macOS updates generally go smoothly, but sometimes they introduce problems you don’t expect. After upgrading to macOS 26 Tahoe, many users noticed that their printers stopped working with their Mac. USB printers, network printers, and AirPrint devices were all affected. In some cases, printers disappeared from system settings. In others, print jobs would start and then just sit there, with no clear error.
If printing broke on your Mac after updating to macOS Tahoe 26, you’re definitely not the only one dealing with this issue. In this article, I explain what you can do to fix this problem.
It seems that this problem isn’t limited to one printer brand or one Mac model. Reports include HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, and Xerox printers running on Apple silicon Macs, including M1 and M3 models. Some users saw error messages related to CUPS, macOS’s printing system, while others didn’t see anything helpful at all.
Try these fixes:
1. Check Local Network access
Checking local network access is the first fix you should try if your printers stopped working after updating to macOS Tahoe 26:
Open System Settings, click Privacy & Security, then choose Local Network. Make sure printing-related apps and services are allowed. If this setting is turned off, network printers may not appear at all, or they may show up but never actually respond when you try to print.
In some cases, macOS privacy settings can block apps and network services after an update, even when everything worked fine before.
2. VPN software can block printing
VPNs appear to cause problems with printing on macOS Tahoe 26, especially for network and AirPrint printers. If you use a VPN, try removing it temporarily:
- Remove VPN configurations from System Settings
- Forget your Wi-Fi network and reconnect
- Test printing again
- Re-add the VPN only after printing works
3. Clear CUPS logs
If your printer disappeared from the Add Printer list, clearing CUPS log files may help. In Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder, then enter:
/var/log/cups
Delete the log files in this folder, then reopen Printers & Scanners and try adding your printer again. In several cases, printers reappeared almost immediately after doing this.
4. Reset the print system if needed
If you haven’t already tried it, resetting the print system is still worth doing.
- Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners
- Control-click the printer list
- Choose Reset printing system
- Restart your Mac and re-add the printer
See also: Can’t Highlight PDFs in macOS Tahoe 26? Here’s The Real Fix
