In short

  • Check that the printer supports AirPrint, is switched on and shows no error.
  • Put your iPhone and the printer on the same Wi-Fi network, and turn off any VPN.
  • If one app can't find the printer, turn it on in Settings › Privacy & Security › Local Network.

Fix it step by step

One fix at a time. Try printing after each one, and stop as soon as it works.

  1. 1. Make sure the printer supports AirPrint

    Look for AirPrint on the box, in the manual or in the printer's specifications. Without it, an iPhone can't print to the printer on its own; use the printer maker's app instead.

  2. 2. Check the printer is on and ready

    Switch it on and wait until it has fully started. Clear any error on its screen, such as a paper jam or an empty cartridge, and wake it up from sleep by pressing a button.

  3. 3. Put both on the same Wi-Fi network

    On your iPhone, check the network in Settings › Wi-Fi. On the printer, check its network settings or print a network report. Watch out for guest networks, and for routers with two network names, one for 2.4 GHz and one for 5 GHz: your iPhone and the printer must be on the same one.

    If the printer isn't on Wi-Fi at all, connect it using its own setup steps, on its screen or in its manual.

  4. 4. Turn off any VPN

    A VPN can hide the devices on your home network, printers included. Turn it off in Settings › VPN or in the VPN's own app, try printing, then turn it back on.

  5. 5. Let the app look for devices

    Does printing work from one app but not another? That app may not be allowed to look for printers. Go to Settings › Privacy & Security › Local Network and turn the app on. For Papiruno, it's Local Network › Papiruno.

  6. 6. Restart the printer, the router and your iPhone

    Turn off the printer, then the Wi-Fi router. Wait 30 seconds, turn the router back on and wait until the internet works again, then turn the printer back on. Restart your iPhone too. This clears most connection problems.

  7. 7. Move the printer closer to the router

    A printer at the edge of the Wi-Fi signal can keep dropping off the network. Move it closer to the router, at least to test.

  8. 8. Update the iPhone and the printer

    Install the latest iOS in Settings › General › Software Update, and update the printer's firmware from its menu or its maker's app. Updates often fix AirPrint problems.

  9. 9. Check the router's settings

    Some routers stop the devices on a network from seeing each other. Look for a setting called AP isolation or client isolation, and turn it off for your home network. Mesh systems and Wi-Fi extenders can also keep the printer and your iPhone apart: to test, connect both to the main router.

  10. 10. Reconnect the printer to Wi-Fi

    As a last step, reset the printer's network settings and connect it to the Wi-Fi again, following its manual. This often helps after a new router or a new Wi-Fi password.

Why AirPrint printers disappear

AirPrint finds printers with Bonjour, a way for devices on the same network to announce themselves. Anything that stops those announcements hides the printer, even when everything else on the Wi-Fi works: a different network, a VPN, a router setting, or a printer that's asleep or out of range.

Papiruno

Printing with Papiruno

Papiruno prints with AirPrint, so the same fixes apply. Once your printer appears, Papiruno adds:

  • A Print tab with your recent documents, one tap from the printer
  • Ink saver and several pages per sheet
  • A print history of the jobs that reached the printer

How to print with Papiruno

Download on the App Store
QR code that opens Papiruno on the App StoreScan with your iPhone camera
For iPhone · iOS 17 or later · Free to download
Papiruno's Print tab: choose from the library, print a file or print photos

Questions

Why does my printer show up sometimes but not always?

Usually it's going to sleep or dropping off the Wi-Fi. Wake it before you print, move it closer to the router, and look for a power-saving setting that turns off its Wi-Fi.

Can I add a printer by its IP address on iPhone?

No. An iPhone finds AirPrint printers by itself, and there's nowhere to type in an address. If it can't see the printer, the fixes above are the way to go.

The printer works from my computer but not my iPhone. Why?

The computer may be connected by USB or a cable, or use a driver, while your iPhone relies on AirPrint over Wi-Fi. Check that the printer is on the Wi-Fi network and supports AirPrint.

Does my iPhone need the internet to print?

No. AirPrint works over your local network, even when the internet is down, as long as your iPhone and the printer are on the same Wi-Fi.