How to Delete a Printer on Mac: 6 Easy Uninstall Steps (8 Tips)

Trying to remove a printer from your Mac? Whether you’re troubleshooting an error or getting rid of an old printer, here’s how to delete a printer on Mac. Uninstalling the driver is quite straightforward.

With this simple step-by-step guide, we can help you walk through every step of the printer removal process. Follow this article to uninstall a printer on your Mac laptop or desktop computer.

Step-by-Step Guide to Delete a Printer on Your Mac

1. Click on System Preferences on the main menu. If you’re not acquainted with it, it’s the silver icon with the gear on it on the top left of your screen.
2. Click the Printers & Scanners icon in the second column of symbols from the top.
3. The “textSecure” may be accompanied by a lock icon in the bottom left corner of the screen. Click it to unlock and enter your password.
4. If you don’t have a password, click “Don’t ask for a password,” then click again on the secure printers & scanners icon. Alternatively, click the lock icon while it’s unlocked to tell you that there are no special privileges to work with.
5. Click on the printer you want to uninstall and select “Deleting” from the pop-up menu. If everything goes well, you should enable the icon in the window. You’ll also get a warning that pops up, asking if you’re certain.
6. Click on Remove Printer in the confirmation box that pops up or hit Enter. You’ve now successfully uninstalled your printer!

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8 Tips for Uninstalling a Printer on Mac

1. If your printer is about to be uninstalled, you’ll receive a warning that the printer will no longer be available on your computer.
2. If the “Remove Printer” button doesn’t appear in the pop-up window, you should move it to make room for the new application. 
3. We do not recommend deleting printers while they are still used or used by other programs. 
4. If you’re unsure which printer you want to uninstall, start by clicking on any icons near the bottom of the list. All printers that are currently working properly on your computer will show at the bottom of your screen.
5. If you’re trying to install an older program version, it may be best to uninstall the newer one first. If you don’t know to uninstall a program, use the uninstall wizard in your system preferences again. 
6. If you don’t have an older program version, you may need to download itt.
7. If you’re trying to uninstall a program for more than one printer, don’t delete the same printer twice. Only delete the printer once. 
8. If you see any error messages after trying to uninstall a program or printer, restart your computer and try again. If you can go into System Preferences, click on the “Printers & Scanners” icon and select “Secure” from the list of printers.

Find one of these and remove it to uninstall your printer.

Here are 8 ways to fix a printer in an error state.

Warnings When Uninstalling a Printer

Remember that some printers may need special permissions to be uninstalled. We recommend that you do not uninstall any printer if this is your first time trying to remove a printer from your computer. 

If you are still not sure about which printer to remove, err on the side of caution and wait. It is always better to be safe than sorry!

More reading: How to Rename a Printer in Windows and Mac

Your Turn

If you follow these instructions carefully, you should be able to remove a printer from your system. Hopefully, the above instructions were able to help. Please share your tips and questions below!