Shippy Connect is the small desktop app that lets your browser talk to your label printer. Once it's installed and running, you'll see its icon quietly sitting in your system tray — that's how you know it's doing its job.
This guide covers installing it on Windows and fixing the most common hiccups, including the "Shippy Connect is already running" message.
Installing Shippy Connect on Windows
Download the installer from your Shippy dashboard (Settings → Shippy Connect → Download for Windows).
Run the installer. If Windows SmartScreen or your antivirus flags the file, choose "More info" → "Run anyway" — this is expected for new installers and safe to do.
Allow it through your firewall if prompted. Shippy Connect needs to talk to both your printer and Shippy's servers.
Launch Shippy Connect from the Start menu (search "Shippy Connect").
Sign in with your Shippy account email and password.
Confirm the connection. Look for the Shippy icon in your system tray — a solid, connected-color icon means you're good to go and ready to print.
Finding the Shippy Connect Icon
The icon lives in the notification area (system tray), usually bottom-right of your screen, next to the clock.
Windows sometimes hides tray icons behind the little "^" arrow. If you don't see Shippy Connect right away:
Click the ^ (show hidden icons) arrow in the taskbar.
If Shippy Connect is listed there, drag it out so it's always visible — or right-click the taskbar → Taskbar settings → Other system tray icons, and turn Shippy Connect On.
If it's not in the hidden icons list either, the app likely isn't running — see "Shippy Connect Isn't Running" below.
Troubleshooting
Shippy Connect Isn't Running
Click Start, type "Shippy Connect", and open the app.
Give it a few seconds to appear in the tray.
If it opens and connects (icon shows a connected state), you're set.
If nothing happens when you launch it, or it closes immediately, try running it as Administrator (right-click the app → "Run as administrator").
"Shippy Connect Is Already Running" (Stuck / Won't Open)
This is the most common one, and it usually means Shippy Connect thinks it's already open — even when it isn't actually responding. Here's the fix, in order:
Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).
Go to the Details tab (or Processes, depending on your Windows version) and look for any process named ShippyConnect.exe.
End every instance of it — sometimes there's more than one hiding, even if only one shows on the surface. Right-click each and choose End task.
Wait about 10 seconds before relaunching — this gives Windows time to fully release the app's lock file, which is often what causes the "already running" message to persist even after you've ended the process.
Relaunch Shippy Connect from the Start menu.
Still stuck? Restart your computer. This clears out anything Task Manager can't fully release and is the most reliable fix if step 4 didn't do it.
Still no luck? Reinstall Shippy Connect:
Uninstall it via Settings → Apps → Shippy Connect → Uninstall.
Restart your computer.
Reinstall using the steps above under "Installing Shippy Connect on Windows".
Icon Shows But Looks "Disconnected"
If the icon is visible but appears grey, red, or otherwise not in its normal connected state, Shippy Connect is running but can't reach your account.
Right-click the tray icon and choose Sign In.
Re-enter your Shippy account credentials.
Give it a few seconds — the icon should switch to its connected color once authenticated.
Connection Timeouts on Sign-In
If you get a timeout error while signing in:
Open Shippy Connect and go to Network Settings.
Try switching the connection method in the dropdown, then attempt to sign in again.
If your network is behind a strict corporate firewall, confirm with your IT team that outbound connections to Shippy's servers aren't being blocked.
Connected, But Can't Print
Right-click the tray icon → Open Shippy Connect → Account tab.
Confirm you're signed into the correct Shippy account (easy to end up on the wrong one if your team shares a computer).
If it's the wrong account, click Logout and sign back in with the correct credentials.
Still stuck after working through these? Reach out to us and we'll dig in from there.