We’re all on the go these days, which is why our cellphones are so much more than just phones. Since we can load documents, read emails, and so much more on these phones, it’s good to know that we can also print from them as well, which is perfect for people with active lifestyles. Whether you wish to print something for personal or business use, hooking up a wireless printer to any mobile device doesn’t have to be difficult, even if you’re not the world’s best computer expert. All it takes is a few simple steps, and you’re all set to print anything you need printed without even touching or going near the printer!
The Advantages of Going Wireless
When you hook up a mobile phone to a printer, you always run the risk of getting a virus, and even if the risk is small, some people find it is still too big of a risk to take. There are other advantages as well, such as how easy it is to print to a wireless printer because you can print to and from almost anywhere, so choosing this option is never a bad idea. There are several ways to print to a wireless printer from your mobile device, and it starts with knowing whether your phone is an Android or an iPhone.
You can even print using a third-party app if you like, and you can use an AirPrint-enabled printer if your phone is a Mac, but regardless of how you decide to print the documents you need printed, getting your device all set up to print is neither difficult nor time-consuming in most cases.
Printing Wirelessly with an iPhone or iPad
If you have a Mac device, printing to a wireless printer is done a little bit differently than with Android phones. Here are the steps you need to take for iPhones and iPads:
- Make sure that the printer you’re using supports AirPrint.
- Make sure both your device and your printer are on the same Wi-Fi network.
- Open whichever app you’d like to print from, then tap the Share icon from that app.
- Scroll down until you see the printer icon, then click on it. If you cannot find the icon, it might be because the app doesn’t support AirPrint.
- After you click on the printer icon, you should see the “AirPrint-enabled printer” option, so press on that next.
- Finally, tap on Print in the upper right-hand corner of your phone to print your document or email.
If you are using a wireless printer without AirPrint capabilities, you can use these steps to start printing your documents:
- Make sure that both your printer and your iPhone are on the same Wi-Fi network.
- Download the app that is associated with your printer, which is identified in your user manual.
- Launch the app, then go to the Settings feature.
- Go to the Wi-Fi tab under Settings.
- Click on Choose a Network, then click on the correct printer.
At this point, you should be able to print from the wireless printer. When you’re done, you might want to go ahead and switch back to your preferred Wi-Fi network so that your phone works normally from then on.
Printing Wirelessly From an Android Phone – Wi-Fi Printer
Most people have Wi-Fi printers, or wireless printers, simply because they can accommodate more devices at one time, they have a much wider range than Bluetooth printers do, and they are more widely available as well. If you’d like to print something from your Android phone to a Wi-Fi printer, here’s what you need to do:
- Once you know the Wi-Fi network is open and available, go ahead and set up your printer then connect it to the Wi-Fi.
- Set up your phone by connecting it to the Wi-Fi network by going to Settings, Wireless and Networks, then Wi-Fi.
- Select the Wi-Fi name, enter the password, then connect, making sure you’re connected to the same Wi-Fi as your printer.
- Go to Google Play and download the app for your printer’s printing app. This step will vary depending on the printer.
- Open the printing application on your app, then select Print, then the document you want will print.
- On the pop-up screen, you’ll select your printer and the document will automatically print.
When you wish to print to a wireless printer, most of the steps you need to take are common sense measures and easy to figure out. Even non-techies can usually do what they need to do to get the printers and their phones ready to print remotely. If you do have any problems trying to print, it is usually super easy to find out what the problem is, so it shouldn’t take you long to determine how to print whatever you need to print quickly. You’ll take different steps if you have an Android phone and still use a Bluetooth printer, but this, too, should be easy and uncomplicated for you.
