7 Best Fixes for Printer Not Showing Up on iPhone

You can print photos or documents from your iPhone with or without Wi-Fi. You don’t have to face the hassle of transferring the file from your iPhone to your computer and then printing it from your computer. You can print wirelessly from your iPhone if your printer has the support.

But in case you don’t see your printer appearing on your iPhone, we bring some working solutions to fix the issue of your printer not showing up on your iPhone.

1. Check if Your Printer Supports AirPrint

Apple’s AirPrint functionality  allows you to wirelessly connect and print documents or pictures from your iPhone. For that, your printer needs to have support for AirPrint. You can visit the brand’s support page for your printer and check whether your printer allows AirPrint.

You can also check out our post, where we have suggested the best wireless printers for your Mac.

2. Connect to the Same Wi-Fi Network

After you are sure our printer has AirPrint functionality, check if your printer and iPhone are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. You can check your printer’s Wireless settings and see the Wi-Fi network name. If your printer lacks dual-band Wi-Fi functionality, you will need to ensure that your iPhone is also connected with the same 2.4GHz frequency band.

 3. Move Closer to the Printer

In case both your printer and iPhone are connected to a 5GHz frequency band, you will have to move closer to your printer. A 5GHz frequency band supports faster internet speeds but at a shorter range. That’s why you need to keep your iPhone closer to the printer for quick printing. This is advised, especially when you have to quickly print multiple pages or print a large photograph that includes many details.

4. Use Hotspot to Print Using iPhone

If you still face the same issue, you can set up a hotspot between your iPhone and printer. Before starting with the steps, ensure a blinking LED is indicated next to the Wi-Fi logo on your printer. We are using an HP printer for this post.

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

Step 2: Tap on Wi-Fi

Step 3: Tap on your printer name from the list of available networks.

Step 4: Enter the passcode to connect with your printer.

You can check the printer password by going to the Wireless menu of your printer.

Step 5: After joining the printer hotspot, close the Settings app.

Step 6: Open the file that you want to print.

Step 7: Tap the Share icon at the bottom-left corner.

Step 8: Scroll down and tap on Print.

Your printer might already be selected in the Printer Settings menu. If not, you can select it again.

Step 9: Choose your options and tap on Print at the top-right corner.

5. Turn Off Airplane Mode on iPhone

The Airplane Mode on your iPhone disables all wireless connections. You can keep using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, but you won’t be able to use Mobile Data. So if you have to use the hotspot to print from your iPhone, disable Airplane Mode.

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

Step 2: Tap the toggle next to Airplane Mode to disable it.

Step 3: Close Settings and check if the problem is solved.

6. Restart Your Printer and iPhone

If you still face the issue, you can restart your printer and iPhone to check if the problem is solved. Power off your printer for some time and then turn it on.

Here’s how to restart your iPhone based on the model.

Step 1: First, shut down your device.

• On iPhone X and above: Press and hold the volume down and the side button.
• On iPhone SE 2nd or 3rd gen, 7, and 8 series: Press and hold the side button.
• On iPhone SE 1st gen, 5s, 5c, or 5: Hold the power button at the top.

Step 2: Drag the Power Slider to turn off your device.

Step 3: Turn on your device by pressing and holding the Power Button.

Step 4: After your iPhone boots up, check if the problem is solved.

7. Update iOS

If none of the solutions work, we suggest installing the latest version of iOS on your device. This should remove any bugs that are causing this issue.

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

Step 2: Tap on General.

Step 3: Tap on Software Update.

Step 4: If an update is available, download and install it.

Step 5: Once done, check if the problem is solved.

Print From iPhone

These solutions will resume printing from your iPhone. Refer our post on how to print pictures from Google Photos on your iPhone.