How To Check Active Print Jobs In The Windows 11 Print Queue

Using Settings to view the print queue

You can check active print jobs in Windows 11 by opening the Settings ⚙️ app, going to Bluetooth 🔷 & devices, and clicking Printers & scanners to select your printer. This method lets you view all pending documents in a clean interface without needing extra software.

1. Open the Start menu ⊞ and click Settings ⚙️ (or press the Win+I).

   

2. Click on Bluetooth 🔷 & devices on the left menu.

   

3. Click on Printers & scanners on the right side.

   

4. Click the name of your specific printer from the list of installed devices.
5. Click the Open print queue button near the top of the device page. A new window opens showing all active print jobs, complete with document names, status details, owners, and submission times.

   

Using Control Panel to open the print queue

You can open the print queue through the Control Panel 🎛️ by searching for Control Panel 🎛️ in the Start menu ⊞, clicking View devices and printers, and double-clicking your printer. This traditional view helps you quickly manage all connected printing hardware in one place.

1. Open the Start menu ⊞, type Control Panel 🎛️, and press Enter.
2. Click View devices and printers under the Hardware and Sound category.
3. Locate your printer in the list under the Printers section.
4. Right-click your printer icon and select See what’s printing from the context menu 🖱️. This launches the traditional print queue window displaying all active and pending print jobs.

Using the Taskbar notification area shortcut

This shortcut lets you skip all menu screens and view your active print queue instantly.

1. Look at the system tray 🔔 (the area on the far-right side of your taskbar 🖥️ near the clock). If printing is active, a small printer icon appears. Click the upward-pointing arrow (Show hidden icons) if you do not see it immediately.
2. Double-click the printer icon to instantly open the active print queue window for the current job.

How to switch between list view and tiles view in the print queue

You can switch between list view and tiles view in the print queue window by clicking the layout icon in the top-right corner next to the printer name. Changing this view helps you see many documents at once when you have a long list of pending print jobs.

1. Open your print queue using the Settings ⚙️ or Control Panel 🎛️ method.
2. Look at the top-right corner of the print queue window for the View menu icon (represented by small horizontal lines or grid squares).
3. Click the View icon and select Details to switch from the default tile layout to a traditional spreadsheet-style list view. This displays columns for Document Name, Status, Owner, Pages, Size, and Submitted time.

Managing and canceling active print jobs

Note that you need administrator permissions if you want to cancel print jobs sent by other people on your network.

1. Click on a specific document in the print queue list to select it.
2. Right-click the selected document and choose Cancel to stop that single print job. Alternatively, click the Document menu at the top-left of the queue window and select Cancel All to wipe the entire queue clean.
3. Click Yes on the confirmation prompt to verify that you want to delete the selected print jobs from the system memory.

What to do next

If clearing the print queue does not restore normal printing operations, restart the 🔄 underlying Windows Print Spooler service or reinstall your printer drivers. Check your device manufacturer’s website for the latest firmware updates if documents continue to stall in the queue.