You tap Share, then Print, and your iPhone or iPad reports that no AirPrint printers were found, even though the printer is on and a computer can print to it. AirPrint relies on the printer announcing itself over your local Wi-Fi and the iPhone listening for it. Anything that separates the two, from a different network to a router setting, makes the printer invisible. This guide works through those causes from most to least common.
What you might be seeing
- No AirPrint Printers Found in the print options
- The printer works from a computer but not the iPhone or iPad
- The printer appears sometimes and vanishes at other times
- Printing works on one network but not another
Common causes
- Different Wi-Fi network
- The iPhone has joined another network or a guest network, or is relying on mobile data.
- Printer without AirPrint
- Not every printer supports AirPrint, and on some it can be switched off in the network settings.
- Router blocking discovery
- Guest networks, client isolation and some mesh or business setups block the announcements AirPrint depends on.
- VPN active
- A VPN on the iPhone can route traffic away from your local network.
- Printer asleep
- A sleeping or disconnected printer stops announcing itself until it wakes.
How to fix it, step by step
Work through these in order and test a print after each one. Most people are done within the first few steps.
Check the Wi-Fi network name
Open Settings › Wi-Fi on the iPhone or iPad and note the network with the check mark. Compare it with the network shown in the printer's wireless settings or network report; they need to match. Many routers broadcast more than one name, plus a guest network that keeps devices apart. Joining the same main network as the printer is the safest choice.
Wake the printer and give it time
Press a button on the printer or open its paper tray to wake it, and wait until its display or wireless light is steady. Printers in deep sleep sometimes ignore discovery requests until they're woken. Then open the print options again and give the Printer list up to 30 seconds to fill in before deciding it's empty.
Turn Wi-Fi off and on properly
The Wi-Fi button in Control Center only disconnects from the current network without fully switching Wi-Fi off. Instead, go to Settings › Wi-Fi, switch it off, wait ten seconds and switch it back on. If you use a VPN, turn it off in Settings › VPN or in its app while you print. Then restart the iPhone or iPad and try again.
Make sure the printer supports AirPrint
Check the printer's specifications or manual for AirPrint support. If it has it, make sure it's enabled: type the printer's IP address into Safari on the iPhone to open its built-in settings page, and look in the network or protocol section for AirPrint, Bonjour and IPP, which should all be on. Some printers show the same options in their control panel menus.
Restart the router and check its settings
Restart the router, let it come fully back online, then restart the printer. If the printer still doesn't appear, look in the router's settings or app for client isolation or AP isolation on your main network, and check that the printer isn't on the guest network. On office networks, discovery between devices is sometimes blocked deliberately, which only the network administrator can change.
Reset the iPhone's network settings
As a last step on the device itself, go to Settings › General › Transfer or Reset iPhone › Reset › Reset Network Settings; on an iPad the menu says iPad instead. This clears saved Wi-Fi networks and passwords, VPN settings and cellular network preferences, but none of your data. Rejoin your Wi-Fi network afterwards and try printing again.
Use the manufacturer's app as a fallback
If AirPrint still won't show the printer, the manufacturer's official app from the App Store can often find it, because many such apps can also connect by IP address. It's a reasonable workaround while you sort out the network. Allow the app under Settings › Privacy & Security › Local Network, or it won't be able to see the printer at all.
How to keep it from happening again
- Connect the printer to the main network, never the guest one
- Give the printer a fixed address in the router so it stays easy to find
- Leave AirPrint and Bonjour enabled in the printer's settings
- Turn off VPNs when printing at home
Common questions
Can I print over mobile data?
Not with AirPrint. It only works across your local network, so the iPhone has to be on the same Wi-Fi as the printer. Some manufacturers offer a cloud printing service through their app that works over the internet, but that's a separate feature that needs setting up in advance.
Does AirPrint need Bluetooth?
No. AirPrint uses Wi-Fi or a wired network only, and Bluetooth plays no part in finding or printing to an AirPrint printer. Some manufacturers' apps use Bluetooth during first-time setup, but once the printer is on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth can be on or off without affecting AirPrint.
Can an iPhone print to a printer over Wi-Fi Direct?
Often, yes. Many printers that offer Wi-Fi Direct also support AirPrint over that connection. Join the printer's Wi-Fi Direct network in Settings › Wi-Fi using the name and password shown on the printer or its report, then print as usual. The iPhone loses internet access while connected that way, so switch back afterwards.
This guide is general information written for common home and office printers. Menus and button names vary between models, so check your printer’s manual where a step differs. Printer Problems Solved is independent and not affiliated with any printer manufacturer. See our disclaimer.