How to Fix Can’t Find AirPrint Printer on iPhone

Don’t know what to do if you can’t find an AirPrint printer on iPhone?

Out of all Apple’s wireless features, AirPrint has got to be the most beneficial one. With only a single tap, you can print hard copies of images, notes, web pages, documents, and other files without moving an inch or connecting a cable.

However, you will need a printer that supports AirPrint technology and, of course, a stable Wi-Fi connection. Though the technology is fast and reliable, there are still some instances where it may fail to work or the printer fails to appear on the available devices.

If that is why you’re here, this page contains all the information you need to fix Can’t find AirPrint printer on iPhone.

 

1. Ensure the Printer Supports AirPrint.

One of the first things to do when you can’t find an AirPrint Printer on an iPhone is to check whether the printer is compatible with AirPrint. This can be done by examining the printer and looking for a ‘Works with Apple AirPrint’ label. 

You may also use the instructions manual or head over to the manufacturer’s official website to confirm.

Can't Find AirPrint Printer on iPhone

If you can’t find the label or sticker, search up the printer model online and check reviews to confirm whether or not it works with Apple AirPrint.

2. Check the Printer’s Status.

Another thing to check before heading to troubleshooting methods is the printer’s status. Some printers may go into sleep mode or power-saving mode when inactive or low on battery. In such cases, press the Power button on your printer to turn it on. Check for any sign of activity, such as a light or a message on the screen, to ensure that the printer is on. 

This is especially important if you haven’t used your printer in a while. Perhaps your ink cartridge is empty, loose, or something is jamming your printer. 

3. Ensure Your iPhone and Printer Are Connected to the Same Network.

For the printer to work with your iPhone, both of them should be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. If your printer is using a different Wi-Fi network, it won’t show up on your iPhone. So, enable Wi-Fi on your printer and check the network it’s connected to. Then, connect your iPhone to the same network and see if this solves your problem.

Wi-Fi settings on iPhone

On the off chance that your printer can’t detect the Wi-Fi network your phone is connected to, restart the printer and try again. This should also fix any software bugs and issues, providing a clean reset for the printer.

4. Switch to a Private Network.

AirPrint doesn’t work on public networks due to security reasons. Hence, if you’re trying to connect to your AirPrint printer over an unsecured network, you will receive a ‘No AirPrint Printer found’ error on your iPhone. In such a case, connect your devices to a more secure Wi-Fi network and try again. 

5. Restart Wi-Fi on iPhone and Printer.

One of the easiest methods to fix the Can’t find AirPrint printer on iPhone problem is to restart your iPhone and printer’s Wi-Fi. This will refresh the network settings and remove any errors encountered. 

Below are the steps to follow to restart Wi-Fi on your device:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Tap on Wi-Fi and turn off the toggle next to Wi-Fi
Enable Wi-Fi on iPhone
  1. After a while, switch on the toggle for Wi-Fi.
  2. Alternatively, you can also drag down the top-right corner of your iPhone to open up the Control Center
  3. From there, simply tap on the Wi-Fi icon to turn it off, wait a few seconds, and tap it again to turn it back on.

For your printer, check the user’s guide to restart your AirPrint printer correctly. Once you’ve restarted, check if your iPhone can detect it. If not, move to the following method from this guide. 

6. Restart Your iPhone and Printer.

If another iOS device can find the printer but your iPhone can’t, the problem may lie with your smartphone. Similarly, if your printer can’t be detected by any device that’s connected to the same Wi-Fi network, there may be an issue with your printer. In both of these cases, restarting your iPhone or printer will surely fix the issue. 

Follow the steps below to restart your iPhone:

  1. Press and hold the Side button and either of the Volume buttons
restart iPhone
  1. Release it once the slider appears. 
  2. Now, drag the slider to the right to power off your iPhone. Wait for your iPhone screen to go completely off and then wait several more seconds before proceeding to the next step.
  3. Restart your device by pressing and holding the Side button again, then let go once the Apple logo shows up. 

To restart the printer, turn off your printer and unplug it from the power source. Then, wait for a few seconds before replugging the printer. Now, check if your iPhone is able to detect the AirPrint printer. 

7. Update Your iPhone.

If you’re using an older iOS version, an error or bug within your iPhone’s software may cause several issues. One such bug is the Can’t find AirPrint printer error you’re facing on your iPhone. So, if your iPhone is not detecting the printer while other devices can, check for any patch updates to upgrade your iPhone to the latest iOS version. 

Remember to charge your iPhone before installing the update, as it may take a while, depending on its size of it.

Afterward, follow the steps below:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Tap on General
  3. Now, choose Software Update
update iOS
  1. If there’s an update available, tap on Download and Install.

If the update fails midway, consider checking your device storage. In case its low, delete any unnecessary files and apps from your iPhone and try again.

Once the update is installed on your device, see if the AirPrint printer is showing up on your iPhone. 

8. AirPrint Without a Router.

A quick workaround for when you can’t find AirPrint printer on iPhone is to host a Wi-Fi hotspot. Unfortunately, not all printers support this technology, so this method isn’t for everyone.

Can't Find AirPrint Printer on iPhone

Afterward, go to your iPhone’s Wi-Fi settings and connect to your printer. Now, when you wish to print a document, your printer will hopefully appear on the Printer Options page. If not, contact your printer’s manufacturer to have them look at the problem.

9. Hard Reset the Printer.

If your printer is still not detectable even after trying various fixes, consider hard resetting it. This will bring back the factory default network settings and configurations of your printer and remove any bugs and glitches. 

Remember that after a hard reset, you will need to redo the configuration settings, such as tray size, language, etc. 

Unfortunately, we can’t provide the steps to hard reset your printer because each printer operates differently. We recommend searching your printer’s model number and make, finding the official support site of your printer’s brand, and looking for the steps there.

10. Reset Your iPhone’s Network Settings.

Similar to hard setting your printer, your iPhone’s network settings should also be reset if it’s unable to detect the AirPrint printer. Keep in mind that doing this step will mean all of your saved Wi-Fi and network preferences settings will be lost, so you will need to reconnect to Wi-Fi. 

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Head over to the Settings app on your device. 
  2. Tap on General and select Transfer or Reset iPhone
  3. Tap on Reset and choose Reset Network Settings
Reser Network Settings on iPhone

This sums up our guide on how to fix the Can’t find AirPrint printer on iPhone. Hopefully, you’ve been successful in connecting the AirPrint printer to your iPhone. If you have any queries, use the comments section below. We’ll be more than happy to help. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 😊

Author

  • Aimen Choudhry

    Aimen Choudhry is an architecture student who has always been fascinated by science. She now finds her therapy researching and writing about the latest technology and the issues that come alongside. Otherwise, you’ll find her playing video games, listening to music, or watching fantasy/sci-fi movies.

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