Wireless printing is the single most requested feature in new mobile devices.[1] But while many of today’s smartphones are capable of wireless printing, the initial setup isn’t always intuitive. We’ve put together an easy guide to print from the most common smartphones. Even if you’re working out of the office and IT support is nowhere in sight, it can be surprisingly simple and fast to start printing from your smartphone. Here’s how.
Note: These instructions are specifically for enabling wireless printing on your smartphone. Wireless printing may also need to be enabled on the printer itself, depending on the model. See the printer’s manual for additional information.
What type of smartphone do you have?
Scroll down to your smartphone type below to get the printing setup steps for your specific device.
Android phones
Version 4.4 (KitKat) or higher
Printing from Android™ v4.4+ is now built into most devices. If there isn’t a print menu selection found in compatible apps (such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and Chrome), you will need to do a one-time install of the
HP Print Service Plugin to enable built-in printing by following the steps below.
1. First, make sure wireless printing is enabled on your Android device. Navigate to the Settings menu, tap Printing and then turn on HP Print Service.
2. If the HP Print Service Plugin is not visible, click Add Service, then search for and install the plugin.
3. Compatible apps (such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and Chrome) will now let you print directly to any HP wireless printer
4. For additional information, visit
HP Customer Support. To enable printing to non-HP wireless printers, you will need to use either that brand’s printer plugin, or use
Google Cloud PrintOlder versions
Wireless printing is not enabled by default on older Android devices. To enable it, download the
HP ePrint App from the Google Play store.
After being installed, this app allows you to print from your phone over Wi-Fi® (on the local network), remotely via the internet to an HP ePrint printer[2], or directly to HP Wi-Fi Direct supported printers.[3]
Learn more about HP ePrint
hereNot sure which version you have?
1. From Settings, Slide your finger up your Android phone's screen to scroll all the way to the bottom of the Settings menu.
2. Tap About Phone at the bottom of the menu, then tap Software Information.
3. The first entry on the page that loads will be your current Android software version.
iPhone
When printing to AirPrint compatible printers
1. Apple's AirPrint™ service is simple, but only works with select printers that directly support it. Here’s how:
2. If the printer is compatible, make sure your iPhone® and printer are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, and then open a document on your iOS device.
3. To print, open the app you want to print from. Find the print option by tapping the app’s
Share icon or
Settings icon. Not all apps support AirPrint. For additional information, visit the
Apple support page.
When printing to other wireless-enabled printers (not AirPrint compatible)
1. If the printer is not AirPrint compatible, download the
HP ePrint App. This app allows you to print from your phone over Wi-Fi, via the internet to an HP ePrint printer, or directly to
HP Wireless Direct supported printers.
Not sure if your printer is AirPrint compatible?
A full list of supported printers can be viewed
hereWindows Phone
Windows® 10 Mobile
Microsoft’s Windows 10 Mobile now has built-in (native) printing, but does not work with every printer. A full list of supported printers can be viewed
here. Here’s how to put it to use:
- Make sure the printer is connected to the same wireless network with an active internet connection as your Windows 10 Mobile device.
- To print, select the print icon or click Print from compatible apps, such as Excel and Word.
Version 8.1 and earlier
Windows Phone 8.1 and earlier versions do not support built-in printing. However, there are a few app solutions available.
- Download the HP All-in-One Printer Remote to print to compatible HP wireless printers[4].
- Alternatively, the paid app Print Now allows wireless printing to printers compatible with Google Cloud Print.
Not sure which version you have?
In the App list, tap Settings, then About, then More info. The Software section indicates the version installed on the phone (for example, “Windows Phone 8.1” or “Windows Phone 8”)
BlackBerry phones
Built-in (native) printing support is not available for BlackBerry® phones. However, there are a few app solutions available. One solution for BlackBerry 10 is to download the paid app,
Print My Files. The app works in conjunction with a Windows PC application, but Macs are not supported.
1. To use the app, install Print My Files on both your PC and BlackBerry 10 device, and make sure both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. To print, share any file with the app from anywhere in Phone, and then select Print within the app.
Need additional assistance?
[2] Printer requires ePrint account registration. App or software may be required. Wireless operations are compatible with 2.4 GHz operations only. Learn more at hp.com/go/mobileprinting.
[3] Mobile device needs to be connected directly to the Wi-Fi Direct® signal of a Wi-Fi Direct-supported AiO or printer prior to printing. Depending on mobile device, an app or driver may also be required. For details, see hp.com/go/mobileprinting.
[4] Compatible with iPhone® 4 and later, iPad® 4th generation, iPad mini™, iPad Air®, iPod® 5G using iOS 7 or later, and mobile devices using Android™ 4.0.3 or later. Features controlled may vary by mobile device operating system. For mobile scanning, device camera requires 5 megapixels or greater with autofocus capability.
Wi-Fi Direct® is a registered trademark of Wi-Fi Alliance®.
Android, Google Drive, Google Cloud Print, and Chrome are trademarks of Google Inc.
Microsoft and Windows, are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Apple and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. BlackBerry is the trademark or registered trademark of
BlackBerry Limited, the exclusive rights to which are expressly reserved.