How to print from your iPhone

This may be the age of PDFs and DocuSign, but there are still plenty of times I find myself needing to print an actual hardcopy of something for one reason or another — a sales receipt, a recipe, a note for the house-sitter or anything in between. But the good news is that I no longer need to fire up the computer to do so: Because my printer is on my home network, my iPhone and iPad can easily handle the job. It's actually pretty simple once you've set things up, but printing from your iPhone can be a bit tricky for first-timers because the ability to do so isn't as straightforward as you might expect. But I'm here to tell you it takes less than five minutes to connect your phone and print nearly anything your heart desires.

Start by connecting your iPhone to your printer

Before you get started, turn your printer on. I know it's obvious, but it's a common mistake that can prevent you from printing the documents you need.

Before you can print anything, you need to make sure your iPhone is connected to the printer. If you've never done this, open the Settings app on your phone and tap Wi-Fi. Both your phone and the printer should be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Alternatively, some printers have their own Wi-Fi network (such as "DIRECT-bc-HP M15 Laser Jet"). Choose one applicable network, and tap it to connect.

How to print from your iPhone

Now that you're connected, you can start printing anything from photos and documents to webpages and emails. Here's how to do it.

1. Open the app you want to print from. For instance, Safari, Mail, Files, Google Docs or Photos.

2. Depending on which app you select, you'll see some different options. For Safari, Files and Photos, you'll select the box with an arrow pointing up. For Mail, tap the Reply button. For Google Docs, tap the three dots.

3. Tap Print. You may have to scroll down to find it.

4. The print preview page should appear with several options. If your printer isn't already selected, click "printer" and it may ask you to confirm your printer name from the subsequent menu.

5. Select how many copies you want, whether you want to print in color, double-sided prints, the paper size, orientation (landscape versus portrait) and quality type. Also, if you're printing something with multiple pages, you can deselect any pages you don't need.

6. Once you're done, tap the blue printer icon in the top right corner. Now you just have to wait for your printer to spit out your files or photos.

Troubleshooting: If you can't print from your iPhone

If the options aren't showing, there's likely one of several causes. For starters, as we noted above, make sure the printer is powered on, and that you're connected to your home network or the printer's own network.

Not able to connect, even after all those options are confirmed? Your printer may not support AirPrint. If that's the case, you likely won't be able to send anything from your iPhone to that printer unless the manufacturer has an app you can download for printing. If so, just follow the app's setup instructions to connect it to your printer.

And if you're in the market for a new printer, just make sure it supports Wi-Fi and AirPrint. Most models — including units available for under $80 — now do both.