You’ve just taken some beautiful photos with your smartphone, and you want to print them to keep in an album or give to someone special, but you have no idea how to do it? Or do you have an important document saved on your phone that needs urgent printing for work or school? Modern technology allows us to do many convenient things with our mobile devices, but when it comes to printing directly from the phone, many people struggle, especially if they don’t have a Wi-Fi connection. Don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place!
In the next sections, I will explain in detail how to print from your mobile phone in an easy and quick way, whether you have an Android device or an iPhone. I will guide you through the specific procedures for the most common printers on the market and also provide you with a universal solution that works with almost all models available. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a Wi-Fi connection: I will also show you how to use a USB cable to connect your phone to the printer and get perfect prints in just seconds or the Wi-Fi Direct technology.
So, are you ready to discover how simple it can be to print from your mobile phone? Fantastic! Make yourself comfortable, grab your smartphone, and carefully follow all the steps I will show you. I promise that by the end of this tutorial, you will be able to print anything from your phone, whether it’s photos, PDF documents, web pages, or emails, just like you would from a computer. Happy reading and happy printing!
Table of Contents
How to Print from Mobile to Printer
Do you need to print a photo or an important document that you have on your smartphone using the printer you have at home or in the office, but you don’t know how to proceed? In the following chapters, I will explain how to perform this operation using your smartphone or tablet.
Before getting into the details, here are some steps that generally work with all printers available on the market. You should know that Android devices offer greater flexibility in printing operations, supporting both standard protocols and custom solutions from manufacturers.
On board the mobile operating system, there is a native function accessible through the sharing menu of various applications. When you select the Print option from the drop-down menu, the system automatically scans the network for compatible printers. This mechanism relies on the Android printing framework, which manages the drivers and communication with the detected devices.
However, for proper functioning, it is important that the printer is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the Android smartphone or tablet, that the appropriate printing services are enabled (e.g., HP Print Service for HP printers), and that the version of the operating system supports the IPP protocol (Internet Printing Protocol) used for communication.
Major printer manufacturers have also developed dedicated applications to optimize the mobile printing experience. Examples include Canon with the Canon Print Service plugin and HP with the HP Print Service plugin. These provide various advanced functions, including managing print queues, monitoring ink levels, advanced color calibration, and automated duplex printing.
If you own an iPhone (or iPad), you should know that Apple‘s approach to mobile printing is based on the AirPrint protocol, a proprietary technology that ensures seamless integration between the Apple device and compatible printers.
To take advantage of AirPrint technology, you need to verify the compatibility of the printer (the official Apple list boasts over 1200 certified models from manufacturers such as HP, Epson, and Canon) and the two devices must share the same Wi-Fi network as AirPrint does not support wired networks or Bluetooth connections. Finally, some advanced functions require updated firmware on the printer.
The printing process on iOS/iPadOS is virtually standard across all applications. Through the Share button, you access the printing panel. The system shows all the detected AirPrint printers on the network. Through various advanced options, you can select page ranges, color modes, print quality, and much more.
Alternatively, you can leverage the Wi-Fi Direct technology. This is a very interesting solution, ideal for environments without a Wi-Fi router, allowing a point-to-point connection between the mobile device and printer. The implementation of Wi-Fi Direct varies among manufacturers, but generally, this mode needs to be activated from the printer’s panel. After that, a dedicated SSID is generated, and then you just need to connect your smartphone to the printer’s network, entering the WPA2 key displayed on the screen.
On Android devices, this operation is accessible from the Advanced Wi-Fi Settings, while on iPhone and iPad it presents limitations due to the security policies of iOS and iPadOS operating systems. Although convenient, Wi-Fi Direct introduces greater latency compared to structured networks, higher energy consumption on both devices, and limitation in operational distance (typically under 10 meters).
How to Print from Mobile to HP Printer
If you’re wondering how to print from mobile to HP printer, continue reading my tutorial to find out how. Through the integration of wireless technologies, dedicated cables, and proprietary applications, HP offers several versatile solutions covering various needs: from printing on a home network to remote management.
Before diving into printing techniques, it is very important to check the hardware and software requirements. HP printers compatible with mobile printing must support Wi-Fi or USB OTG (On-the-Go) connectivity.
If it is a Wi-Fi printer, check for the presence of a built-in wireless module, usually indicated by “Wi-Fi Direct” or “HP Smart” logos in the user manual. To utilize the USB OTG standard, Android devices must have a micro USB or USB Type-C port and support version 4.0 or higher of the operating system. For iPhone and iPad, all latest generation HP printers with Wi-Fi connection are compatible with AirPrint, as long as they are configured on the same network as the Apple device.
If you encounter issues, I suggest consulting the user manual of your printer, which you can find in the sales box. If you have misplaced it, you can download a PDF copy from the HP printer support page.
Once you have checked the requirements, let’s explain how to use your HP printer to print via Wi-Fi. What you need to do is download HP Smart. This is the unified application for managing printing, scanning, and monitoring consumables. Therefore, the first step is to download the app from the Google Play Store (or from alternative stores) for Android or from the App Store for iOS/iPadOS.
Once this step has been correctly completed, you need to connect the printer to the Wi-Fi network through the control panel or the assistant integrated in the app. For this guide, I used an HP OfficeJet 3833. On the printer panel, swipe right to left and select Config. After that, tap on Network Setup and activate the switch corresponding to Wireless to enable the Wi-Fi connection.
At this point, tap on Wireless Setup Wizard, wait for the search for available Wi-Fi networks, select the one you want from the Select Network Name screen (tap the Refresh button at the bottom right to update the list of networks), and select OK at the bottom right. If prompted, enter the password for the network using the keyboard and tap the Finish button at the bottom right and then the OK button from the Confirm Settings screen. You just need to wait for the connection. You will see the message Connection Successful. Tap OK to continue.
Now, launch the HP Smart app on your smartphone or tablet and tap on the Add Printer tile on Android or Configure or Add Printer on iOS/iPadOS. Select the option Already Connected to the Network and then choose the printer from the proposed list to add it to the Home screen.
If you have already added a printer previously and want to connect a new one, simply swipe the tile of the already added printer to the right and then tap Add Printer/Configure or Add Printer. After that, follow the instructions I provided earlier to pair it.
Once you have completed the procedure, you can print any document or photo directly from your smartphone or tablet. Still from the HP Smart app, if you own an Android device, tap on View and Print in the bottom menu and select between PDF or Photo. In the first case, choose the PDF to be printed using the built-in file manager, while in the second one, tap the photo from the displayed gallery.
In both cases, tap on Print Preview at the bottom left, tap the upward arrow to expand the lower section, select the printer from the drop-down menu next to Printer, adjust the other options (e.g., number of copies, paper size, orientation, etc.), and proceed with printing by tapping the Print button. Of course, you will need to insert paper into the printer tray first.
If you have an iPhone or iPad instead, tap on View & Print at the bottom, give the app full access to your files or not and select what you want to print. Tap on All Files under All Files and Photos, find your preferred file and then tap on it to import it into HP Smart. When it comes to photos, tap Albums, select the folder where the photo is located, tap to select it, and then tap on Next in the top right. Now, in both cases, follow the same instructions I provided earlier for the “green robot”.
In addition to local files, HP Smart also allows you to connect to cloud storage services such as Google Drive and Dropbox. From the “green robot”, after selecting PDF, tap on the cloud service that interests you (which you have already added earlier) in the BROWSE FILES IN OTHER APPS section from the file manager, find the file to print, and follow the instructions seen earlier.
When it comes to printing photos, after tapping on Photos, tap on the three dots in the top right (next to the Photos and Albums buttons) and select Cloud Media App. At this point, select Google Photos (under Access Cloud Media Content), tap the leftward arrow in the top left to go back, and browse the various photos presented to find the one you are interested in. Then follow the steps I provided earlier to carry out the printing.
How to Print from Mobile to Brother Printer
If you own a Brother printer and want to know how to print from mobile, you are in the right place. In this chapter, I will explain exactly how to proceed using advanced technologies and the iPrint&Scan app to simplify the printing process through integrated solutions for Android and iOS/iPadOS.
Before proceeding with mobile printing, it is very important to properly prepare your Brother printer. Just like with the HP models, it is important to connect the device to the same home or business network as your smartphone or tablet. Through the control panel of the printer, select the Wi-Fi Settings option and follow the guided procedure to input the network credentials. Many newer models support the WPA3 protocol for advanced security, while those with Wi-Fi Direct allow direct connections without intermediary routers.
Since not all Brother models have the same functionalities, it is very important to consult the user manual included in the sales box. If you have misplaced it, visit the Brother Manual and Guides page and download the PDF version for your model.
If you have an Android smartphone or tablet, you have multiple options for mobile printing thanks to the flexibility of the operating system. In particular, you can leverage both the Brother Print Service plugin (available from the Google Play Store) and directly the app Brother iPrint&Scan.
With the plugin, the operating system automatically recognizes the Brother printers present on the network. Opening a document or photo, simply select the print function from the menu of the app (usually you need to tap on the three dots in the top right), choose the printer from the list and adjust various parameters (such as paper size or number of copies).
If you want to access more advanced settings, I recommend downloading the Brother iPrint&Scan app. For example, it allows you to print from the cloud through direct access to platforms such as Dropbox, OneDrive, and Evernote to print files without local transfers. It also allows advanced scanning with resolutions up to 1200 DPI and save them as PDF or JPEG. On some models, it is even possible to use NFC technology: simply bring your smartphone close to the printer to activate the connection and start printing with a single touch.
For the iPhone and iPad, besides the Brother iPrint&Scan app, you can also use AirPrint technology, just like noted with the HP models in the previous chapter. This allows you to proceed with direct printing from any application without needing to install additional drivers.
How to Print from Mobile to Epson Printer
Epson also offers a range of interesting solutions to print from your mobile phone. So, if you have a printer of this brand, you will soon discover all the various necessary configurations, including the Epson iPrint and Epson Print Enabler apps.
Before proceeding with any printing method, it is important to ensure that the Epson printer is properly configured for networking. Most models support both traditional Wi-Fi connection via router and Wi-Fi Direct mode.
If you wish to use the Wi-Fi network, access the settings of the printer via the control panel and select the Wi-Fi setup option. If you are unsure how to proceed, consult the dedicated user manual, included in the packaging. If you’ve misplaced it, you can download a copy in PDF from the Epson support page.
Now, after you have successfully connected the device, you are ready to print. Proceed by downloading either the Epson Print Enabler plugin or the Epson iPrint app on Android or the Epson iPrint app on iOS/iPadOS to access advanced features (such as monitoring ink levels).
After ensuring that the printer and your Android device are connected to the same network, launch the Epson Print Enabler app and enable the printing service in your smartphone or tablet settings. Usually, it’s enough to access the Print menu. From any compatible app (like Google Chrome or Google Photos), select the print option from the menu and choose the Epson printer from the list of available devices.
If you want to leverage the Wi-Fi Direct technology on Android, activate it from the printer settings, then on your Android device, select the corresponding SSID from the available networks list and enter the password. Once the connection is established, use Epson iPrint to select the file you want to print and send it to the printer.
Do you have an iPhone or iPad? In this case, you can utilize both the Apple AirPrint technology (allowing direct printing without additional applications) or the Epson iPrint app. In the first case, just select the print option from the desired application’s settings (e.g., Safari or Photos), choose the Epson printer from the list, and confirm the submission. In the second, launch the application, select the file, adjust various print settings, and proceed to print by hitting the appropriate button.
How to Print from Mobile
In the next two chapters, you will discover how to print from Android and iPhone, using both built-in functions and proprietary applications or plugins.
How to Print from Mobile: Android
Previously, up until December 31, 2020, it was possible to use the Google Cloud Print service to print from any device, including Android smartphones. It’s important to note that the service was originally conceived to guarantee perfect compatibility with printers for systems running Chrome OS, but today that is no longer necessary, thanks to improvements and integrations in Google’s operating system.
Thus, if you’re wondering how to print from an Android mobile phone and have a printer connected to the network, you should know that you likely won’t need to do anything special, as it will be automatically detected by the smartphone and hence available for printing documents, photos, etc.
However, this is not a certainty, as for some brands or specific printer models it might be necessary to first install some plugins, which are apps released directly by the printer manufacturer containing printing services useful for identifying the peripheral on the network: examples include apps from Brother, Canon, Epson, HP, or Lexmark available on the Play Store.
That said, meanwhile ensure the printing service is enabled on your Android smartphone. The procedure to follow – and the one I’m about to indicate – may differ on your device, as the operating system’s settings menu might vary by model and brand, but you shouldn’t have any particular difficulty following my instructions.
What you have to do is launch the Settings app via its icon on the Home screen or in the drawer and select the More Connectivity Options > Print > System Print Service from the screen that opens. Therefore, ensure that the lever you see next to Use Print Service is set to ON, and wait for the scanning to identify the printer in the lower area.
If you do not find it, press the More icon at the bottom, select the Add Printer option and tap on the + Add Printer via IP Address to enter the printer’s IP address in the space under Host Name or IP Address. Press Add to confirm. Don’t know how to find the address in question?
All you need to do is open a document with its associated app or a web page with the browser. After doing that, you need to tap the interaction icon: this can either be the share icon or the three dots icon, just to give you a couple of examples. Among the items shown to you, select the one named Print.
Now, in the screen presented to you, tap on the drop-down menu at the top if you don’t see your printer. In the list of available print services, tap on the name of your printer and then tap the printer icon to proceed with printing. Wasn’t that easy?
How to Print from Mobile: iPhone
Do you own an iPhone and want to understand how to proceed to print from it? No problem, I can explain how to do it. However, what is necessary to know in this case is that to print from your mobile device as quickly and easily as possible, you need a printer that supports Apple’s AirPrint service. This service allows Apple mobile devices to communicate wirelessly with printers.
So check via the instruction manual of your printer if this technology is supported or refer to the list of compatible devices on the Apple support website. If so, to print from your iPhone, you simply need to display the document to be printed, press the share icon, and then tap the Print option from the menu that appears to carry out the print selection to the compatible AirPrint printer.
If the printer is not detected automatically, ensure that it’s connected to the same Wi-Fi network and then possibly tap the Select button to tap on the name of the AirPrint printer you wish to connect to and use.
How to Print from Mobile with Cable
In addition to the Wi-Fi Direct technology (which I talked about more specifically in the first chapter of this guide), if you own an Android smartphone or tablet and have a port equipped with OTG support (micro USB or USB-C), you can directly connect your device to the printer. The process depends heavily on the model of the printer in your possession.
If you have an HP printer, first install the HP Print Service plugin from the Play Store (as I mentioned in the preceding chapter). Once that’s done, connect the USB cable to the printer (the one with USB-B connector) and to the OTG adapter. Upon detection of the peripheral, you may need to select the option Always use for this device in the plugin screen.
You just need to open the document or photo, access the Share menu, select Print, and choose the HP printer from the list of detected USB devices. If you have an iPhone, this functionality is more limited but can be enabled via Apple-approved Lightning/USB-C adapters.