Scan & copy
Scan to email won’t send
The printer scans the page but the email never arrives or fails with a sending error. Check the mail settings, sign-in method and file size step by step.
You’ll need: A computer or phone with a web browser · Your email provider’s outgoing mail (SMTP) settings · The printer’s IP address
Try this first
Send a one-page scan in black and white at low resolution to your own address. If it arrives, the mail settings work and your usual scans are too large. If it fails, open the printer’s built-in web page and check the outgoing mail settings; many email providers no longer accept a printer’s plain account password.
Didn’t work? Go to the full stepsWhat you’ll notice
- The printer shows a send failure, SMTP error or connection error
- Scan to email stopped working without any change on your side
- Small scans arrive but multi-page ones don’t
- The printer reports success, but nothing reaches the inbox
- Sign-in errors began after you changed your email password
Usually caused by
- Most commonThe email provider no longer accepts the saved password
- Most commonWrong outgoing server, port or encryption setting
- SometimesThe scan is too large for the mail server
- SometimesWrong date or time on the printer breaks secure connections
- SometimesOld printer firmware lacks current encryption support
- Less commonThe message was filtered as spam or rejected
Step by step
Work down the list in order. Tick off each step as you go: your progress is saved on this device.
On the printer itself
0 of 8 tried
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Send a small test scan
Scan one page in black and white at 150–200 dpi to your own address. A small file rules out size limits and tells you whether the problem is the settings or the attachment.
You should see: If the test arrives, go straight to the step on reducing file size.
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Open the printer’s web settings page
Find the printer’s IP address on its network screen or a printed network report and type it into a browser on a computer or phone on the same network. Sign in with the printer’s administrator password if asked (on many recent models it’s printed on a label on the printer) and open the email or SMTP settings.
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Check the outgoing server, port and security
Compare the SMTP server name, port and encryption setting with your email provider’s help page for sending from other devices. Port 587 with STARTTLS and port 465 with SSL/TLS are the usual pairings; a port and encryption setting that don’t match fail every time.
You should see: The printer’s connection test, if it has one, reports success.
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Use a sign-in method your provider accepts
Many large providers now refuse your normal account password from a printer. Check your provider’s help: some let you create an app password in your account’s security settings once two-step verification is on, and some no longer allow this kind of sign-in at all. An app password lets one device send without your two-step code, so create it for the printer alone and delete it when you retire the printer.
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Set the printer’s date and time
Secure mail connections check certificates against the current date. In the printer’s setup menu or web page, set the correct date, time and time zone, or turn on automatic time if it’s offered.
You should see: The date on the printer’s screen or settings page matches today.
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Reduce the file size
Lower the resolution to 200–300 dpi, scan text in black and white or grayscale, and choose PDF with compression if offered. Many mail servers cap attachments somewhere around 10–25 MB, and a high-resolution color scan of several pages passes that quickly.
You should see: The printer shows a smaller estimated file size, or the multi-page scan now arrives.
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Update the printer’s firmware
Older firmware may not support the encryption that mail servers now require. Update from the printer’s menu or web page, or with the package from the manufacturer’s official support site, and leave the printer powered on until it restarts by itself.
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Use the manufacturer’s app or scan to computer
Some manufacturers offer their own scan-to-email or scan-to-cloud service through their app, which handles the mail sign-in for you. Otherwise, scan to the computer or the phone app and send the file from your normal email.
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:
- Check the spam or junk folder, and send a test to an address at a different provider; some servers quietly drop mail from printers.
- If the email settings page has a Test or connection check, read the full error text. Words like authentication, certificate or timeout point to the sign-in, the date and time, or the server settings in turn.
- In an office with many users, a mail relay service designed for devices is more dependable than a personal mailbox; whoever manages your email can set one up.
Still stuck? Run the diagnose questions, or check your printer’s manual and the manufacturer’s official support site.
Common questions
Why did scan to email stop working on its own?
Usually because the email provider tightened its sign-in rules or changed its server requirements. The printer keeps sending the old way and gets refused.
Is it safe to store my email password in the printer?
Anyone who can open the printer’s settings may be able to use that account. Use an app password or a separate mailbox kept for scanning, and set an administrator password on the printer’s web page.
Which port should I use for scan to email?
Use whatever your email provider lists for sending from other devices. Port 587 with STARTTLS and port 465 with SSL/TLS are the usual options, and the encryption setting must match the port.