# How to print from your phone (iPhone and Android) > With the printer connected to your home Wi-Fi, you can print from your phone without cables. iPhone has AirPrint built in; Android uses the phone's print service. Here are the official steps and what to check if the printer doesn't show up. Source: https://simplebuild.it/tutorial/stampare-dal-cellulare Author: SimpleBuild, Build simple. Deliver value. Category: Printers and scanners Procedure verified on: 2026-09-30 To print from your phone, the printer must be **connected to Wi-Fi**, on the **same network** as the phone. On **iPhone** you use **AirPrint**, which is built in: open the document, tap the **Share** button, then **Print**. On **Android** you use the phone's **print service**, from Settings, and then **Print** from the app. ## Before you start - **The printer must be on Wi-Fi.** If today you only use it with the computer's cable, first connect it to the network by following the guide on [how to connect a Wi-Fi printer](https://simplebuild.it/tutorial/collegare-stampante-wifi). - **Phone and printer on the same network.** If the phone is on mobile data, or on another Wi-Fi network (for example the guest network), the printer won't show up. - **Turn on the printer** and check that it has paper and ink or toner. - **Not all apps can print.** Mail, Photos, Safari and Chrome can; others can't. Further down you'll find what to do in that case. ## On iPhone with AirPrint AirPrint is Apple's technology for printing wirelessly, without downloading or installing printer software. It works with compatible printers: to be sure, check the manual or ask the manufacturer. Apple also has a list of compatible printers, linked from the [About AirPrint](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102895) page. ### Print a document, a photo or a web page 1. Open the app you want to print from, for example **Photos**, **Mail**, **Files** or **Safari**, and open what you want to print. 2. Tap the **Share** button or the **Actions** button, depending on the app. 3. Scroll down and tap **Print**. ![Share menu on iPhone: below the contacts and apps, among the actions, the Print button with the printer icon, magnified.](https://simplebuild.it/assets/img/tutorial/stampare-dal-cellulare-stampa-en-640.webp) (Image: [Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/en-us/109349)) 4. The first time, tap **No Printer Selected** and choose your printer. 5. Choose the **number of copies** and the other options, for example **which pages** to print. 6. Tap **Print** in the top-right corner. ![Diagram of the print options on iPhone: the No Printer Selected row to tap to choose the printer, and Print at the top right.](https://simplebuild.it/assets/img/tutorial/stampare-dal-cellulare-iphone-stampante-en.svg) If **Print** isn't there, the app may not support printing: Apple suggests checking the app's manual or Help section. ### See how printing is going, or cancel it 1. Open the App Switcher (the one you use to move from one app to another). 2. Tap **Print Center**: you see the documents in the queue. 3. To cancel, select the print job and tap **Cancel Printing**. ## On Android On Android, item names vary a little from brand to brand. The steps below are Google's official ones for Pixel phones; Google warns that some only work on **Android 14** and up. On phones from other brands the path may be a little different: if you can't find the items, check your phone's manual. ### Turn on the print service The *print service* is the part of Android that talks to the printer. You only need to turn it on once. 1. Open the **Settings** app. 2. Tap **Connected devices > Connection preferences > Printing**. 3. Select a **print service** and turn it on. If there's no suitable service for your printer in the list: 1. Still in **Connected devices > Connection preferences > Printing**, tap **Add service**. 2. Enter the printer information you're asked for. Some manufacturers provide their own print service for Android: Canon's manual, for example, mentions Canon Print Service and the Mopria service. Check your printer's manual to find out which one to use, and only download apps from the Play Store. ### Print from an app Every app has its own way, but the path is usually this: 1. Open the document, photo or page. 2. Tap **Menu** or **More**, then **Share** and **Print**. 3. Choose the printer and tap **Print**. If there are settings to change for the same printer, in **Settings > Connected devices > Connection preferences > Printing** select the printer and tap **More**. ### Print from Chrome on Android 1. Open the **Chrome** app and open the page, image or file to print. 2. At the top right, tap **More**, then **Share**. 3. Select **Print**. 4. At the top, choose the printer. To change the settings, tap the **Down arrow**. 5. Tap **Print**. The same window also has **Save as PDF**: instead of printing, it creates a PDF on your phone, useful for keeping a receipt or a ticket. ## If the app has no Print button Google suggests a simple trick: take a **screenshot** of the screen and print the image from your gallery. It works well for a ticket, a QR code or a booking confirmation. If you need to print a paper document you photographed, first turn it into a tidy PDF with the guide on [how to scan a document](https://simplebuild.it/tutorial/scansionare-documento): it will come out much better than a crooked photo. ## If it still doesn't work - **The printer doesn't appear in the list**: check that phone and printer are on the same Wi-Fi network and that the phone isn't on mobile data. Turn the printer off and on again, then try again. - **On iPhone the printer isn't AirPrint-enabled**: Apple refers you to the manufacturer, who can tell you whether there's another way to print from your phone. - **The printer is only connected to the computer with a USB cable**: AirPrint works over Wi-Fi or a wired network, so the printer needs to be connected to Wi-Fi. - **It prints from the phone but not from the PC**, or the PC says it's "offline": see [what to do if the printer is offline](https://simplebuild.it/tutorial/stampante-non-in-linea). - **You want pages printed on both sides**: the guide on [how to print double-sided](https://simplebuild.it/tutorial/stampare-fronte-retro) explains the options on the computer. - **Your home Wi-Fi doesn't reach the printer well**: that may be the problem. See [how to get Wi-Fi all over the house](https://simplebuild.it/tutorial/wifi-che-non-arriva-in-tutta-casa). - If several people at home or in the office need to print from different phones and something goes wrong every time, a technician can set up the printer and the network once and for all. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I print from my phone if the printer is connected to the computer with a USB cable? Not with AirPrint: Apple explains that AirPrint needs a printer connected to Wi-Fi or to the network with an Ethernet cable. The solution is to connect the printer to Wi-Fi. ### Do I need to download the printer brand's app? On iPhone, with an AirPrint printer, no. On Android it depends on the phone and the printer: sometimes you need to turn on or add a print service, which some manufacturers provide. ### Can I turn a page into a PDF instead of printing it? Yes. In Chrome on Android, in the print window, there's Save as PDF. It's handy for keeping a receipt or sending it by email. ## Sources - [Print from iPhone (iPhone User Guide)](https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/iphone/iph92628b8f/ios) - [Use AirPrint to print from your iPhone or iPad (Apple Support)](https://support.apple.com/en-us/109349) - [About AirPrint (Apple Support)](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102895) - [Connect an AirPrint printer to a Wi-Fi network (Apple Support)](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102410) - [Print from your device (Pixel Phone Help)](https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/3473588?hl=en) - [Print from Chrome on Android (Google Chrome Help)](https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/1069693?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid) - [Printing with the Default Print Service (Android) (Canon manual, in Italian)](https://oip.manual.canon/USRMA-1892-zz-CS-itIT/contents/CS3025_mobile_0200.html)