Printing hard copies of documents is one of the most basic tasks a computer can perform. But did you know that it’s almost as easy to do from your phone?

It may be hidden away, but it’s possible on any device and doesn’t require any special hardware either. Whether you’re using a manufacturer-specific app or printing directly over Wi-Fi, you can print your documents or favorite photos to almost any printer. Here’s how to get started.

An App Solves The Problem

When you want to print from your phone, the first place to start is the Play Store. Most major brands, including Canon, Epson, and HP printers, have their own dedicated apps that will install the necessary drivers to enable you to print directly to their wireless printers.

To find the apps either search in the store, or head to Settings > Connection preferences > Printing on your phone and tap Add service. The resulting screen will show all available printing apps, and you can choose the one that corresponds to your printer make.

In general terms, you need to ensure that your printer is connected to the same wireless network as your phone. If it is, the app should automatically detect it and you can then select the printer and be ready to go.

Check Default Print Service

Depending on what printer you’re using, you might not even need to download a specific app to use it. Android 8 and above includes the Default Print Service, which can automatically detect and set up compatible printers on your network. From Android 9 and later, the compatibility includes printers that support Wi-Fi Direct.

To use it, go to Settings > Connection preferences > Printing and select Default print service. Toggle the service to On and it will begin scanning for compatible printers on your Wi-Fi network. If your shows up, simply select it to complete the setup process.

Remember that some of these menus and options may be slightly different depending on what version of Android you’re using , but the basic principles are the same.