Everyone has a smartphone these days. Documents arrive by WhatsApp, email, and cloud storage. Walking to a computer just to print feels increasingly unnecessary. The good news is that mobile printing has become genuinely practical.

Your Mobile Printing Options

Manufacturer apps: HP, Epson, Canon, and others offer free apps that work with their printers. These usually provide the best features for their specific devices.

Platform built-in printing: Android has native print support through Google Cloud Print's successor. iPhones use AirPrint. Both work without additional apps if your printer supports them.

Third-party apps: Apps like PrinterShare work across brands but may require payment for full features.

Cloud printing services: Some printers connect to cloud services, allowing printing from anywhere with internet – not just local WiFi.

Setting Up HP Mobile Printing

HP printers are common in Kenya. Here's the setup:

  1. Download 'HP Smart' from your app store
  2. Ensure your phone and printer are on the same WiFi network
  3. Open HP Smart and tap the plus sign to add a printer
  4. Follow the discovery process – it should find your printer
  5. Complete any account setup if prompted

Once connected, you can print photos and documents directly from the app, or use the 'Share' function from other apps to send documents to HP Smart.

Setting Up Epson Mobile Printing

  1. Download 'Epson iPrint' from your app store
  2. Connect to the same WiFi as your printer
  3. Open the app and let it search for printers
  4. Select your printer from the list
  5. Choose what to print – photos, documents, web pages, etc.

Setting Up AirPrint (iPhone)

If your printer supports AirPrint (check specifications or look for the AirPrint logo):

  1. Ensure iPhone and printer are on the same WiFi
  2. Open the document, photo, or webpage you want to print
  3. Tap the Share button
  4. Scroll down and tap 'Print'
  5. Tap 'Select Printer' and choose your printer
  6. Adjust options and tap 'Print'

No app installation required – it's built into iOS.

Printing from Android

Android's native printing works similarly:

  1. Open Settings > Connected devices > Connection preferences > Printing
  2. Enable the default print service (or install your manufacturer's plugin)
  3. When you want to print, use the Share menu or three-dot menu and look for 'Print'
  4. Select your printer and adjust settings

Troubleshooting Mobile Printing

Printer not found:

  • Verify both devices are on the same WiFi network (not mobile data)
  • Restart both the printer and your phone
  • Check that the printer's WiFi is actually enabled
  • Try the manufacturer's app instead of generic printing

Print jobs fail:

  • Check paper and consumable levels
  • Ensure no other print jobs are stuck in queue
  • Try reducing print quality for large documents
  • Restart the printer to clear any stuck jobs

Poor print quality:

  • Use the correct paper type setting
  • For photos, use photo paper and photo quality settings
  • Ensure source images have sufficient resolution

Printing Without WiFi

Some printers support WiFi Direct, which creates a direct connection without needing a router:

  1. Enable WiFi Direct on the printer (check menu options)
  2. On your phone, connect to the printer's WiFi Direct network
  3. Print using your standard method

This is useful for printing at locations without WiFi infrastructure, or when customer phones shouldn't join your main network.

For Cyber Cafes and Printing Shops

Customer mobile printing is a service opportunity:

  • Set up a dedicated 'guest' WiFi for customer printing
  • Display clear instructions for connecting and printing
  • Consider Bluetooth printing for customers hesitant to join WiFi
  • Have backup methods (USB, email to print) for compatibility issues

At ilexDigital, we help businesses set up reliable mobile printing solutions. From basic home printing to commercial customer printing services, we configure systems that work consistently. Contact us for mobile printing setup assistance.