How to Fix Google Cloud Printer Offline Error

When you're trying to print a document with Google Cloud Print printers, a printer offline error can appear in several ways:

When selecting the printer, the printer's status is "offline"
Unable to select a printer, because the status is "looking for printer"
The document won't print after it's sent to the printer
The document sits in your device's print queue with the message, "waiting for printer"

Google Cloud Print will no longer work starting January 1, 2021. For more info, visit Google Cloud Print's support page.

Why Does My Printer Say Offline?

The main cause of a printer offline message is a communication breakdown between the printer and the device. If the printer is disconnected from the power source or the internet, Google Cloud Print will send an offline error message. There could also be a misconfiguration in the way Google Cloud print is set-up.

Print with paper that says — Keerati9999/Getty Images

If you're using a printer that's not Google cloud-ready, the desktop machine could be powered off or disconnected from the internet. Your printer could also need an upgrade of its firmware.

How to Fix Google Cloud Printer Offline Error

Ensure your printer is turned on. Turning your printer off, unplugging it completely, then reconnecting it and turning it back on could quickly resolve the issue. Restarting shuts down running processes, which could clear any errors or software malfunctions the printer is having.
Make sure your printer is connected to the internet. Google Cloud Printer requires a live connection to the internet, so if the printer has been disconnected for some reason, printing won't work.
If using a printer that's not Google cloud-ready, ensure the desktop machine has a live internet connection and isn't in sleep, standby, or hibernation mode.
Check to ensure that both your device and printer are signed into the same Google Account.
Verify you're sending the document to the correct printer. Within your Chrome or Google browser on your computer, select File > Print > Choose Printer, then select the printer you previously established as the Google Cloud Printer.
Check your printer configuration to ensure your printer isn't set to Use Printer Offline.
Update your device to the latest version of Chrome. Outdated software may have compatibility issues that could prevent your print job from executing.

Google Chrome and Google Apps allow Google Cloud Printing. If you're trying to print a web page on another browser, such as Safari or Internet Explorer, go to the browser's print menu. If you see a “Print” option with the Google Cloud Print logo, you're able to use the Google Cloud print feature.
Download and install the latest version of your printer's firmware. If your printer's firmware is out of date, it could prevent you from connecting to the internet or it could cause errors with Google Cloud Print.
Refresh your printer from the Google devices page. This helps ensure your device is recognized as either a Classic Printer or a Cloud Ready Printer so it can be shared across the network.
Delete your Google Cloud Print printer and connect it again. If all else fails, you could have corrupted software. Try deleting the application, then setting it up again. This could solve whatever issue was preventing printing.
Still offline? Try the Google Cloud Print Help pages to see if there's another issue that might be contributing to your problem. If that doesn't work, try troubleshooting why your printer is offline for additional suggestions.