How To Add And Connect A Printer To Your iPhone

Today’s digital world makes printing directly from an iPhone simple and efficient, thanks to Apple’s AirPrint technology. No longer do you have to deal with installing drivers or going through complex setup processes – simply add a printer and print away anytime, anywhere – even from cloud services without downloading documents! 
In this article we will guide you through connecting your iPhone with printers as well as provide troubleshooting tips for common printing issues.

Verifying Printer Compatibility

Before you start connecting your iPhone to a printer, it is vital to ensure it is compatible with AirPrint. AirPrint was developed specifically to facilitate wireless printing between Apple devices without additional drivers, making sure wireless printing can take place with ease. While most modern printer models should support AirPrint without issue, it never hurts to double check!

Once you’ve verified that your printer is compatible with AirPrint, the next step should be connecting it to your iPhone via Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth or NFC. There are various methods you can use to connect an iPhone to a printer.

Connect Your iPhone to A Printer Using Wi-Fi Direct

• First, locate and open the document or picture you would like to print on your iPhone – be it an email, file in Files App, pictures in the Photo App or anything else.
• Locate and tap on the share icon (usually depicted by a square with an upward-pointing arrow).
• Explore all available options until you come to “Print”, marked by a printer icon. When you find it, click it.
• On the print settings page, click on “Printer” at the top and choose your printer from the list.
• Click the “Print” button located at the top-right corner of your screen in order to begin printing.

Connect Your iPhone Via Bluetooth To A Printer:

Make sure your printer can be found. Some printers feature a special button designed to enable Bluetooth discovery.

1. On your iPhone, navigate to Settings > Bluetooth and toggle its switch in order to turn Bluetooth on.
2. Your iPhone will display a list of available Bluetooth devices. Select your printer from the list to establish a connection. 
3. Once connected, open the document or picture you select to print and tap the share button.
4. Scroll through the options until you find the “Print” option and tap it. 
5. Select your printer from the list of available printers and tap the “Print” button to start printing. 

Connect Printer Via NFC 

NFC (Near Field Communication) allows iPhone users to print documents by simply holding it near an NFC printer, with steps differing depending on your iPhone model.

1. For iPhone 7 – iPhone X Series: You need to access the NFC Tag Reader by opening the control center and tapping the NFC button. Then you need to place your iPhone close to the NFC tag on the printer to initiate the printing action. 
2. For iPhone XS, XR, 11, 11 Pro (Max), and SE (2nd gen.): With the Tag Reading feature, the iPhone will be able to read NFC tags without starting the NFC Tag Reader. Ensure your screen is switched on, and your iPhone will automatically search for NFC signals in the background.

Installing Printer Software

Though AirPrint makes connecting to compatible printers simple, there may be situations in which Apple does not support AirPrint or your printer is incompatible. When this occurs, dedicated printer software from its manufacturer may be necessary.

Canon, HP, and Epson printer manufacturers all offer compatible apps through the App Store to streamline printing tasks. In order to use them with your device, download these applications and pair them up.

Print From iPhone

Once your iPhone is connected to a printer, printing files is simple. Be it an email attachment, photo from gallery, PDF document from Files app or another type – printing everything will be a piece of cake from this point onward. Take a look at how to do it:

• Open the document, photo or file you want to print on your iPhone.
• Touching the share button brings up sharing options.
• Search the sharing menu and tap “Print”.
• Select your printer from the available models.
• Simply tap on the “Print” button to initiate the printing process.

Common Printing Issues And Its Solutions

Issues may arise when trying to print from your iPhone. Below are two common problems and their respective solutions.

Why Can’t My Printer Communicate with My iPhone?

If you are facing this problem then most likely there’s a connectivity issue between your iPhone and Printer. 

In order to resolve this problem, ensure that both devices have AirPrint support and are on the same wireless network. If it doesn’t work then try to reboot both router and printer. This way connectivity issues will be resolved.

How Can I Print From an iPhone Without AirPrint?

Remember, every latest printer model comes with an Airprint feature. However,  if your printer doesn’t support AirPrint, you can still print from your iPhone. You need to download a dedicated printer app (based on your printer brand) from the App Store. 

After downloading, open the app and follow its instructions to connect directly with your printer and enjoy hassle-free print directly without AirPrint.

Conclusion

Printing from your iPhone has never been simpler thanks to Apple’s AirPrint technology. By following the simple steps outlined here, you can wirelessly connect your iPhone to any printer and print documents and images effortlessly.