Brother Airprint not working

A Brother Airprint not working issue can be frustrating, especially when your task is due. Fortunately, we have the solution to your problem.

The error commonly occurs when printing from an iPhone to a Brother printer.

The iOS device is unable to find the printer on the network. Many environmental factors contribute to this issue.

If you want to resolve your Brother Airprint not working issue, we’re here to help you!

The first thing you should do if Airprint isn’t working is check whether your iOS device and Brother printer are on the same network. If the wrong network is set, select the correct one and try again.

Before discussing the step-by-step process of our surefire solutions, let us learn the reasons your Brother printer Airprint isn’t working.

Reasons Why Brother Printer Airprint Not Working

When air printing to your Brother printer, you may encounter various problems that will keep you from completing the job.

The most common culprit is connectivity issues. Check if your iOS device and Brother printer are connected to the same network.

1. Not Connected To The Network

Either your iPhone is not connected to the network of your Brother printer, or you selected the wrong network.

2. Airprint Protocol Is Not Enabled

 If Airprint protocol is enabled by default. If disabled, the Airprint feature will not be available.

3. Outdated Device Firmware

The firmware version installed in your printer may not be up to date. This means you missed out on some important bug fixes that may be causing the issue.

4. Temporary Glitches

If your Brother isn’t printing wirelessly, you may be dealing with a minor glitch. Rebooting your device refreshes the system and, hopefully, clears the issue.

These are the possible reasons for your Brother printer Airprint not working.

Once you determine the real cause, you can apply the best solution to your problem.

How to Fix Brother Airprint Not Working

fix Brother Airprint not working

If you are still wondering, “Can I AirPrint to my Brother printer?” the answer is yes! You should be able to AirPrint to your Brother printer.

Before we begin with the solutions, check if your Brother printer supports AirPrint. Do a quick Google search or look through your manufacturer’s website.

If your printer is AirPrint compatible, you should be able to wirelessly from your iOS device.

Sometimes, AirPrint also does not work due to minor setbacks like your Brother printer running out of ink or paper.

Perform regular checks on these parts to rule them out. If AirPrint is still not working, restart your printer. It should help resolve minor issues, such as temporary glitches and bug errors.

Now that we have tackled the basic concerns let us learn about the plausible fixes in more detail.

Solution #1: Power Cycle Your Devices

A restart should be more than enough to get your Brother printer to use AirPrint for printing documents from your phone or tablet.

However, if you’re still experiencing difficulty in connecting or printing, you want to consider power cycling your devices.

You want to look at power cycling your printer and router as these can affect your network settings.

You can also restart your phone while the other devices are cycled to achieve the best results.

Here’s how to power cycle your devices:

  1. Turn off your Brother printer.
  2. Press and hold the Power and Feed buttons for 3 seconds.
  3. Unplug the printer and leave it for 2 to 5 minutes.
  4. Turn off and unplug your router for 2 to 5 minutes.
  5. Plug both devices and turn on the router first.
Note: You’ll need to get your router connected to the internet first before powering up your printer.

Solution #2: Toggle Airplane Mode On then Off

turn airplane mode off

If your Brother printer does not print using AirPrint, its connectivity to your network is the most likely culprit.

Your phone can say it’s connected to the internet, but glitches can occur where it’s only showing the icon.

In this case, you want to reset your phone’s network connections. The quickest and most effective method would be using your phone’s Airplane Mode feature.

Here’s how to use your phone’s Airplane Mode to refresh its connection:

  1. Open your phone’s Settings app.
  2. Find the Airplane Mode setting.
  3. Move the slider to the ON position.
  4. Wait for 2 minutes.
  5. Tap the slider again to turn Airplane Mode off.
Tip: You can also use your phone’s Control Center to switch Airplane Mode.

Solution #3: Connect Your Devices to the Same 2.4 GHz Network

Now that you’ve reset your phone’s connectivity, it should be able to pick up your Brother printer.

You should now be able to print your documents via AirPrint. However, if your phone is still unable to identify your printer, there’s a good chance they’re not on the same network.

It can get confusing, especially if you only have one WiFi network at home.

connect to same network

However, with dual-band routers and your phone connected to 5G WiFi, it won’t be able to detect your printer.

Brother printers can only connect to 2.4 GHz WiFi, so you’ll need to connect to it if you want to use AirPrint.

Here’s how to check your Brother printer’s network settings:

  1. Go to your Brother printer’s Menu.
  2. Select Print Reports.
  3. Choose Network Configuration.
  4. Select Yes to start printing.
  5. Find the SSID name on the report.

Now that you know the WiFi network your printer is connected to, you can now connect your phone to the same one.

You’ll have to be wary of 2.4G or 5G connections so you can get both devices on the same network.

Here’s how to connect your Apple device to the same wireless network:

  1. Go to your phone Settings.
  2. Select WiFi to know the network your phone is connecting to.
  3. Confirm the SSID is the same as your Brother printer.
  4. If not, connect your phone to the same SSID.
Note: To simplify things, you can also turn off 5G WiFi on your router’s settings.

Solution #4: Enable Airprint on Your Brother Printer

Your printer can support AirPrint technology, but if it’s switched off, it won’t be able to print any documents from your phone wirelessly.

You want to make sure that your printer has AirPrint enabled.

You’ll also find your printer’s IP address on your printer’s network configuration print-out.

You can use this to configure your printer and set up protocols like AirPrint so you can print straight from your phone.

enable airprint

Here’s how to enable AirPrint on your printer:

  1. Find your printer’s IP address from the Network Configuration report.
  2. Open a web browser on your phone.
  3. Type in your printer’s IP address on the address bar.
  4. On your printer’s home page, select AirPrint.
  5. Set the Status to Enabled.
Note: Your printer should now be able to recognize devices AirPrint-compatible devices on your network.

Solution #5: Enable IPv6 on Your Printer

Is your Brother printer suffering from repeated network disconnections that cause the AirPrint not working error?

If it does, you want to check your printer’s overall connectivity as there may be something wrong with it.

As long as you know that it’s not your router or a software glitch, there’s one more thing you can check.

Enabling IPv6 on your printer can help ease the connectivity problems and stabilize its connection. This is particularly helpful if you are wirelessly connecting your printer to the network.

enable ipv6 router

Here’s how to enable IPv6 on your Brother printer:

  1. Go to your printer’s Settings.
  2. Select All Settings, then Network.
  3. Select WLAN, then TCP/IP.
  4. Navigate to IPv6, then select it.
  5. Press On.
Tip: You’ll need to turn off your machine, wait for at least 15 seconds, then restart it for the settings to activate.

This is how you fix if you encounter the AirPrint not working error on your Brother Printer. You can also update your printer’s software, as outdated software can cause this problem.

Calling Brother customer support is also an option, as they’ll be able to assist you with your AirPrint and other connectivity concerns.

Read Next: How to Fix Brother MFC-5895CW Not Printing?

Bottom Line

Now that you know how to fix your Brother AirPrint not working, following these solutions can help you achieve that in less than 10 minutes.

The steps are easy to follow, and you can resolve this problem even if you don’t have any technical experience with printers or similar devices.