This is the most common way people and businesses use PrintHand. After all, with most printers today supporting network connectivity, why would one need to send a print job to the cloud, just to receive it on the device right next to them?

Setting Up WiFi Printing

When you start PrintHand, you'll need to add a printer. Click on the corresponding link on the top right and then select Network Printers. Almost immediately you'll see your printers available over WiFi. It's important that the printer and mobile device are connected to the same local network. In addition to WiFi capable printers, you may see ones connected over a wire (Ethernet) to a router, hub, or computer. From the application's point of view, these printers are not different from WiFi-connected ones.

Configuring Your Printer

Choose the printer you need to work with—it could be your only home unit—and follow the prompts. You'll be asked to download a driver pack for your model, much like people do on a computer, and a rendering library for your device to be able to work with documents of various types. You need an internet connection at this time.

Printing Your Documents

Once the printer is configured, you can choose what to print—images, PDF files, etc. See the preview, change printing options as needed (the default options work for the majority of people), and finally print.

Many printers, especially older models, don't support network connectivity. But virtually any unit you see today has USB capabilities. There's nothing easier than connecting the device and the printer with a standard USB cable that usually comes with the printer, and print.

What You'll Need

To print via USB from your Android device, you'll need a USB OTG (On-The-Go) cable or adapter. This special cable allows your Android device to act as a host and connect to USB peripherals like printers. Most Android devices running version 4.0 or later support USB OTG, though some manufacturers may have disabled this feature.

Connecting Your USB Printer

Follow these steps to connect your printer:

• Connect the standard USB cable to your printer
• Plug the USB cable's other end into the USB port on your OTG adapter
• Connect the OTG adapter's micro-USB or USB-C end to your Android device
• Wait a moment for your device to detect the printer
• When prompted, grant PrintHand permission to access the USB device

Granting USB Permissions

Android requires explicit permission for apps to communicate with USB devices. When you connect a USB printer for the first time, you'll see a permission dialog asking if you want to allow PrintHand to access the USB device. Make sure to check "Use by default for this USB device" if you want to avoid this prompt in the future.

Setting Up USB Printing in PrintHand

Once your printer is physically connected, open PrintHand and select USB when adding a printer. The app will detect your connected printer and guide you through downloading the appropriate driver pack. The setup is similar to WiFi printing, with the same options for paper size, orientation, and print quality.

Bluetooth printing offers wireless convenience without requiring a network connection. It's ideal for portable printers, receipt printers, and situations where you need to print on the go within close range of your device.

Pairing Your Bluetooth Printer

Before using PrintHand, you need to pair your Bluetooth printer with your mobile device. Turn on your printer and enable Bluetooth pairing mode (usually by holding a specific button until a light flashes). On your Android device, go to Settings → Bluetooth, turn it on, and tap Scan. Select your printer from the list of available devices. If prompted for a pairing code, enter it (commonly 0000 or 1234 — check your printer's manual). Pairing is complete when the Bluetooth indicator on your printer shows a solid light instead of flashing.

Setting Up Bluetooth Printing in PrintHand

Once your printer is paired with your device, open PrintHand and add a new printer. Select Bluetooth from the connection options, and PrintHand will detect your paired printer. Download the appropriate driver pack for your printer model, and you're ready to print. The printing process is similar to WiFi, with options for paper size, orientation, and quality.

Range and Limitations

Bluetooth printers typically work within a range of about 30 feet (10 meters). Newer Bluetooth 5.0 printers offer approximately twice the speed and four times the range of older Bluetooth technology. Keep in mind that walls and other obstacles can reduce the effective range. Unlike WiFi printing, Bluetooth is best suited for single-user, close-proximity printing scenarios.

WiFi Direct creates a direct, peer-to-peer wireless connection between your mobile device and printer without requiring a router or existing WiFi network. Think of it as the printer creating its own network that your device connects to directly. This is particularly useful in offices you visit, schools, or anywhere you don't have access to the local network.

How WiFi Direct Differs from Regular WiFi

Unlike standard WiFi printing where both your device and printer connect to the same router, WiFi Direct establishes a one-to-one connection. The printer acts as its own access point with its own network name and password. This means faster printing speeds (up to 250 Mbps), better security with WPA2 encryption, and no dependency on an existing network or internet connection.

Connecting via WiFi Direct on Android

First, enable WiFi Direct on your printer through its control panel or settings menu (consult your printer's manual for specific steps). The printer will display its network name (SSID) and password, often shown on the control panel screen. On your Android device, go to WiFi settings and look for the printer's network name in the available networks list. Select it and enter the password when prompted. Once connected, open PrintHand and add the printer — it should appear as a network printer.

When to Use WiFi Direct

WiFi Direct is ideal when you need to print but don't have access to the local network, when network printing is experiencing issues, for temporary printing setups, or when you want a faster, more secure direct connection. However, keep in mind that while connected to the printer's WiFi Direct network, your device won't have internet access unless your printer supports simultaneous connections.

PrintHand is free to try for all local printing methods—WiFi, Bluetooth, USB, and WiFi Direct. With the free version, you can test printer connectivity and print a test page to ensure everything works perfectly with your printer. To print actual documents, photos, emails, and other content, you'll need to upgrade to Premium Mode.

How to Upgrade

The easiest way to upgrade is through the app store where you downloaded PrintHand—Google Play, Apple App Store, Amazon Appstore, Huawei AppGallery, or others. Simply open PrintHand, navigate to the upgrade section, and follow the prompts to complete your purchase through your preferred app store.

Android users have additional payment flexibility. In addition to Google Play, you can purchase directly within the app using PayPal, credit card, or many local payment providers such as PayU Money in India, with pricing in your local currency. These direct purchases generate a license code with instant activation on your device.

License Transfer and Platform Compatibility

If you change devices, license codes purchased directly can be transferred to your new device. Simply enter the license code you received via email during the original purchase. However, licenses are platform-specific: Android licenses are not valid on iOS devices, and iOS licenses cannot be used on Android devices.

Pricing Options

Choose the payment plan that works best for you:

• One-Time Perpetual License: Pay once and own Premium Mode forever, including all future updates
• Annual Subscription: Maintain an active subscription with yearly renewal for ongoing access and updates

Premium Mode Benefits

When you upgrade to Premium Mode on your mobile device, you receive:

• Unlimited printing via WiFi, Bluetooth, USB, and WiFi Direct
• All future app updates and improvements
• Priority customer support
• 100 pages added to your account for remote printing through our Windows and Mac desktop software (free accounts receive 3 pages to try the functionality)

Bulk Licensing for Businesses

Planning to upgrade multiple devices for your business or organization? We offer bulk licensing with considerable discounts for multiple-device deployments. Contact our sales team to discuss volume pricing options tailored to your needs.