To add a scanner to Windows 11, connect it by USB or to the same network and turn it on. If Windows doesn’t add it on its own, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, click Add device next to Add printer or scanner, and then click Add device next to your scanner.
Microsoft says Windows usually finds and installs both local and network scanners automatically. The steps below, taken from that guide, cover what to do when it doesn’t, how to confirm an all-in-one printer’s scanner was detected, and how to scan your first document with the Windows Scan app.
How to add a USB scanner
- Plug the scanner into a USB port on your PC and turn it on. Wait a minute to see if Windows sets it up by itself.
- If it doesn’t, select Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
- Select Add device next to Add printer or scanner. Microsoft notes the search can take a few minutes.
- When your scanner shows up, select Add device next to it.
Windows installs the scanner, and it appears as a device in the Printers & scanners list.
How to add a wireless or network scanner
- Turn on the scanner and connect it to the same Wi-Fi or network as your PC.
- Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
- Select Add device and wait for the search to finish.
- Select Add device next to your scanner.
The network scanner is installed. If it never appears, add it by its IP address. You can find the address on the scanner’s network settings screen or a printed network configuration page.
- In Printers & scanners, select Add a new device manually next to The printer that I want isn’t listed. The Add Printer window opens.
- Select Add a printer using an IP address or hostname, then select Next.
- Set Device type to Autodetect or TCP/IP Device, type the scanner’s IP address in Hostname or IP address, and select Next.
- Follow the remaining prompts. If Windows asks for a driver, choose your model or use the maker’s driver.
- Select the device in Printers & scanners and check that Scanner settings is listed.
Using an all-in-one printer?
Microsoft says a scanner that’s part of a multifunction or all-in-one printer might appear as a printer. Select the printer in Printers & scanners. If Scanner settings is listed on its page, Windows found the scanner too. If your printer’s drivers need updating, see how to update a printer driver in Windows 11.
How to scan a document
- Search for Windows Scan from the Start menu and open the Scan app. If it isn’t installed, get it from the Microsoft Store.
- Place the document face down on the flatbed, or in the document feeder.
- In the Scan app, choose your Scanner and Source (Flatbed, Feeder or Auto-configured).
- Choose a File type: JPEG, PNG, TIFF or Bitmap. Select Show more to pick where scans are saved.
- Select Scan.
The scan saves automatically. Microsoft says the default location is the Pictures > Scans folder, and you can select View to open the scan in the Photos app. For more scanning tips, see how to scan on Windows 11.
If Windows still can’t find the scanner
- Check the basics: make sure the scanner is on, the USB cable is firmly connected, or the scanner is on the same network as your PC.
- Install the maker’s software: some scanners need the manufacturer’s driver or app for full features. Check the support page for your model. For an example with an older all-in-one, see how to set up network scanning on the Canon MX340.
- Look in Device Manager: see how to open Device Manager in Windows 11 to check whether Windows sees the device at all.
- Restart both devices and run Add device again.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install software to use my scanner?
Often not. Microsoft says Windows installs most scanners automatically, and the free Windows Scan app handles basic scanning.
How do I make my all-in-one the default printer too?
See how to set the default printer in Windows 11.
Where do my scans go?
By default, to Pictures > Scans in your user folder, unless you picked another folder in the Scan app.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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