How to Check Ink Levels on Brother Printer: 4 Methods for Every Device

Quick Answer: To check ink levels on a Brother printer, press the Ink button on the control panel and select Ink Volume. On Windows 10 and 11, open Printer Properties, go to the Maintenance tab, and click View Printer Status to launch the Brother Status Monitor. On Mac, go to System Settings, select Printers and Scanners, choose your printer, then click Options and Supplies followed by Supplies. On mobile, open the Brother iPrint and Scan app and tap Supplies or Machine Settings to view remaining ink for each cartridge

Running out of ink in the middle of a print job is one of the most avoidable printing problems, and checking your Brother printer's ink levels beforehand takes under a minute. Whether you are at your desktop, laptop, or phone, there is a method that fits your setup. This guide walks through all four approaches so you can find your ink level fast, understand what the readings mean, and know what to do when levels do not appear as expected.

4 Ways to Check Brother Printer Ink Levels at a Glance

The right method depends on which device you have at hand and whether you are near the printer or checking remotely. The table below gives a quick comparison before the full step-by-step instructions.

 

 

The table above shows that the control panel method is the fastest when you are already near the printer, while the Windows Status Monitor is the most convenient option for users who work from a desktop or laptop. All four methods provide reliable ink level readings when the printer is powered on, connected, and using original or recognized cartridges.

Method 1: Check Ink Levels Directly on the Brother Printer Control Panel

The control panel method works on every Brother inkjet printer and requires no computer, app, or Wi-Fi connection, making it the go-to option when you are standing at the printer.

For Brother Printers With a Touchscreen Display

Turn on your Brother printer and wait for the home screen to appear. Tap the Ink icon on the touchscreen, which typically looks like an ink drop or a small cartridge symbol. From the menu that follows, tap Ink Volume. The screen displays a bar graph showing the remaining level for each cartridge: black, cyan, magenta, and yellow. If a bar is nearly empty or a warning icon appears next to it, that cartridge needs attention soon. Tap the back arrow or the Home button when you are done to return to the main display.

For Brother Printers With Buttons Only (Non-Touchscreen)

Power on the printer and wait for it to finish its startup cycle. Press the Menu button on the control panel. Use the Up or Down arrow keys to scroll the menu until you see Ink or Ink Management. Press OK. Scroll again to highlight Ink Volume and press OK. The LCD screen will show bar indicators for each color cartridge. Press Stop/Exit to leave the menu and return to standby mode. On older Brother models without a dedicated Ink button, pressing the OK button three times prints a Printer Settings page automatically, and page two of that printout lists the remaining ink percentage for each cartridge.

See more: What Does XL Mean on Ink Cartridges? A Complete Guide

Method 2: Check Brother Ink Levels on Windows 10 and Windows 11

Windows users have two reliable paths to check ink levels: through the Brother Status Monitor application, or directly through Windows Printer Settings without any additional Brother software.

Using the Brother Status Monitor (Recommended)

The Brother Status Monitor is installed automatically when you set up your printer using Brother's full driver package or MFL-Pro Suite. To open it on Windows 10, click the Start button, go to All Programs or All Apps, select the Brother folder, find your printer model name, and click Status Monitor. On Windows 11, the same path applies through the Start menu apps list. Alternatively, look for a small printer icon in the system tray at the bottom right of your taskbar and double-click it to open the Status Monitor directly. The monitor window shows a color bar graph for each ink cartridge, and you can see at a glance which cartridges are running low. For users who have Brother Utilities installed, you can also open it by navigating to Start, selecting Brother Utilities, choosing your printer model from the dropdown, and clicking Tools followed by Status Monitor.

Using Windows Printer Settings Without Extra Software

If the Status Monitor is not installed, Windows can often retrieve ink data through its built-in printer management. On Windows 10, open Settings, go to Devices, then Printers and Scanners. Select your Brother printer and click Manage. Then click Printing Preferences or Printer Properties and navigate to the Maintenance or Status tab. If a View Printer Status or Ink Levels button appears on that tab, clicking it will open a basic ink level display. On Windows 11, the path is Settings, then Bluetooth and Devices, then Printers and Scanners. Select your printer, click Printer Properties, and follow the same Maintenance tab path. This method depends on your printer driver being current, and it requires the printer to be on and connected at the time of the check.

See more: How Many Pages Can an Ink Cartridge Print? A Complete Explanation

Method 3: Check Brother Ink Levels on Mac

Checking ink levels on a Mac takes a slightly different path depending on whether you are running a recent version of macOS or an older one. Both approaches require the printer to be on and connected to the same network as your Mac.

On macOS Ventura, Sonoma, and later (macOS 13 and above): Click the Apple logo in the top left corner and select System Settings. In the left sidebar, scroll down and click Printers and Scanners. Select your Brother printer from the list. Click the Options and Supplies button on the right side of the screen, and a new window will open. Click the Supplies tab at the top. You will see a percentage or visual bar for each installed ink cartridge showing how much remains.

On macOS Monterey, Big Sur, and earlier (macOS 12 and below): Click the Apple logo and select System Preferences. Open Printers and Scanners, then select your Brother printer from the left panel. Click Options and Supplies and navigate to the Supply Levels tab. The ink level for each cartridge will be displayed there as a percentage or bar graph.

If the Supplies or Supply Levels tab shows no data or appears blank, the printer is likely offline, in sleep mode, or the driver needs an update. Wake the printer by pressing any button, confirm it is connected to your Wi-Fi network, and then return to the Supplies tab to refresh the reading.

Method 4: Check Brother Ink Levels Using the iPrint and Scan Mobile App

The Brother iPrint and Scan app allows you to check ink levels from your iPhone, iPad, or Android device without sitting at a computer, which is convenient when you need to check supplies before a large job or while away from your desk.

Search for and install the Brother iPrint and Scan app from the Apple App Store on iOS or from Google Play on Android. Open the app and confirm that your phone or tablet is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Brother printer. If it is your first time using the app, tap Add Machine and follow the on-screen instructions to detect and connect your printer. Once connected, your printer model will appear on the app home screen. Tap Supplies or Machine Settings depending on which version of the app you have installed. A bar graph will appear for each ink cartridge showing the estimated Ink Volume remaining, along with a Page Gauge estimate of how many pages can still be printed. Tap back or Home when you are finished.

If your ink levels are low after checking through any of the methods above, browse replacement ink and toner cartridges at DealJustDeal, with free shipping on every order.

See more: How to Fix Dry Printer Ink: 5 Methods Ranked by Severity

Understanding Ink Volume vs. Page Gauge on Brother Printers

Brother printers display two separate ink-related readings that are often confused with each other. Understanding the difference helps you make better decisions about when to replace a cartridge.

The table above makes clear that Ink Volume is the more dependable indicator, while Page Gauge is an estimate that changes significantly based on whether you print text documents or high-coverage color images. Brother's official documentation confirms that the Page Gauge is for informational purposes only and does not display the actual remaining yield. For precise yield figures by cartridge model, Brother provides detailed data at support.brother.com/yield.

Printer Offline or in Sleep Mode

Ink level data is pulled from the printer in real time, so if the printer is powered off, sleeping, or not connected to the same network as your device, the software will show an error or no data at all. Turn the printer on, allow it to finish its startup, and confirm it appears as online in your printer settings before attempting to check ink levels through Windows, Mac, or the mobile app.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to the most common questions about checking ink levels on Brother printers.

Can I check Brother ink levels without installing any extra software?

Yes. Checking directly on the printer's control panel requires no software, no computer, and no internet connection. It is the fastest and most universally available method across all Brother inkjet models. For computer-based checks, Windows Printer Settings can sometimes retrieve ink data using only the basic driver installed during printer setup, without requiring the full Brother driver package or Status Monitor application.

Why does my Brother printer show ink remaining but produce blank or faded pages?

This is almost always caused by a clogged printhead rather than an empty cartridge. Dried ink at the nozzle tip blocks ink from reaching the paper even when the cartridge itself is not empty. Running the built-in printhead cleaning cycle two or three times through the printer's Maintenance menu clears the clog in most cases. The other possibility is a third-party cartridge chip reporting a full reading when the cartridge is actually nearly empty, which requires physical replacement of the cartridge.

How accurate is the Brother ink level indicator?

For original Brother OEM cartridges, the Ink Volume bar is reliable and provides enough advance warning to order a replacement before the cartridge runs out entirely. The Page Gauge estimate is less precise and varies considerably depending on print content. A page of dense color photography uses ink significantly faster than a standard text document, so actual pages remaining may be lower than the displayed estimate during photo-heavy print sessions.

Can I check ink levels on a Brother laser printer the same way?

Brother laser printers use toner cartridges rather than ink, and the method is similar but uses different menu labels. On the printer control panel, navigate to Machine Info or Settings and look for Toner Life or Parts Life instead of Ink Volume. Through the Windows Status Monitor, the display will show toner level bars in place of ink bars. The iPrint and Scan app also supports toner level monitoring for compatible Brother laser models when the printer is connected to the same network.

What should I do when the Brother ink level shows empty but the printer still works?

Brother printers are designed to stop printing once the cartridge chip reports empty, even if a small amount of ink physically remains. This protects the printhead from running completely dry. If the printer is still producing output after an empty warning, the cartridge has residual ink that the chip is not accounting for. Continuing to print past this point risks printhead damage. The safest approach is to replace the cartridge shortly after the empty warning appears rather than waiting for print quality to fully collapse.

Checking ink levels on your Brother printer is straightforward once you know which method suits your setup. Use the control panel for the fastest check on the spot, the Status Monitor on Windows or Mac for a clearer overview from your computer, or the iPrint and Scan app when you want to check from your phone. If any cartridge is running low, DealJustDeal carries ink and toner cartridges at competitive prices with free shipping, so you can restock before the next print job