Troubleshoot connection issues on printers
Receipt and kitchen printers can connect to the Square POS apps or devices through USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Ethernet. This article provides troubleshooting for printers if you are experiencing connectivity issues.
Learn how to connect a printer to your point of sale.
Before you begin
When to troubleshoot
Printer connection troubleshooting involves steps that include checking your setup and accessing your Bluetooth or network (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) settings. You may also need to reboot your printer, Wi-Fi router/modem, Square hardware, or point of sale device. If at all possible, try to troubleshoot your printer after hours. If you must troubleshoot during the workday, try to avoid peak busy hours so your customers will experience few delays.
Identify your printer model
There are a couple of ways to identify your printer.
Model name and number: The distinct reference for a particular version of a printer. The location of the model name and number may vary depending on the type of printer.
Printer IP address: A long sequence of numbers (example: 192.168.1.123). This can be found on a printer status sheet, and will be unique per network printer within a given location. This only applies to network printers.
Printer connection types
Troubleshooting steps vary depending on the type of printer you have. First, identify your printer to make sure you attempt the correct steps.
USB printers plug directly into the compatible POS device.
Bluetooth printers connect to your device wirelessly using the Bluetooth connection.
Wi-Fi printers connect wirelessly to your router.
Ethernet printers plug into your router or switch using an Ethernet cable.
Check your printer setup
USB printers: If you are using Square Stand, Square Register, or Square Terminal, you can plug your USB accessory directly into the USB hub on the power cord. For Android devices, you’ll need to connect through a USB OTG (On-The-Go) adaptor. Check that your Android device supports USB OTG or USB Host mode. USB printers are hardwired to one POS device and only that POS can print to the USB printer.
Bluetooth printers: Bluetooth works best in close proximity, and is not recommended for kitchen printers. Make sure that your device and hardware accessories are all within 10ft. of each other. Bluetooth printers can only be wirelessly connected to one POS device at a time and only that POS can print to the bluetooth printer.
Wi-Fi or Ethernet printers: Make sure your device and hardware accessories are connected to the same network via Wi-Fi or Ethernet. If they are on different networks, the connection will not be successful. Once connected to your router via the Ethernet cable, your hardware accessories will connect to your POS device through the Wi-Fi connection. You won’t be able to use an Ethernet connection with Offline payments.
Step 1: Check your printer connection
While specific troubleshooting solutions vary depending on printer models, there are basic checks you can make for connection issues you encounter with your printer.
You can check your printer’s connection status in the Square POS app or on your Square hardware.
Open the Square POS app on your Square hardware or device.
Tap ≡ More > Settings > Hardware > Printers.
You should see your printer listed under Printers.
If you are connecting a new printer for the first time and you do not see your printer listed, move on to step two.
You can also check for your printer’s general connection status via the manufacturers, Star and Epson.
Download the Star app or the Epson app and check if your printer is discoverable. If the app does not detect your printer, check the manufacturer’s documentation to make sure it is correctly configured and has access to your network.
Option 1: Troubleshoot a USB printer
You can connect a USB printer to Square Stand (1st and 2nd generation), Square Terminal, Square Register, or an Android device.
- Turn your printer off and unplug all USB cables.
- Plug all USB cables back in and turn the printer on.
- Make sure the USB printer is plugged into an AC outlet.
- Make sure the USB printer is firmly connected to Square Stand.
- Make sure there’s a roll of paper in the printer.
If your printer is still not connecting, move on to Step 2.
- Make sure the USB printer is plugged into an AC outlet.
- Make sure the USB printer is firmly connected to your Android device via a USB cable and an On-The-Go adapter.
- Make sure there’s a roll of paper in the printer.
- Turn your POS device completely off and then back on.
If your printer is still not connecting, move on to Step 2.
Option 2: Troubleshoot a Bluetooth printer
You can pair multiple Bluetooth printers to a point of sale device. However, a single Bluetooth printer can only be paired to one point of sale device.
- Check that the printer isn’t already paired to another device.
- Make sure the printer is fully plugged in and a roll of paper is in the printer.
- Turn your POS device’s Bluetooth setting off and then on again.
- For iOS devices, Square needs bluetooth access in order to connect to bluetooth printers. Toggle ON for Bluetooth in your device Settings > Square > Bluetooth to enable access, then relaunch the Square POS app.
- Turn your printer off and unplug all cables. Wait 10 seconds. Plug all cables back in and turn the printer on.
- Forget the printer from your iOS bluetooth settings by going to Settings > Bluetooth > Printer Name > Forget This Device.
- Follow the steps to connect a printer to your point of sale.
If your printer is still not connecting, move on to Step 2.
- Turn your printer off and unplug all cables. Wait 10 seconds. Plug all cables back in and turn the printer on.
- Check that the printer is fully plugged in and a roll of paper is in the printer.
- Make sure your printer is discoverable by using your phone or tablet and turning the Bluetooth setting off and then on again. You will see your printer listed under available devices.
- Try pairing your printer again from Square Register:
- Tap ≡ More > Settings > Hardware > toggle Bluetooth OFF then ON.
- Tap Settings > Connect a Printer > Retry scanning.
If your printer is still not connecting, move on to Step 2.
Option 3: Troubleshoot a Wi-Fi or Ethernet printer
You can connect printers to your internet network through Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
- Turn your Square POS device’s Wi-Fi off and then on again.
- Check that your Square POS device is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your printer.
- For iOS devices, Square needs access to your local network in order to connect to network printers. On your iOS device go to Settings > Square > Local Network > Toggle ON to enable access, then relaunch the Square POS app.
- Turn your router off and then on again.
- Turn your printer off and unplug all cables. Plug all cables back in and turn the printer on.
If your printer is still not connecting, move on to Step 2.
- If connected over Wi-Fi, turn your Square POS device’s Wi-Fi off and then on again.
- Check that your Square POS device is connected to the same network as your printer.
- Turn your printer off and unplug all cables. Wait 10 seconds. Plug all cables back in and turn the printer on.
- Check that the printer is fully plugged in and a roll of paper is in the printer.
- For iOS devices, Square needs access to your local network in order to connect to network printers. On your iOS device go to Settings > Square > Local Network > Toggle ON to enable access, then relaunch the Square POS app.
- Check that your Ethernet cable is connected to the right piece of hardware.
- Turn your router off and then on again.
- Check that the Ethernet cable connecting the printer to the network is properly connected to the Ethernet port on each device.
If your printer is still not connecting, move on to Step 2.
Step 2: Restart your printer, Square hardware, or POS device
If you are still not able to connect your printer after attempting the troubleshooting steps above, you need to restart your printer, Square hardware, or POS device.
There are a few tasks to complete to properly restart your Square hardware. First, you need to do a simple restart of your Square Terminal or Square Register.
- Press and hold the power button and release as soon as you see the Restart option.
- Tap Restart.
- If you hold the power button down too long and see a black screen with a count-down timer, immediately release the power button before the timer goes to 0. If you don’t, this will Factory Reset instead of restarting it.
- Try to establish a printer connection before moving on to the steps below to factory reset your Square Terminal or Square Register.
First, you need to do a simple restart of your Square Reader.
- Charge your Square Reader for at least 20 minutes.
- While Square Reader is charging, use your finger or a small object like a hair pin, pen cap, or paper clip to firmly press and hold the button on your Square Reader for 20 seconds.
- After 20 seconds, release the button and wait 10 seconds. Do not let go of the power button until after the red lights have stopped flashing.
- Press the button again to turn your Square Reader on and observe any lights on Square Reader.
- If Square Reader lights turn on, you’re all set. If the lights don’t turn on, try restarting the Square Reader again. Make sure to firmly press and hold Square Reader’s button for a full 20 seconds. Do not let go of the power button until after the red lights have stopped flashing.
Once you have restarted your printer and your Square hardware or POS device, attempt to reconnect and use the printer. If the connection still fails, move on to Steps 3, 4, and 5.
Step 3: Send a diagnostic report
After you’ve restarted your Square hardware, send a diagnostic report to Square. This helps our Support Team if additional troubleshooting is needed. Diagnostic reports can take between 2-7 minutes to upload — make sure you have a strong internet connection and your device is powered on during this time.
Diagnostic reports can only be sent from Square Terminal or Square Register
Sign in to the Square POS app on your Square Terminal or Square Register.
Tap ≡ More > Support > Troubleshooting.
Tap Upload Support Ledger.
Tap Send Diagnostic Report.
Once you tap Send Diagnostic Report, you can leave the screen and continue using your Square hardware normally while the report is sent in the background.
Step 4: Factory reset your hardware
Once you’ve sent the diagnostic report to Square, factory reset your Square Terminal or Square Register.
- Tap ≡ More > Settings > Hardware > General.
- Tap About Square Terminal/About Square Register > Factory Reset > Confirm Factory Reset.
- Tap Reset one last time. From here the countdown will begin and your hardware will reset.
- You can also Factory Reset your hardware by holding down the power button for 10 seconds until you see a black screen with a count-down timer.
- Keep holding down the power button until that timer goes to 0 and the screen says you can release the power button.
If restarting your Square Reader doesn’t help resolve the issue, do a full factory reset of your Square Reader. A factory reset will bring your Square Reader back to its original out-of-box state and will require you to pair the reader to your mobile device, and should only be performed after all other troubleshooting steps have been attempted.
Factory reset is only available on Square Reader (2nd generation) and Square Reader (1st generation, v3).
First forget your Square Reader from the Square POS app and your device’s Bluetooth settings:
- Open your Square POS app and tap ≡ More > Settings > Hardware > Square Readers.
- Tap Forget this Reader to unpair the reader.
- Open the Settings app on your device, tap Bluetooth, and locate your Square Reader.
- From an iOS device, tap (i) > Forget This Device.
- From an Android device, tap Forget or Unpair.
Factory reset your Square Reader:
- Hold the power button down for 20 seconds. Do not release the button until the red lights stop flashing.
- To start the reader, push and hold the button until green LED lights come on, then release the button.
- Once again, hold the reader button down for 20 seconds. Do not release the button until the red lights stop flashing. It’s important to do this within 30 seconds of restarting the reader.
- Start the reader a second time: push and hold the button until green LED lights come on, then release the button.
- After the second reboot, the reader will have performed a factory reset. The reader’s LEDs will blink green once again (without pressing the reader button) to indicate that the reset was successful.