One of the more common printer issues experienced by Apple users is the printer going offline after establishing a connection with iOS devices. The error messages displayed are ‘Printer Not Responding’ or ‘Printer Offline’. If you have an HP printer and are seeing the above error messages, follow the troubleshooting steps set out below:

USB printer connection

The error message ‘Printer Offline’ indicates, the Mac/iOS device is not able to communicate with the printer. There can be several reasons for this error such as the Printer is powered down or the USB cable is not properly seated in the USB slot.  Below are the troubleshooting steps you need to follow in order to fix this USB printer issue with iOS devices:

1. Power down the printer and remove the USB cable from the rear of the printer
2. Wait for a few minutes
3. Press the Power button to switch the Printer back on
4. Wait for a few seconds
5. Reconnect the USB cable to the rear of the printer
6. Ensure the USB cable is secured in the connection slot
7. If the printer starts printing, let it print

If the above troubleshooting steps don’t resolve the issue, you need to reset the Printer by following steps below:

Reset the USB Printer

1. With the Printer turned on, remove the power cable from the rear of the printer
2. Unplug the power cord from the wall socket
3. Wait for 1-2 minutes
4. Plug the power cord back in to the wall socket
5. Reconnect the power cord to the rear of the printer
6. If the printer does not turn on, press the Power button to switch it on
7. Try printing some document from the iOS device. If the printer prints, the problems are resolved. Otherwise, follow the further troubleshooting steps below

Remove additional printers from the printer list  

There is a possibility that your iOS device has several printers associated with it. You need to remove all printers in the printer list except the one in idle status. Here are steps you need to follow:

1. Search the iOS device/Mac for Print
2. Click Print & Scan, Printers & Scanners, or Print & Fax, in the list of results
3. Find the printer name in the list that matches with your printer
4. If you see multiple queues for the same printer, remove all extra printers one at a time
5. To remove a printer, select the printer and then click the minus (-) button to remove the printer from the list
6. Leave the printer that shows an idle status

In most cases, the printer problem will be resolved. If the problem still persists, remove the remaining printer from the list by following steps 5-6. Then you will need to add a printer as there will be no printers associated with your device.

Add a Printer to an iOS device

1. Search the iOS device/Mac for Print
2. Click Print & Scan, Printers & Scanners, or Print & Fax, in the list of results
3. Click Add button
4. Select your Printer model from the Printer list
5. Select ‘AirPrint’ in Use field with the printer name selected
6. Click Add to add your printer