: A printing notification appears and the page comes out.
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Check Print jobs if nothing comes out
Open the launcher, search for Print jobs and open it to see whether the job is waiting, printing or failed. Cancel a stuck job there and print it again.
You should see: The job shows as completed, or shows the error it stopped on.
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Remove and re-add a printer that moved
If a saved printer stopped working after a router or power change, open its menu in your saved printers, remove it, and add it again so ChromeOS picks up the printer’s current address.
You should see: The re-added printer prints your next job.
On the printer itself
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Print a network configuration page
From the printer’s settings or reports menu, print a network report and note the IP address and network name it lists.
You should see: You have the printer’s current address ready to type into ChromeOS.
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Make sure IPP and Bonjour are enabled
ChromeOS prints over IPP. Type the printer’s IP address into Chrome’s address bar to open its built-in web page, and check that IPP and Bonjour are enabled; the menus differ between makers.
You should see: The printer shows up in the Chromebook’s available printers within a minute.
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Reserve its IP address in the router
Give the printer a reserved address in your router’s settings so a saved printer doesn’t break the next time the router restarts.
You should see: The printer keeps the same address on every network report.
Did this fix it?
Good to hear. If the problem comes back, the steps will still be here, and your ticked steps are saved on this device.
Try these next:
- Restart both the Chromebook and the printer, then check the Destination list again.
- On a school or work Chromebook, printers are usually added by the administrator. Ask them to add yours rather than trying to work around the policy.
- Update ChromeOS from Settings > About ChromeOS; printing fixes arrive with system updates.
- Connect the printer by USB to confirm it works with the Chromebook at all; ChromeOS supports many USB printers too.
Still stuck? Run the diagnose questions, or check your printer’s manual and the manufacturer’s official support site.
Common questions
Does Google Cloud Print still work?
No. Google shut down Cloud Print at the end of 2020. Chromebooks now print straight to printers on the same network or plugged in by USB, with no Google cloud service in between.
Do I need to install a printer driver on a Chromebook?
No. ChromeOS doesn’t install drivers the way Windows does. It prints to most current printers using driverless printing, and for some older models it asks you to pick a manufacturer and model from a built-in list.
Can I print from my Chromebook when I’m away from home?
Not directly. ChromeOS prints to printers on your local network or over USB. Some manufacturers offer email-to-print or cloud printing through their own apps and accounts; check your printer’s support pages.