How to Print From an iPhone or iPad: AirPrint Steps and Fixes

Need a boarding pass, a recipe or a form on paper, but it is only on your phone? You can print from an iPhone or iPad directly to most modern Wi-Fi printers using AirPrint, which is built into iOS and iPadOS. There is nothing to install and no driver to find. This guide shows the steps, the settings worth knowing, and what to do when your iPhone cannot find the printer.

This is an independent guide, not affiliated with Apple or any printer maker. For warranty or hardware faults, use your printer maker’s own support site.

Before you start

• AirPrint support: check the printer’s box, manual or specifications page for “AirPrint”. Most Wi-Fi printers from HP, Canon, Epson, Brother and other makers sold in recent years include it.
• Same network: the iPhone and printer must be on the same Wi-Fi network. If the printer is not on Wi-Fi yet, follow connect a wireless printer to Wi-Fi first.
• Printer awake: switch the printer on and make sure it has paper and ink or toner.

How to print from an iPhone or iPad

1. Open what you want to print: a document in Files, a photo, an email, a web page in Safari or a PDF.
2. Tap the Share button (a square with an upward arrow). In some apps, such as Mail, tap the three dots or the Reply arrow instead.
3. Scroll down and tap Print.
4. Tap Printer and choose your printer. The first time, it may take a few seconds to appear.
5. Set the options:
   • Copies and Range (for example pages 1 to 2 only).
   • Color or black and white, Double-sided and Paper size, if the printer supports them.
6. Tap Print.

If an app has no Print option, save the item as a PDF or screenshot, open it in Files or Photos, and print from there.

Check or cancel a print job

While a job is printing, the iPhone keeps track of it in Print Center:

1. Open the App Switcher (swipe up from the bottom and pause, or double-click the Home button).
2. Tap Print Center.
3. Tap Cancel Printing to stop the job.

Print Center only appears while a job is in progress. If jobs are piling up on a shared Windows PC instead, see print queue stuck and won’t clear.

“No AirPrint Printers Found”: what to try

This message means the iPhone cannot see the printer on the network. Work through these in order:

1. Restart all three: switch off the printer, restart the iPhone, and restart the router. Turn the router on first, then the printer, then try again.
2. Check the printer’s connection: on the printer’s screen or by printing a network configuration page, confirm it is connected to your Wi-Fi network by name. A printer that shows as offline on a computer has the same problem; see printer says offline.
3. Same network, not guest: make sure the iPhone is not on a guest network or a different network name. Guest networks usually stop devices seeing each other on purpose.
4. New router or password? If you recently changed router or Wi-Fi password, the printer is still trying the old one. Follow reconnect your printer after a new router.
5. Update the printer: check for printer firmware updates in its settings menu or the maker’s app; updates often fix AirPrint problems.
6. Wi-Fi bands: most printers use only the 2.4 GHz band. This normally works fine with phones on 5 GHz if both bands are part of the same network, but some routers isolate them. Our guide to 2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz explains how to check.
7. VPN or privacy relay: turn off any VPN app on the iPhone while printing, as it can hide local devices.

Printers without AirPrint

Older printers, and some budget models, do not support AirPrint. Options:

• The maker’s app: most printer brands have a free app in the App Store that prints over Wi-Fi. Install it only from the App Store, not from a link in an ad, and check the developer name matches the printer maker.
• Wi-Fi Direct: some printers create their own small Wi-Fi network. Join it from the iPhone’s Wi-Fi settings, then print. The printer’s manual explains how to turn it on and find its password.
• Print from a computer: email the file to yourself and print from a PC or Mac that already works with the printer. On a Mac, adding a printer is straightforward.

Tips for better results

• Documents you scanned on the iPhone: they are PDFs and print cleanly; see scan a document with your iPhone.
• Web pages: use Safari’s Reader view (the page icon in the address bar) before printing to drop ads and menus and save ink.
• Photos: choose the right paper size and load photo paper the correct way up; check the printer manual.
• Faded or streaky prints: the problem is the printer, not the phone; see faded or streaky prints.

Stay safe

Searching for printer help can lead to fake “printer support” sites and ads that ask you to call a number or install remote-access software. Printer makers’ real support is on their own websites, and AirPrint never needs a phone call or an activation fee. If someone asks for payment or remote access to fix your printer, it is a scam; read how to spot a fake tech-support call.