Brother Printer Offline? How to Fix It on Windows 10, 11, and Mac

504 4 minutes read

When your Brother printer shows offline, you may be unable to print documents even when the printer is powered on. This issue can occur because of a weak Wi-Fi connection, incorrect printer settings, outdated drivers, or any communication problem between your computer and printer.

Before reinstalling the printer software, try these troubleshooting steps to identify the cause and bring your Brother printer back online.

Why is My Brother Printer Offline?

Your Brother printer may appear offline for these reasons:

The printer is disconnected from Wi-Fi or USB.
The printer is set to offline mode.
The wrong printer is selected as the default.
Print jobs are stuck in the queue.
The printer driver is outdated or corrupted.
The computer and printer are connected to different networks.

Check the printer’s display for error messages and confirm that it is ready to print before proceeding.

How to Fix Brother Printer Offline

Step 1: Check the Printer Connection

Make sure your Brother printer is powered on and has no paper, toner, or any other error messages.

For a wireless printer, verify that Wi-Fi is enabled and the printer is connected to your intended network.
For a USB printer, reconnect the cable securely and try another USB port if necessary. Restart the printer and computer, and then try printing again.

Step 2: Disable Use Printer Offline on Windows

If your Brother printer shows offline on Windows, the offline setting may be enabled.

Open Settings and select Bluetooth & Devices.
Select Printers & Scanners.
Choose your Brother printer and open its print queue.
In the classic print queue menu, open Printer and check whether Use Printer Offline is enabled.
If it is enabled, disable it.

Menu names can vary depending on your Windows version and printer driver. Try printing a test page to check whether the connection is restored.

Step 3: Restore Brother Printer Offline on Windows 10

If you have just seen “Brother printer offline” in Windows 10, check the printer status and connection settings.

Open Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
Select your Brother printer and click Manage.
Open the print queue and check the printer menu for offline settings.
Clear any stuck print jobs.
Set your Brother printer as the default printer if necessary.

If the problem continues, open Device Manager or the Brother support website to check for the correct printer driver for your model.

Step 4: Fix Brother Printer Offline on Windows 11

To bring your Brother printer online on Windows 11, follow these steps:

Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
Select your Brother printer.
Open the print queue and check for paused or stuck jobs.
Verify that the printer is online and ready.
If needed, remove the printer and add it again using Add device.

Also, check that Windows has selected the correct printer rather than an unused or duplicate printer entry.

Step 5: Fix Brother Printer Offline on Mac

If you experience the Brother printer offline on Mac, the printer may have lost its network connection or the print queue may be unresponsive.

Open the Apple menu > System Settings > Printers & Scanners.
Select your Brother printer and check its status.
Confirm that the printer and Mac are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
Open the print queue and cancel any stuck jobs.
Restart the printer and Mac, then try printing again.

If the printer remains offline, remove it from Printers & Scanners and add it again. Choose the correct printer from the available list and install compatible software if prompted.

Step 6: Clear Stuck Print Jobs

A blocked print queue can prevent new documents from printing.

Open your printer’s queue, cancel pending jobs, and wait for the queue to clear.
If jobs remain stuck, restart the printer and computer before trying again.
On Windows, restarting the Print Spooler service may help.
On Mac, removing and re-adding the printer may resolve persistent queue problems.

Step 7: Update or Reinstall the Printer Driver

An outdated or incompatible driver can easily interrupt your computer from communicating correctly with the printer.

Visit the official Brother support website.
Search for your exact printer model.
Download the compatible driver or software package for your operating system.
Follow the installation instructions and restart the computer if needed.
Avoid installing drivers from unknown third-party websites.

How to Prevent Brother Printer Offline Errors?

To reduce the chances of the problem returning:

Keep your printer software and drivers updated.
Maintain a stable Wi-Fi connection.
Use the correct default printer.
Remove stuck print jobs promptly.
Restart your printer periodically.
Keep your computer and printer connected to the intended network.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Why does my Brother printer keep going offline?

Ans: Frequent offline errors can result from unstable Wi-Fi, incorrect printer settings, driver issues, or a changing network address. Check the connection first and verify that your computer is communicating with the correct printer.

Q2: How do I get my Brother printer back online?

Ans: Check the printer’s power and connection, disable offline mode if enabled, clear stuck print jobs, and restart the printer. If the issue persists, update the driver or remove and add the printer again.

Q3: Can an outdated driver cause a Brother printer to go offline?

Ans: Yes, an outdated or incompatible driver can interfere with communication between your computer and printer. Installing the correct driver for your model and operating system may resolve the issue.

Final Thoughts

A Brother printer showing offline does not always indicate a hardware fault. Checking the connection, correcting the printer settings, clearing stuck jobs, and updating the printer driver can often resolve the problem. Whether you are using Windows 10, Windows 11, or Mac, start with the simplest checks before reinstalling the printer software.