How to Add and Set Up a Printer on a Chromebook

ChromeOS printer basics

You add a printer to any Chromebook in the same place: the ChromeOS Settings app. Select the time at the bottom right of the screen, open Settings, go to Devices, then choose Printers and scanners. ChromeOS handles printer connections itself, so most setups do not require you to download or install a driver. Once ChromeOS detects the printer, it appears in the Print dialog and in Settings.

ChromeOS treats USB, Wi-Fi, cloud, and save-as-PDF printing as part of the same print flow. Turn the printer on, connect it by USB or put it on the same network for wireless printing, then add it from Printers and scanners. The exact order matters less than the network and power basics. For a broader look at how printing fits into ChromeOS, see How to Print From a Chromebook.

• Update ChromeOS before adding a printer
• Connect the printer by USB or to the same Wi-Fi network
• Open Settings, then Devices, then Printers and scanners
• Select Add printer and choose the printer in the list

Update ChromeOS first

If a printer does not appear, the first thing to check is whether ChromeOS is fully updated. Your Chromebook automatically checks for updates and downloads them when it connects to the internet, then asks you to restart to finish the install. To check manually, select the time in the bottom right, open Settings, choose About ChromeOS, and select Check for updates.

Keeping ChromeOS current matters for printing because ChromeOS updates are applied across the operating system, browser, and hardware. A current system is more likely to recognize a new printer and to keep working after the printer maker changes its own software. See How to Check and Install ChromeOS Updates for the full update steps and Chromebook Update Policy for how long your model will keep receiving them.

ChromeOS devices receive 10 years of updates. A newer Chromebook has many years of updates still ahead, which means it will keep gaining printer compatibility and security fixes well into the future. If you are choosing a device and expect to print from it for years, favor one with a long remaining update window. Current Chromebook Plus models are recent devices backed by ongoing ChromeOS updates, so the best Chromebook Plus laptops guide is a useful place to start comparing.

Add a USB printer

To add a printer over USB, plug the printer into a USB port on the Chromebook and turn the printer on. Open Settings, go to Devices, then Printers and scanners, and select Add printer. ChromeOS looks for the device and lists it when the printer is detected. Choose the printer and follow the on-screen prompts; the built-in ChromeOS printing stack does the rest.

If ChromeOS does not list the printer, check the cable and try another port, restart the Chromebook, and make sure the printer has finished its startup cycle. Some printers have a companion Android app that can complete setup; Chromebooks can run Android apps, so that app works the same way it would on a phone. For more on the ports and how USB works on these devices, see Chromebook Ports and What Apps Work on a Chromebook? Android, Linux, and Web.

If you have turned on the Linux container, note that ChromeOS documents Android device support over USB in Linux but not broader support for other USB devices. Printer setup belongs in ChromeOS Settings, not inside the Linux environment.

Add a Wi-Fi printer

A Wi-Fi printer needs to be on the same network as your Chromebook. If the printer is not connected to Wi-Fi yet, use the printer maker's app or the printer's own front panel to join it to your home or office network. Once the printer is online, open Settings, go to Devices, then Printers and scanners, and select Add printer. ChromeOS searches the local network and lists compatible printers.

If the printer does not show up in the list, confirm that the Chromebook and printer are on the same network and the same wireless band. Turning the printer's wireless radio on, placing it closer to the router, and restarting both devices often resolves detection problems. Some setup screens also let you add a printer manually by its IP address; use that option only if the printer's network settings show a fixed address you can enter.

For help joining your Chromebook to Wi-Fi in the first place, see How to Connect a Chromebook to Wi-Fi Networks. A stable connection is the most common requirement for wireless printing.

Cloud printing options after Google Cloud Print

Google Cloud Print is no longer available, so you will not find it in ChromeOS Settings. In its place, ChromeOS offers built-in ways to get a document onto paper without a cable. The standard Print dialog includes Save as PDF, and saving a file to Google Drive lets you open it later on any internet-connected computer or phone and print it there.

Most printer makers provide their own cloud printing service through a companion app or a web dashboard. You create an account with the printer maker, link the printer to that account, and then you can send jobs to the printer from a phone or another computer. On the Chromebook itself, the printer maker's Android app can also handle scanning, ink levels, and maintenance.

When you print from a website, an app, or an Android app on a Chromebook, you use the same ChromeOS Print dialog. Select the printer, adjust settings such as pages and color, and choose Print. The dialog shows cloud destinations such as Save as PDF whenever the system can create a file for later printing.

Set a default printer and print preferences

After a printer is added, you can make it the default. Open Settings, go to Devices, then Printers and scanners, select the printer, and choose Set as default. The next time you print, ChromeOS preselects that printer in the Print dialog.

Print preferences such as paper size, color or grayscale, and double-sided printing appear in the Print dialog each time you print. Check the preferences or properties area inside the dialog to control a single job. For more permanent choices, the printer maker's app often exposes the same settings outside the Print dialog.

If a print job becomes stuck, open the print queue from the notification area and cancel or clear the job. For a step-by-step walkthrough, see How to Clear the Print Queue on a Chromebook.

Troubleshooting printers on a Chromebook

Most printer problems on a Chromebook are detection problems. Restart the printer, restart the router if you are printing over Wi-Fi, and restart the Chromebook. Let ChromeOS finish any pending updates, then try adding the printer again from Printers and scanners.

On a Chromebook managed by a school or business, the administrator controls device policies and can limit which printers are available. If you cannot add a printer and the device is managed, contact the administrator instead of trying to bypass the policy. The same is true for updates: a managed device may require the administrator to approve an update before it is installed.

For a printer that worked before and then stopped, remove it from Printers and scanners, update ChromeOS, and add the printer again. Keep the Chromebook updated, because printing fixes often arrive as part of ChromeOS updates.

What to pick for your use

Questions

Why will my Chromebook not find my printer?

Start with the basics: make sure the printer is on, connected by USB or to the same Wi-Fi network as the Chromebook, and that ChromeOS is updated. Restart the printer and Chromebook, then open Settings, go to Devices, Printers and scanners, and add the printer again.

Does a Chromebook need printer drivers?

In most cases, no. ChromeOS includes built-in printing support, so you do not install a separate driver. If a printer is not detected, use the printer maker's Android companion app or add the printer manually if the setup screen offers that option.

How do I connect a printer to a Chromebook wirelessly?

Put the printer on the same Wi-Fi network as the Chromebook, then open Settings, go to Devices, Printers and scanners, and select Add printer. ChromeOS lists printers it finds on the network. If none appears, check that both devices are on the same wireless band and close enough to the router.

Is Google Cloud Print still available?

No. Google Cloud Print has been shut down. Instead, use the Save as PDF option in the ChromeOS Print dialog, save the file to Google Drive and print it from another device, or use your printer maker's cloud service.

Can I print from my phone to a printer set up on my Chromebook?

If the printer is connected to your network, you can print to it from a phone using the printer maker's app or its cloud service. You can also save a file from your Chromebook to Google Drive and print it later from any internet-connected device.

Why is a print job stuck in the queue?

A stuck job is usually caused by the printer going offline mid-print. Cancel the job from the print queue, restart the printer, and clear the queue if needed. Remove and re-add the printer in Settings if the problem comes back.

What can I do on a managed work or school Chromebook?

The administrator controls what you can connect and which services are allowed. Contact the administrator to request access to the printer or to learn the approved setup steps. A policy, not a hardware fault, is often the cause.