How to turn off printing from Xiaomi phone: all ways to block the printer

Have you ever encountered a situation where your Xiaomi smartphone suddenly starts sending documents to a printer without your knowledge? Did a colleague/child accidentally print sensitive data from your phone? In an era of remote work and shared networks, it's not just annoyance - it's the risk of leakage. Fortunately, MIUI has several ways to completely block printing, and we'll look at them all, from standard settings to hidden features for power users.

The problem is that Xiaomi (like other Android devices) defaults to allowing printer connections via Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, and cloud services like Google Cloud Print. Even if you’ve never used these features, they can activate automatically when you connect to a corporate network or a public printer. In this article, you’ll find 5 proven methods, including radical ADB shutdowns for those who want to securely close all loopholes.

Why Xiaomi Phones Can Print Without You Knowing

Before blocking the function, it is important to understand what mechanisms allow the smartphone to interact with printers.

• 📶 Wi-Fi Direct/Miracast: Many printers (especially) HP, Canon, Brother are automatically detected on the local network and offer a connection. MIUI It can store these devices in memory even after restarting.
• 🔵 Bluetooth printers: Modern portable printers (e.g. Xiaomi Mi Portable Photo Printer) are connected to the Internet. BLE and may remain on the list of associated devices.
• ☁️ Cloud services: Google Cloud Print (outdated, but still running on some devices), Mi Cloud or enterprise solutions like AirPrint for the Apple ecosystem.
• 🔌 USB OTG: Directly connect the printer via an adapter USB-C → USB-A MIUI Can automatically install the driver and allow printing.

The most insidious thing is that some applications (such as Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, or even Chrome) have built-in printing modules that bypass system settings. So turning off only the Settings → Connections menu may not work.

Method 1: Turning off print in standard MIUI settings

Let’s start with the simplest method that works on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 12 and later, which will block printing over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but will not affect cloud services.

1. Open Settings → Connections and Sharing.
2. Go to Printing (on some models it may be called Printing Services).
3. Turn off the print service slider (or print by Wi-Fi/Bluetooth).
4. In the list of saved printers, click on three dots (⋮) And choose Delete everything.

If Print is not on the menu, you are using an outdated version of MIUI (up to 11th).

Settings → Additional → Print → Disable the service

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro) POCO X3 Pro) after the printing service is disabled, it can automatically turn on when connecting to the new network. To avoid this, after following the steps above, disable autoconnection to public networks in Settings → Wi-Fi → Additionally.

Method 2: Google Cloud Print (Mi Cloud)

If you use a Google or Mi Account, your phone can sync printers through the cloud, which allows you to print even without a direct connection to the device -- enough for the printer to be linked to the same account.

• 📱 Google Cloud Print (an outdated service, but still running on some printers):

For Mi Cloud.

1. Go to Settings → Accounts → Mi Account → Synchronization.
2. Turn off the print slider (if there is one).
3. Remove all devices from the Smart Home section (if the printer is added as a smart device).

Important: If you use a corporate account (for example, through Microsoft Intune or VMware Workspace), the administrator can force the print service to turn on, in which case locking through your phone settings will not help - you will need to contact the administrator. IT-service.

Method 3: Disabling Printing via ADB (for power users)

If standard methods fail, you can force the system-level printing service to be disabled using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that works for MIUI 13/14/15 and requires an unlocked bootloader or root rights (but not always).

Here's the step-by-step instruction:

1. Enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times, then go back to Additional → For Developers).
2. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
3. Open the command line (Windows) or the terminal (Mac/Linux) and type:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.printspooler


adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.printservice.recommendation




adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.printservice

These commands are off:

• 🖨️ com.android.printspooler – System Printing Service;
• 🔍 com.google.android.printservice.recommendation – Automatic printer detection;
• ⚙️ com.android.printservice – the main module of printing.

To get it back, replace the disable-user with enable.

⚠️ Note: On some firmware (especially custom ones like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), these commands can cause system applications to crash. TWRP Mi Backup.

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If the print still works after the ADB shutdown, check if the phone has third-party printing apps (such as PrinterShare or Mopria Print Service) installed, which must be manually removed or disabled through Settings → Apps.

Method 4: Block printing through a firewall or network restriction

If you don't want to shut down the print service completely (for example, you need it for work), you can block printers from accessing the phone at the network level.

Option 1: Use of the built-in MIUI firewall

Starting with MIUI 14, there is a hidden firewall in the firmware that can be activated:

1. Enter the phone code in the app: ##284###.
2. In the menu that opens, select Network Firewall.
3. Add it to the blacklist. IP-address of your printers (you can find them through the router or printer menu).

Option 2: Third-party firewalls (without root)

Applications like NetGuard or NoRoot Firewall allow you to block access to the network for specific services.

• 🛡️ Install NetGuard from Google Play.
• Turn on traffic filtering.
• Find Print Spooler and turn off Wi-Fi and mobile data.

Method 5: Radical removal of system APKs (root only)

If you're willing to go to extreme lengths and you have root access, you can completely delete the system files that are responsible for printing, which is guaranteed to block the function, but can lead to unstable system operation.

You'll need:

• 📱 Phone with unlocked bootloader and root (for example, via Magisk).
• 🖥️ File Manager with root access (e.g. Root Explorer or Root Explorer) FX File Manager).
• 🔧 Backup of the system (required!).

Instructions:

1. Open the file manager and go to /system/priv-app/.
2. Remove or rename (add.bak) the following folders:

/system/priv-app/PrintSpooler/


/system/priv-app/PrintRecommendationService/




/system/priv-app/PrintService/

1. Reboot the phone.

If the phone stopped booting after that, restore deleted files from the backup or flash the firmware again through Fastboot.

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Removing system APKs is the most reliable way to disable printing, but it is only suitable for power users. If you are not sure about your actions, use methods 1-3.

What to do if the printer still works

If after all the manipulations, the Xiaomi phone continues to send documents to print, check the following points:

• 🔄 App cache: Clear cache and data for Print Service in Settings → Annexes → All applications → Three points. → Show system-based.
• 📱 Third-party apps: Remove or disable printing rights for applications like Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, Chrome.
• 🔧 Device Policies: If the phone is tied to a corporate account, check for printing policy in Settings → Accounts. → [Your work account] → Device control.
• 🔄 Reset Network Settings: Go to Settings → System system → Resetting settings → Reset network settings. This will delete all stored printers and network profiles.

If the problem persists, you may have custom firmware installed on your device with modified printing services, in which case contact your firmware developer or return to the official MIUI.

FAQ: Frequent questions about turning off print on Xiaomi