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Want to know how to connect your printer to WiFi for Mac? We’ve got you covered in this handy step-by-step guide. Here, we’ll go through the general procedure for connecting your new printer to your WiFi network, allowing you to print wirelessly. Before starting, it’s always great to have the usual manual ready and give it a skim through so you’ve got a good understanding of the product.

How to add a printer to Mac on WiFi

First, unpack your printer, plug it in, and have a USB cable handy. It may be that you need to have your printer connected by USB for adding it as an available printer. Should anything go wrong with your printer’s WiFi connection in the future, it’s also handy to have a ‘USB printer’ available.

MacOS usually uses Airprint to connect to a printer, and if your printer supports Airprint it makes things far easier for setup. If that’s not available then the printer software for your model may be required. Install the software from your printer’s manufacturer and check for any software updates.

Then, to add a printer or printer scanner to your Mac follow the step-by-step instructions to get sorted for wireless printing.

Make sure the printer is switched on and is in range of your router.

Then press the WPS or WiFi button on your printer, followed by the WPS button on your router.

Go to System Preferences by clicking the Apple logo for the Apple menu in the top left of the screen.

Click on Printers and Scanners and then hit the + button.

So long as your printer is on and in range, it’ll come up alongside any other nearby printers as an option in the default tab.

Pick the printer from the list that you want to connect to.

Choose the driver for your specific printer from the ‘use’ to properly set it up.

If you cannot see your printer driver, select ‘auto select’ for the right driver to be automatically installed.

Finally, select ‘add’ and the printer will be connected to your Mac.

Should the correct driver not be available, you may need to restart your Mac for it to install before connecting.

Add a printer to Mac via IP Address

To add a printer on Mac via the printer’s IP address, in Step 4 above, select the IP tab instead of ‘default’, and ensure the ‘Protocol’ is set as Internet Printing Protocol (IPP). Then enter the printer’s IP address in the address field, and select the correct driver for the printer in the ‘Use’ field. Then click ‘add’.

Final thoughts

That’s all you need to know about connecting your wireless printer to your Mac. Remember, if you’re looking to invest in a new printer, make sure to check out our detailed buying guides, including the best printer for stickers, best printers for art prints, and our best 3D printers.