How to Print from Android: Default Print Service and Mopria

To print from Android, open what you want to print, tap the three-dot menu or Share, choose Print, pick your printer at the top of the preview and tap the print button. Android phones and tablets running Android 8 or later include a Default Print Service that finds most Wi-Fi printers automatically, so you usually do not need any extra app. This guide covers turning the service on, printing from common apps, adding a printer by IP and what to do if nothing appears.

Your printer must be on the same Wi-Fi network as the phone. If it is new, start with the wireless printer setup guide.

Step 1: check the print service is on

The exact menu names vary between phone makers, so the quickest way is to open Settings and search for Printing. The usual paths are:

Phone	Path to printing settings
Google Pixel and most “stock” Android	Settings, Connected devices, Connection preferences, Printing
Samsung Galaxy	Settings, Connections, More connection settings, Printing
Other brands	Search Settings for “Printing” or “Print”

Inside you will see Default Print Service and any other print plugins installed, such as Mopria or a printer maker’s plugin. Tap Default Print Service and make sure it is On. Your network printers should be listed underneath after a few seconds.

Step 2: print from an app

1. Open the page, photo, email or document.
2. Find Print:
   • Chrome: three-dot menu, then Share, then Print.
   • Google Photos: open the photo, three-dot menu, then Print.
   • Gmail: open the email, three-dot menu at the top right of the message, then Print.
   • Google Docs, Sheets and Microsoft Office apps: three-dot or File menu, then Share and export or Print.
3. In the print preview, tap the printer name at the top (it may say Select a printer or Save as PDF).
4. Tap All printers and choose your printer.
5. Tap the down arrow to open options: copies, paper size, colour, orientation and two-sided printing.
6. Tap the round print button.

The phone remembers the printer, so next time it is usually preselected.

Step 3: add a printer by IP address if it does not appear

If the printer does not show up automatically:

1. In the print preview, tap Select a printer, then All printers.
2. Tap Add printer (or the three-dot menu, then Add printer).
3. Choose Default Print Service.
4. Tap Add printer by IP address and enter the printer’s address from its network configuration report.

Not sure where to find the address? Our guide to finding a printer’s IP address covers the printer’s own menu, the network report and your router’s device list. It is worth reserving that address in the router, too, because a printer added by IP stops working on the phone if the router later gives it a different one.

Older Android phones and tablets

The steps above assume Android 8 or later, which covers most phones in use today. To check your version, open Settings, then About phone (or About tablet), then Software information or Android version.

On older devices the picture is different:

Android version	What to expect
8 and later	Default Print Service built in. Most Wi-Fi printers appear without an app.
4.4 to 7	The Print option exists in apps, but there is usually no built-in service. Install a print plugin such as Mopria or your printer maker’s plugin from Google Play, where the device can still run it. Some phone makers preinstalled their own plugin.
Earlier than 4.4	No system printing. Only a maker’s standalone app, if one still supports the device, can print.

Some older guides and apps also mention Google Cloud Print. That service was shut down at the end of 2020, so any app or setting that depends on it will no longer work. On an old tablet that can no longer install a current plugin, the simplest route is often to share the document to a computer or a newer phone and print from there.

When to install Mopria or the maker’s plugin

Install the Mopria Print Service from Google Play if your printer still does not appear, or if you need options the default service lacks. Mopria is a free plugin backed by an alliance of printer makers and supports a very wide range of models. On many Samsung phones Mopria-based printing is already built in.

Printer makers also publish their own Android plugins and apps, such as HP Smart and Canon PRINT. They add extras like scanning to the phone and ink alerts. See our HP Smart app setup guide if you use an HP printer.

Only keep one or two print services switched on. Several services fighting over the same printer can make it appear twice or not at all.

Printing without a router: Wi-Fi Direct

If there is no Wi-Fi network, switch on Wi-Fi Direct on the printer. The printer then appears in the print preview, often labelled as a Wi-Fi Direct printer, and Android connects to it when you print. You may be asked to confirm the connection on the printer’s panel. Our Wi-Fi Direct printing guide explains the setup.

If the printer is still missing

• Confirm the phone shows the same Wi-Fi network name as the printer’s network report.
• Turn off any VPN during printing; it can block local discovery.
• Restart the printer so it announces itself again.
• Clear the cache of the print service: Settings, Apps, show system apps, Default Print Service, Storage, Clear cache.

Using an iPhone as well? Printing works differently there; see how to print from iPhone with AirPrint.