How to connect a Xiaomi photo printer to your phone: all ways + problem solving

Xiaomi photo printers are compact devices that allow you to print pictures from a smartphone in seconds. However, many users face difficulties when connecting first: the printer does not find the phone, the application produces errors, and the printing is interrupted at half the time. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways of connecting (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC), talk about the nuances of settings for different models (Mi Photo Printer 2, PrintAR, Mi Portable Photo Printer) and give a checklist for troubleshooth diagnosis.

We’ll focus on common bugs that aren’t described in the official manual, such as why Xiaomi’s printer might not print when connected via Bluetooth 5.0, how to circumvent the restrictions on printing via Wi-Fi Direct in new versions of Android, and what to do if the device freezes during pairing, and you’ll also find a table of printer compatibility with Xiaomi, Redmi and other brands.

What Xiaomi Photo Printer Models Are and How They Differ

To date, Xiaomi has released three main models of portable photo printers, each with unique connectivity and printing features.

• 📱 Mi Photo Printer 2 (2021) – flagship model with Wi-Fi support 5 GHz, fieldless printing and compatibility with the Internet AR-Connects via the Mi Home or Xiaomi Print app.
• 🖼️ Xiaomi PrintAR (2020) — budgetary option with a function of preprinting AR-content (animation, music) only works via Bluetooth 4.2 It has a restriction on the resolution of photos (1200×1800 px).
• 🔋 Mi Portable Photo Printer (2019) — first-model support NFC It's a fast pairing machine. It's a sized thermal paper. 54×86 mm, but does not have a slot for memory cards.

Important: Not all models are compatible with iOS. For example, PrintAR does not officially support iPhone older than iPhone 8 due to Bluetooth stack limitations in older versions of iOS.

Xiaomi printers do not support printing from PC or laptop – only from smartphones through official applications.Attempts to connect via USB or third-party software (like PrintHand) usually fail due to proprietary print protocols.

Preparation for connection: what to do before pairing

Before you start connecting, follow a few mandatory steps to avoid 80% of the common errors:

1. Update your printer firmware. Outdated versions of the software may conflict with new smartphones. Check the relevance through the Mi Home app in Devices → Printer Settings → Software Update.
2. Charge the printer. If the charge level is below 20%, the device can shut down during printing. The optimal level is 50%+.
3. Prepare photos. Xiaomi printers automatically crop images to paper format. To avoid distortion, use a 2:3 aspect ratio (e.g., 2000×3000 px).

Also check if the necessary permissions are allowed in the Xiaomi Print or Mi Home app:

• 📲 Access to Photos and Media
• 📡 Permission to use Bluetooth
• 🌐 Wi-Fi access permission (for models with network support)

Printer charge > 50%|Updated printer firmware|Installed application Xiaomi Print|Photos in 2:3 format|Permits for the annex included-->

Attention! If you are using Android 12+, turn on the option "Exact Location" for the Mi Home app. Without this, the Bluetooth pairing may not work due to system limitations.

Method 1: Connecting via Bluetooth (universal method)

This is the most reliable method that works for all Xiaomi printer models, and the instructions are relevant for Android and iOS:

1. Turn on the printer with a long press on the power button (the indicator should flash blue).
2. Open the Xiaomi Print app (or Mi Home for older models) and click Add Device.
3. Select your printer model from the list. If the device doesn't show up, update the list manually (icon) 🔄).
4. Confirm pairing on your phone and printer (some models need to hold the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth button for 3 seconds).

If the printer is not located:

• 🔄 Reboot Bluetooth on your phone (Settings) → Bluetooth → Off./On.).
• 📱 Remove the printer from the list of associated devices and reconnect.
• 🔋 Check the printer charge – at a level below 15%, the Bluetooth module can be turned off.

Attention! Printers Xiaomi PrintAR and Mi Portable Photo Printer do not support simultaneous connection to multiple devices. If the printer is already paired with the same phone, you must first turn it off manually (hold the power button for 5 seconds).

Method 2: Wi-Fi connection (for Mi Photo Printer 2 only)

Mi Photo Printer 2 supports Wi-Fi Direct connectivity, allowing you to print without using Bluetooth.This method is useful if you have problems pairing or need to type with an iPad/MacBook (through workaround solutions).

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on the printer and hold the Wi-Fi button (on some models, Power + Wi-Fi) until the green light flashes.
2. On the phone, open Settings. → Wi-Fi and find a network called Xiaomi_Print_XXXX (where XXXX — unique ID printer).
3. Connect to this network. The default password is 12345678 (if it doesn't work, look at the sticker on the bottom of the printer).
4. Open the Xiaomi Print app and select the photos to print. The printer must be determined automatically.

Advantages of this method:

• ⚡ More stable connection compared to Bluetooth.
• 📶 Printing ability from devices without Bluetooth 4.0+ (Like old tablets).
• 🖼️ Support for high resolution printing (up to) 1600×2400 px).

Attention! When connected via Wi-Fi Direct, the printer will not have access to the Internet. AR-Stickers or cloud printing won't work, and you need to get your Bluetooth connection back to activate them.

Method 3: Fast NFC connection (for supported models)

If your smartphone and printer support NFC, pairing will take less than 5 seconds.

• 📱 Mi Photo Printer 2 + smartphone NFC (Xiaomi 12/13/14, Redmi Note 11 Pro+ newer).
• 🖨️ Mi Portable Photo Printer + devices on Android 8.0+.

How to connect:

1. Enable NFC on your phone (Settings → Connections → NFC).
2. Unlock your smartphone screen (importantly, NFC doesn’t work on a locked screen).
3. Hold the phone to the NFC logo on the printer (usually located on the top panel).
4. Wait for vibration and sound signal - pairing is complete.

Limitations of the method:

• 🚫 Does not work with covers thicker than 3 mm (metal covers block the signal).
• 🍎 Not supported on iPhone (even with a chip) NFC).
• 🔋 Requires a printer charge > 30% (otherwise module) NFC shut down).

💡

If NFC-The connection is not working, so try restarting the phone and printer, and then re-pair the pairing, and check if the Power Saving mode is on, it can turn off. NFC-module.

Common mistakes and their solutions

Even with the right connection, users face problems.-5 errors and ways of correcting them:

If none of these methods helped, try resetting the printer to factory settings:

1. Turn off the printer.
2. Press the Power + Wi-Fi/Bluetooth button for 15 seconds.
3. After restarting, reconnect.

⚠️ Attention! Reset removes all the stored connections and print settings, and then you have to re-match the printer with the smartphone and adjust the paper parameters.

How to print from social networks and cloud services

Xiaomi printers allow you to print not only photos from the gallery, but also photos from Instagram, VK, Google Photos and other services.

Method 1: Through the Xiaomi Print app

1. Open the app and select the Cloud section.
2. Sign in to the service you want (e.g. Google Account or VK).
3. Select an album or photo and press Print.

Method 2: Screenshot (for any application)

• 📸 Take a screenshot of a post or photo on the social network.
• 🖼️ Cut it to a ratio of 2:3 (like Google Photos).
• 🖨️ Send to print through Xiaomi Print.

⚠️ Attention! When printing from Instagram or TikTok, photos can be cropped due to the vertical format. To avoid this, add white margins on the sides in any graphics editor (such as Canva or Snapseed) before printing).

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To print from cloud services, the printer must be connected to the Internet via Bluetooth (models with Wi-Fi Direct do not support cloud printing).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions