How to Make Brother Printer Discoverable? Quick Guide

How to make Brother printer discoverable? – is one of those questions that users always ask to make their life a lot easier.

If you are using a network printer in an office setting, you want to have access to it at all times.

It sure is handy to have a printer you can quickly search and print on since it will save you from a lot of headaches.

You must consider two important things if you want your Brother printer to be discoverable in your network. Most printers come with a wireless connection, and it’s a convenient feature to have. Ensure that the printer is connected to the same WiFi network as the other computers.

Why Make Your Brother Printer Discoverable?

There are a few reasons you want to make your Brother printer discoverable.

Of course, you can’t print documents at the same time, but being able to push the print button anywhere and get it to print is going to be a lot of help.

1. Print Anywhere

If you are wondering how to make my Brother printer discoverable and the various benefits it offers, one of them is the capability to print anywhere.

As long as you are in the same network, you can print any document from any compatible device.

2. Save Time

With a discoverable printer on your network, you can save a ton of time.

It’s not just you, but if you are in an office setting, everyone can save time since their print jobs can simply go in the queue and wait for the printer to do its thing.

3. Print Using Any Device

Another perk of a discoverable printer is it allows you to print using just about any device.

If you have the file saved on your phone, you can still print it on your printer without opening your computer. It will surely make your life a lot easier since you can print it right away from your phone.

How to Make Brother Printer Discoverable – Steps!

How do I make my Brother wireless printer discoverable? You have come to the right place.

This guide will tell you the steps so you can set up that printer in your office and be the hero.

A network printer is certainly great since you don’t have to worry about bringing the files with you to a dedicated printer.

Step #1: Configure Your Printer’s Wireless Settings

One of the first steps you need to take to make your Brother printer discoverable is configuring its wireless settings.

The latest printers come with WiFi capabilities that allow you to connect them to the network wirelessly.

You can say goodbye to ugly USB and printer cables since you can plug the printer, leave it in the corner, connect it to the network via WiFi, and get it to print tons of documents.

Before you do anything else, you must get your WiFi network’s SSID and password.

Your printer will not have a keyboard that will allow you to type this quickly, so it’s going to be worth your while to list this down.

After securing those, you can follow these steps to set up your printer to the wireless network:

1. Press the Menu button on the printer’s control panel.
2. Select Network and then go to WLAN. Press OK to confirm.
3. Choose Setup Wizard and select Yes when asked WLAN Enable?
4. The printer will display available SSID names. Select your network.
5. Enter the password and press OK to confirm.

Note: The printer will print a report that says you are connected successfully to the wireless network. This is your confirmation that your printer will be discoverable on the network.

Step #2: Download and Install the Printer’s Network Driver

After you set up your printer’s wireless settings, you will also need to get its network driver.

You will need this so your printer will know how to operate in a network setting. Without this, it will be impossible for your printer to perform print jobs from devices connected to the same network.

Since there are multiple ways to access your Brother printer, it’s important that you get the latest version of the driver and install it.

This way, you will be able to print from virtually any device on the network, from a computer, laptop, to even your smartphone.

1. Go to the Downloads section of the Brother website.
2. Download the Full Driver & Software Package for your printer.
3. Double click on the downloaded file to extract it.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver.

Note: Make sure that you are logged in as an administrator before installing the driver. 

After you complete these steps, make sure to restart your computer so the driver is activated, and you can start using your Brother printer wirelessly.

Step #3: Setup Bluetooth Connection

Some Brother printers have the capability to connect and print using Bluetooth. If your printer has this feature, you can also take advantage of this.

After you confirm that your printer can use Bluetooth, you will be able to set it up with your other devices so you can use it to print using this method.

Here are the steps to make your Brother printer Bluetooth discoverable:

1. Make sure your printer is turned on.
2. Press the Bluetooth key.
3. Turn on Bluetooth on your smartphone.
4. Wait for your device to search for available Bluetooth connections.
5. Select your printer to pair.

That’s it. You can now use your printer and print your documents via Bluetooth. This may not be the best for an office setting.

However, it’s the perfect alternative to make your printer discoverable for home use.

Step #4: Setup Connection with Android Devices

It’s also possible to print documents from your phone to a network-enabled printer.

To print from your Android phone, all you need is to connect to the same WiFi network as the printer. However, there is an added step that you need to take before you can start printing.

Here is how to set up the connection between your printer and Android device:

1. Connect it to the same WiFi network as your printer.
2. Download the Brother iPrint&Scan app from the Google Play Store.
3. Open the app and choose the document you want to print.
4. Select the machine you want to print to and hit Print.

Note: You can print files on your phone with these file types: PDF, DOC/DOCX, XLS/XLSX, PPT/PPTX, TXT. You can also print JPEGs from your phone.

Step #5: Setup Connection with Apple Devices

For Apple devices, you can also use the Brother iPrint&Scan app. However, Apple does recommend using AirPrint since you will not need to install an additional app or more drivers.

Brother printers, especially those with WiFi capabilities, can accommodate AirPrint, allowing you to print files quickly from any of your Apple devices.

Here’s how to connect your Apple devices to your Brother printer via AirPrint:

1. Launch the AirPrint app.
2. Select the file or photo you want to print.
3. Find the ellipsis button and tap on it to open the printing options.
4. On the Printer Options screen, choose your printer.
5. Tap Print.

Note: Make sure that your device and the printer are connected to a single network. 

It will be impossible to find your printer on the options screen if you do not do this. This is an easy setting to overlook, so double-check before printing.

Read Next: Why Is My Brother Printer Not Connecting to My Computer?

Thus, to make Brother printer discoverable, your printer needs to be connected to a WiFi network with the other devices you want to use to print. Whether you are using a computer, laptop, or phone, you will be able to find the printer and send it print jobs in no time.

Last Thoughts

If you are still asking how to make Brother printer discoverable, we hope that this guide has helped you. The latest printers come with WiFi connectivity, and you should be able to see it whenever you click the print button.

You can always contact the Brother support team if you are still having a hard time discovering the printers in your network.

There could be a network hardware fault on your printer that prevents it from appearing in your print list. If you are experiencing this, your printer might be due for repairs or replacement.