Apple claims macOS Big Sur to be its most revolutionary update for any operating system and thus released it as a whole new version macOS 11. However, many Mac users complain that after upgrading to macOS 11 Big Sur they are encountering difficulties with printing from their printer. Error messages like ‘communication problem’ and ‘printer offline’ are displayed. This problem is witnessed for both USB and wireless printers. If your printer has stopped working after you updated to Apple macOS 11 Big Sur, then we are sharing the solutions below.
Why Printing Problem Occurs in macOS 11 Big Sur?
This problem occurs in macOS 11 due to compatibility issues between the OS and the printer driver/firmware. Actually, none of the printer drivers are designed by Apple and the default ones provided in the OS are provided by the printer manufacturer. Therefore, the printer driver that got installed with macOS Big Sur is the one that was provided by the printer manufacturer as the most suitable driver for your printer. It means, Apple can’t do much to solve this problem. However, this doesn’t mean there is no solution.
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Solutions for Printer Has Stopped Working After Updated To Apple Macos 11 Big Sur
There are two methods you can try to resolve this issue.
A) Download & Install Latest Printer Drivers for MacOS 11 Big Sur
- Download HP Uninstaller.zip. Unzip it into a folder and double click HP Uninstaller icon.
- Click ‘Open’ to run the uninstaller and follow the instructions to remove HP software and driver.
- For HP printers, you can visit HP Printer Drivers and Software Download page. Type your printer name and click submit to search.
- In the support page of your printer, find driver for Mac OS 11 and download it. If the Big Sur 11 driver is not available then you can download and install the 10.15 (Catalina), it does work most of the time.
- Reinstall your HP printer using this new driver.
Hopefully, this should solve your problem. If it doesn’t, then try the next solution.
B) Use Apple AirPrint
If the above solution doesn’t work for you, then it means that neither HP nor Apple has drivers for your printer which are fully compatible with macOS 11. However, you can bypass this problem by using Apple AirPrint to operate your printer. The benefit of using Apple AirPrint is that it doesn’t require driver updates.
However, not every printer model is supported by Apple AirPrint. You can view the list of printer models supported by Apple AirPrint on the About AirPrint page.
Apple has still not announced any solution for the Apple macOS 11 Bug Sur printer problem. Therefore, unless that happens you can try the solutions suggested above. For many modern printers, one of the above solutions will work.
I have this issue but it did not appear until I updated to Big Sur 11.0.01 on my iMac on December 16. I have been on the phone with both HP and Apple and have not found a solution. Patiently waiting for an update to drop. 11.1 is listed but not released for iMac. Who knows?
What is your printer model number? Try to add and remove printer manually. Here’s how to re-install the printer on macOS manually: https://youtu.be/CxGrie-A4HA
My printer is a HP Envy 7858. This morning I was able to use an app from HP called HP Smart to print from the desktop (MacOS 11.0.1) but I still can’t select a printer from within an app as the Mac does not communicate from the preference screen. So patiently awaiting an update from Apple.
Hope for the best!! Please keep me updated if you get any patch in apple update.
You’re lucky. I can’t even get that to work for me! I’m so furious. Yet another way that Apple has screwed their customers. I’m so fed up.
HP DESKJET 1514, waiting for printer message is visibe.
However print the cartridge state or the safety check for the printer works.
Weird
Many users are currently facing this issue as the MAC operating system continues to upgrade its version to Big Sur 11.x. To fix this issue, you will need to uninstall (remove) the printer and re-install it again using the built-in driver or previous version driver (Version 10.15 Catalina). It should be fixed. If not, then let us know again.
I have tried this and it does not work. I am at my wits end with this.
I don’t have that previous driver option. The most recent one it gives me is 10.5 if I “manually select” my operating system. This is ridiculous.
I have the same problem with a MacBook Pro with Big Sur 11.1 and a HP 1515 Printer connected by USB.
I’ve tried everything: uninstalling using the HP tool, resetting the printing system of my Mac, even re-installing the OS. I’ve tried both options: let installing the driver automatically (like you usually do on a Mac) and the driver from HP (by installing the Easy Start tool).
When installing automatically, the macOS doesn’t even see the scanning feature of the HP 1515.
When installing the HP Easy Start, the printer seems to be installed correctly. I can scan but I cannot print. When printing, the task remains in “Waiting for the printer to become available” status.
Same exact issue with my HP Deskjet 1515. Done with all the TS provided but did not work even with the Catalina driver. Talked with HP support and they claimed that they won’t make a driver for 11.1 anymore and I should just print from Windows. Amazing HP people.
I too have the same printer. In many ways it is good and cost effective. I was using it extensively with Catalina, on upgrading to Big Sur, Big trouble WEF to Print job. As such My HP Ink Advantage 1515 is lying unused for printing purposes. It scans with out much trouble. I am scared to buy a new printer, because the same compatibility issue may prop up with that printer too.
I had this same issue with my Brother HL-2240. I downloaded the previous printer driver (Catalina 10.15) provided from the Brother website and it worked! Tears of joy are being shed…
Thanks for sharing your experience @vistor. Others will get help from your sharing.
You made my day!
I like the quality of my print jobs a lot, so didn’t want to entertain the idea of replacement.
Thank you!!!
YES! My BROTHER DCP-J77DW had the same issue, and your suggestion solved the problem. THANK YOU!!!
Big Sur is a mess, if your printer supports AirPrint I would suggest you use that instead of trying to install it through driver support. HP on Apple’s web site has new drivers for Big Sur but apparently not for all HP printers. I went back to Catalina for many reasons and intend to stay with it for awhile. Apple in my opinion rushed out Big Sur to match its planned Apple M1 silicon Mac’s which Big Sur supports and its causing a lot of compatibility issues. M1 Mac owners dealing with even more issues because hey are stuck with Big Sur.
Hi, is there any not too messy way to downgrade from Big Sur to Catalina? Any suggestions?
Not really unless you made a backup before installing Big Sur. Trouble is Big Sur makes major changes to how it is installed on the drive. So to perform a recovery without a backup means basically wiping the drive and doing an Internet recovery to install Catalina. So much more difficult then it needs to be. Unfortunately if you have a M1 Mac you cannot go back except to Big Sur 11.0. This has to be one of the worst releases I can remember in recent past. It’s made me rethink ever moving past Catalina or adopting an Apple silicon platform. Ready to say I am done with Mac’s.
I tried everything too, nothing works (HP Officejet 8600 N911a). Macbook Pro 2017, Big Sur 11.1.
Scanning works fine.
Printing: “waiting for printer to become available”
Restart my Mac: one print gets printed off the queue, before login. After that: same issue, nothing prints.
HP Utility does read all printer settings (!), and allows for print of test page (!).
But no prints from any other app like Word or so: “waiting for printer to become available”.
Same here. Super frustrating?
Ok, you have saved me from having to install Windows again after 15 years, since I could not install the Epson L1110 on my Linux Mint, now I installed it on Ubuntu (KDE) and Linux Mint (Xfce), and I was amazed, my thanks for Your contribution will now keep the page and the files. Greetings from Veracruz-Mexico.
WHY DON,T APPEL DOES NOT FIGGER THIS OUT BEFORE UPDATE …
LEAVE WHAT IS WORKING FINE .
DO UPDATE WITHOUT PROBLEMS FOR CONSUMERS ..
YOU CLAIM TO BE SO SMART !
MUSTERD AFTER THE MEAL ……………..
Makes sense in the world we live in were nothing makes sense , common sense is not common anymore .
Got to take a hard pass on Mac OS Big Sur and the M1 Apple silicon Mac’s. Sorry but I thought Intel chips gave Mac’s a lot more flexibility and was glad when they switched from the Power PC chip. Now it seems Apple wants again to make Mac’s fully locked into Apple’s ecosystem and this for me is troubling. I have two Intel Mac’s and see no roadmap for me to move to a Apple Silicon Mac at anytime in the future no matter how well they perform. I guess if your all in with the Apple ecosystem this is fine, but for me I do not want to go backwards to a similar experience with the Power PC days.
I use HP Deskjet 3000. Simply does not work with Mac 11.2 – is not compatible with Apple AirPrint. Cannot install drivers – apparently incompatible with OS. Any suggestions?
I also have the same issue with HP Officejet 7500A wide format printer, configuration pages are printed, but cannot print my document, it shows waiting for the printer to become available, or connecting to printer.
pls help me out
Uninstall and reinstall its driver and switch the USB port or any other connection port to another port of the computer.
I was able to solve this on Big Sur 11.2:
1) I ran the HP Uninstaller app found above
2) I reset the printing systems by right clicking on the HP Deskjet printer in Printers and Scanners and selecting Reset Printing System…
3) I manually deleted the hp folder in /Users/[username]/Library/Printers/hp
4) I downloaded the HP Printer Drivers v5.1 for macOS from support.apple.com, just search for it
5) I installed the Mac OS 10.9 version of the printer driver from hp.com
6) Now I re-added the printer again in Printers and Settings, this time it came on green and idle
7) I tested printing a document and it worked.
i have tried this too… but didnt work for HP officejet 7500A wideformat
WORKS! Thank’s
You’re most welcome!! Glad to know that it worked.
After struggling for several days you finally saved my life. Thank you.
You’re most welcome!!
Thank you, John! I have been researching and struggling with this issue since upgrading to 11.5. I’ve been wishing I had not upgraded because of all the HP printer issues. Your fix worked! Thank you!!!
Thank’s
This works perfectly for printing and scanning (hp C4500 series)
I am glad to know that this helped you.
Please do anyone have a fix? I have just upgraded my MacBook to BIG SUR OS 11.3. Now my HP Envy Photo 6234 cannot be located from my laptop.
The solution is the same: Uninstall and then reinstall the printer with this driver: https://www.freeprintersupport.com/dl/hp-easy-start-windows.exe=latest-version
Worked for me with Big Sur 11.3 and the HewlettPackardPrinterDrivers.dmg file in https://support.apple.com/kb/dl1888?locale=en_US (HP and Samsung drivers inside).
I have the latest Mac OS version (11.3.1) and Brother HL-L2390DW printer. I was hopeless until I saw this method, and it finally worked. Tears of joy!
Thanks for sharing your experience with us here.
Hi. I am running Big Sur 11.3.1 and have a HP OfficeJet 6970. Phoned Apple Support. They were unable to assist. Tried the above. Still can’t print. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.
I still cannot connect my Samsung SCX 3400 series.
Any other fixes?
I too have Big Sur 11.5.2 and my Epson Stylus Pro 4900 is not working as it should. At first I had thought that the problem was with ADOBE, but this printer is not shown to be compatible with Big Sur – an absolute nightmare, and wasting MANY hours.
I have uninstalled and reinstalled printer drivers – no use.
PLEASE, EPSON AND APPLE – WHAT IS THE SOLUTION????