You don’t add a printer to an iPhone the way you do on a computer. Connect your iPhone and an AirPrint printer to the same Wi-Fi network, open the item you want on paper, tap the app’s Share or More button, tap Print, tap No Printer Selected, pick your printer, and tap Print.
AirPrint is Apple’s printing technology. It is built into the iPhone, so there is no driver or app to install and no printer setup screen in Settings. The steps below follow Apple’s Use AirPrint to print from your iPhone or iPad article and the Print from iPhone page of the iPhone User Guide, checked in October 2026 against the iOS 27 version of the guide.
What You Need Before You Print
Printing from an iPhone depends on three things. If one is missing, the printer will not appear in the list.
- An AirPrint-enabled printer. Apple says AirPrint is built into most popular printer models. Look for AirPrint on the box or in the manual, or use the printer search linked from Apple’s About AirPrint page. If your model is not listed, Apple says to check with the manufacturer.
- The printer connected to your network. AirPrint works over Wi-Fi or a wired network connection. Most printers with a screen join Wi-Fi from their own control panel, where you choose the network name and enter the password.
- Your iPhone on the same Wi-Fi network. Open Settings and tap Wi-Fi to see which network the iPhone is using. It must match the network the printer is on.
You also need an app that supports printing. Apple’s own apps such as Mail, Photos, and Safari do, and so do many App Store apps, but not every app has a Print option.
These steps are the same on any iPhone that runs a current version of iOS, including iPhone 12 and newer models. Button icons can look a little different from one iOS version or app to the next, so use the labels as your guide. For the same steps on one specific printer, see our guide to printing from an iPhone to the HP Officejet 6700.
How to Print From an iPhone With AirPrint
- Turn on the printer and make sure it is connected to your network. Load paper.
- Open the app that has the document, photo, email, or web page you want to print, and open that item.
- Tap the Share button (a square with an arrow pointing up). In some apps the print option is behind a More button (three dots), a reply arrow, or another actions button instead.
- Scroll down and tap Print. If you don’t see it, swipe up on the menu. The print options screen opens with a preview of your pages.
- Tap No Printer Selected. Your iPhone looks for AirPrint printers on the network. The name in this list is set on the printer, as shown in our guide to changing the AirPrint name on an HP Photosmart 6510. Tap your printer’s name when it appears.
- Choose the number of copies and any other options, such as which pages you want to print. The options you see depend on the printer and the app.
- Tap Print in the upper-right corner. The job is sent to the printer.
There is nothing to save or pair. You simply pick the printer each time from the print options screen, which is why you won’t find a list of installed printers anywhere in Settings.
Where to Find Print in Common iPhone Apps
The Print option sits in a slightly different place in each app. This table uses the routes Apple gives in the iPhone User Guide.
| App | What to print | Where to tap |
|---|---|---|
| Photos | One photo | Open the photo, tap Share, then tap Print. |
| Photos | Several photos | Tap Select, tap each photo, tap Share, then tap Print. |
| An email | Open the message, tap the actions button in the toolbar, then tap Print. | |
| An attachment | Tap the attachment to view it, tap Share, then choose Print. | |
| Safari | A web page | Tap Share, scroll down, then tap Print. |
| Preview | A PDF or image | Tap the menu next to the file name, then tap Print. |
The Preview app is only on recent versions of iOS. For other apps, the route is usually the same Share or More button. We have separate guides for printing a note from the Notes app and for printing from Google Docs on iPhone.
How to Check or Cancel a Print Job
While a job is waiting or printing, an app called Print Center appears in the App Switcher. It is the way to confirm that the job was sent, and the way to stop it.
- Open the App Switcher. On an iPhone with Face ID, swipe up from the bottom of the screen, pause in the center, then lift your finger. On an iPhone with a Home button, double-click the Home button.
- Tap Print Center. The badge on its icon shows how many documents are in the queue.
- To stop a job, tap it, then tap Cancel Printing.
Canceling is the only undo. Pages that have already printed can’t be recalled, and a printer may finish the page it is working on. If Print Center is not in the App Switcher, there is no job in the queue: either it already finished or it was never sent.
What If My Printer Doesn’t Show Up?
If the print options screen keeps searching or reports that no AirPrint printers were found, work through these checks in order.
- Confirm AirPrint support. A printer without AirPrint never appears in this list, even when it is on your Wi-Fi. Check the manual or the manufacturer’s website.
- Check the printer’s connection. Look at the printer’s network or wireless status screen. If it is not connected, rejoin it to Wi-Fi from its control panel. Apple’s Connect an AirPrint printer to a Wi-Fi network article outlines the common methods, including a built-in display and WPS, and says to use the printer’s documentation for exact steps.
- Check the iPhone’s network. In Settings > Wi-Fi, make sure the iPhone has joined the same network as the printer. Cellular data alone won’t find a printer. A guest network may keep devices from seeing each other, so ask the network owner which network to use for printing.
- Restart the printer. Turn it off and back on, then wait for it to reconnect before you tap No Printer Selected again.
- Move closer. A weak signal at the iPhone or the printer can interrupt the connection. Try again near the router.
Connections that don’t work with AirPrint
Apple lists two setups that can’t use AirPrint: a printer plugged into the USB port of an Apple AirPort Base Station or AirPort Time Capsule, and a printer connected to your computer over Bluetooth. In both cases the printer has to join the network itself, by Wi-Fi or by a network cable to the router.
The Print option is missing
Swipe up on the Share menu first, because Print is often below the visible rows. If it is still not there, Apple notes that not all apps support printing and suggests checking the app’s user guide or help section. One workaround is to share or save the item to an app that does print, such as Photos or Mail.
A print app can’t find the printer
If you use a printer maker’s app rather than the built-in Print screen, that app may need permission to look for devices on your network. Apple says AirPrint itself is a system service that keeps working without this permission, but an app’s own printer search may not. See how to change Local Network access for apps on iPhone.
If Your Printer Doesn’t Support AirPrint
AirPrint is the only printing method built into the iPhone. For a printer without it, check whether the manufacturer offers its own iPhone app, and follow that company’s instructions. Features and setup differ by brand and model, so the printer maker’s support site is the place to confirm what your model can do.
AirPrint also isn’t Bluetooth pairing. If you have an iPhone-compatible Bluetooth label or portable printer, it normally works through its own app; see our guide to printing from an iPhone over Bluetooth.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I connect my printer to my iPhone?
With AirPrint, you don’t pair them. Put the printer on your Wi-Fi or wired network, connect the iPhone to the same Wi-Fi network, then choose the printer from the Print screen in an app that supports printing.
Do I need to install an app or driver to use AirPrint?
No. Apple says you don’t need to install additional drivers or other software to use an AirPrint-enabled printer. A manufacturer app is optional and is mainly useful for a printer that lacks AirPrint or for the maker’s own extra features.
Can I print from my iPhone over cellular data?
Not with AirPrint. Apple’s requirement is that the iPhone and the printer are on the same Wi-Fi network, so the iPhone has to join that network first.
Why does my iPhone say No Printer Selected?
That label is normal. It appears on the print options screen until you tap it and choose a printer. If the list that opens is empty, use the checks in the troubleshooting section above.
Can I print several photos at once?
Yes. In Photos, tap Select, tap each photo you want, tap Share, then tap Print. Choose your printer and tap Print.
Can I print from an iPad the same way?
Yes. AirPrint works the same way on iPad. See how to print from an iPad, or how to print a web page from Safari on iPad.
Next Step
Send a one-page test from Photos or Safari, then open Print Center to watch it leave the queue. Once that works, every app with a Print option will find the same printer whenever your iPhone is on that Wi-Fi network.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are tested on current devices or checked against official product documentation, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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