How to Delete Printers on Mac: 6 Different Methods

Although the printer is one of the most useful technologies along with the computer, it can lead to some confusion. There comes a time when you need to delete an installed printer on your Mac. There could be several reasons for this. For example, the configuration remains the same even when you are not connected to the printer.

In this article, you will find a useful guide on why and how to delete printers on Mac.

Why Delete Printers on Mac?

Replacing the old printer with a new one requires deleting the printer drivers from the Mac computer. The replacement is necessary when you have bought a new one. Otherwise, it can lead to driver conflicts. It would not keep printer drivers updated and could cause printer driver issues. Besides, there is potential for unexpected technical issues, like a spinning pinwheel described in an interesting article about the problem.

Sometimes, this thing becomes quite confusing. The reason is that the process of removing a printer from a Mac is different from that of uninstalling standard apps.

How to Add a Printer to Mac?

To add a printer to the printer list on your Mac:

Choose the Apple menu.
Click System Preferences and then tap Printers & Scanners.
Hit the Add button and now click the Default button.
Choose the printer in the Printers list and next click Add. If you can’t find a printer in the list, ensure you have the latest profile for the printer installed in the network administrator.

You can also add a USB printer and a Bluetooth printer to your Mac.

Remove Printer From Printer List

If you don’t want to use a printer anymore, remove it from your list of available printers on Mac. To get started with this process:

Select the Apple menu on your Mac desktop and then choose System Preferences.
Click Printers & Scanners.
Choose the name of the printer in the list and tap the Remove button or minus symbol.
Click Delete Printer. If you remove the default printer using any of the methods mentioned in this article, macOS considers another one as your default.

Uninstall Printer Driver on Mac

Using a previous method to delete the printer will make it unavailable in the Print dialog box. However, it didn’t uninstall it completely. You can still use it to print a photo or document. For complete uninstallation, you’ve to delete all the files while installing the drivers. In case your printer manufacturer has an uninstaller, go to the Applications folder. Find the Uninstaller file and tap twice on it. Follow the recommended steps.

Uninstall Printer Driver Manually

If there’s no uninstaller, you can uninstall a printer manually. Find files in each folder and drag them to the Trash. Tap the Finder icon in the Dock and select the Go menu. Now, tap Go to Folder. Paste ~/Library/Cache, ~/Library/Application Support, ~/Library/Preferences, ~/Library/Printers, ~/Library/Logs, and ~/Library/Containers. Ensure you paste one path at a time into the text box. Find the file and bring it to the Trash. Then, empty the Trash.

Delete HP Printer Using HP Uninstaller

Open HP Easy Start on your Mac and click HP Easy Start in the menu bar and choose Uninstall HP Software. Follow the recommended steps for HP uninstallation. If asked, enter your username and password to allow HP Uninstaller to make changes. Wait for some minutes until the uninstaller removes all the files. Tap Set Up New Device and follow the steps as instructed on the screen. Delete the HP Printer & Scanners in System Preferences.

Use CleanMyMac X

If you are looking for an easier way to uninstall printers, then use CleanMyMac X. This tool has an uninstaller module that helps in uninstalling most applications, including printer drivers. Launch CleanMyMac X on your Mac and select the Uninstaller in the sidebar. Enter your printer name in the search box. Checkmark the box to select the driver and then tap Uninstall. It will uninstall the printer driver and also delete the associated files.

Use App Cleaner & Uninstaller

When deciding how to delete printers on Mac, the App Cleaner & Uninstaller is considered the easiest and quick method. Launch this app to let it automatically scan the Mac for files. Temporarily enable the Display System Applications feature for the uninstallation process. Tap App Cleaner & Uninstaller Pro and head to Preferences. Then, checkmark the Display System Applications option. Choose printer manufacturer-related apps and tap Remove.

The Conclusion

After connecting the MacBook to a printer, it stays in the Mac OS X System Preferences as an organized printer. Whether you connect it via a network connection or a USB cable, the configuration remains the same until you delete the printer. The configuration remains even when you remove the connection from the printer. So, to get rid of the printer you no longer wish to use, delete or uninstall it using one of the methods mentioned in this article.