The short answer: put your iPhone and your printer on the same Wi-Fi network, open what you want to print, tap the Share button, then Print. Pick your printer and tap Print again. iPhone does this with AirPrint, which is built into iOS, so you don’t need a driver, a cable or an extra app.
What you need
- A printer that supports AirPrint. Most Wi-Fi printers sold in the last decade from HP, Canon, Epson, Brother and others do. Look for “AirPrint” on the box, in the printer’s specs or in its settings menu.
- The printer on your Wi-Fi network. If it has never been connected, use the printer’s own screen, its WPS button or the maker’s setup app once. See if your iPhone can’t find the printer.
- Your iPhone on the same network. Not a guest network, and not mobile data.
Print from iPhone in four steps
- Join the same Wi-Fi. Check Settings › Wi-Fi on your iPhone and make sure it shows the same network your printer uses.
- Open what you want to print — a photo, a web page, a PDF, an email.
- Find Print. In most apps, tap the Share button (a square with an arrow pointing up) and scroll down to Print. Some apps keep it in a ⋯ menu instead; in Mail it is under the reply arrow.
- Choose your printer and tap Print. Tap Printer to pick it from the list. It appears on its own when both devices are on the same network. Set the copies and other options, then tap Print in the top-right corner.
Where to find Print in each app
| App | How to get to Print |
|---|---|
| Photos | Open a photo › Share › Print. Select several photos first to print them together. |
| Safari | Open the page › Share › Print. |
| Files | Open the document › Share › Print. |
| Open the email › reply arrow › Print. Attachments: open the attachment › Share › Print. | |
| Word, Google Docs and similar | Look in the ⋯ or Share menu for Print. |
| Messages | There is no Print option. Take screenshots of the conversation, then print them from Photos. |
| Contacts | There is no Print option. See how to print contacts from iPhone. |
What the print options do
The options you see depend on your printer, so some of these may be missing.
- Copies: how many of each page.
- Range: print only some pages of a longer document.
- Black & White: saves colour ink.
- Double-sided: prints on both sides of the paper, if your printer can.
- Paper size and orientation: for photos and documents that aren’t on standard letter or A4 paper.
Check or cancel a print job
While something is printing, swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or double-click the Home button) to open the App Switcher, then tap Print Center. From there you can see the queue or tap Cancel Printing. Print Center is only there while a job is in progress.
If your iPhone can’t find the printer
Work through these in order. Most “No AirPrint printers found” messages are fixed by the first two.
- Same network, same band. Many routers broadcast two networks, one on 2.4 GHz and one on 5 GHz, sometimes with almost the same name. Many printers only use 2.4 GHz. Put your iPhone on the network the printer is on.
- Restart the printer, then your iPhone. Wait until the printer has fully started before you try again.
- Turn off VPN and guest mode. A VPN on the iPhone, or a guest network that keeps devices apart, hides the printer.
- Move closer to the router and check that the printer shows a Wi-Fi connection on its own screen or light.
- Update the printer’s firmware from its settings menu or the maker’s app. Older firmware sometimes has AirPrint turned off or missing.
- Reconnect the printer to Wi-Fi. Press the WPS button on your router, then the Wi-Fi or WPS button on the printer, and wait a minute or two.
If your printer doesn’t support AirPrint
- Use the printer maker’s app. HP, Canon, Epson and Brother all have free iPhone apps that print to their own printers.
- Print from a computer. AirDrop or email the file to a Mac or PC that is connected to the printer.
Bluetooth doesn’t help here: AirPrint works over Wi-Fi or a wired network, not Bluetooth.
When an app makes it easier
The share sheet is fine for a single photo or a PDF. It can’t print everything, and it gives you few layout choices. That is where Print&Scan helps:
- Print what iPhone can’t: contacts, text you type with your own font and size, and drawings.
- Lay out the page: put 2 or 4 pages on one sheet, reorder pages before printing, and preview the result at full resolution.
- Print ready-made pages: 52 printables such as calendars, planners, cards, certificates, kids’ activities and lined or grid paper.
- Make a copy: scan a page with the camera and print it straight away, like a photocopier.
Print&Scan uses AirPrint too, so it works with the same printers, and everything is prepared on your phone. Nothing is uploaded.
Questions
Do I need an app to print from iPhone?
No. If your printer supports AirPrint, you can print from Photos, Safari, Files, Mail and most other apps without installing anything. An app helps for things iPhone can’t print, like contacts, or for layout options like several pages per sheet.
How do I add a printer to my iPhone?
You don’t add it in Settings. There is no printer list in iOS. AirPrint printers on your Wi-Fi network appear on their own when you tap Print and then Printer.
Can I print from iPhone without Wi-Fi?
Often, yes. Many printers support Wi-Fi Direct: the printer creates its own small Wi-Fi network, which you join in Settings › Wi-Fi on your iPhone before printing as usual. Your iPhone has no internet while it is connected to the printer this way. Check your printer’s manual for “Wi-Fi Direct”.
Can I print from iPhone to a USB printer?
Not directly. iPhone prints over a network, so a USB-only printer has to be used from a computer: AirDrop or email the file to the computer and print it there.