Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often face the need to urgently print a document or photo from a distance from the computer. USB-cable is one of the most reliable ways of transmitting data, as it does not depend on the quality of the wireless network and the speed of the router.
Many users mistakenly believe that it is enough to simply insert the cable into the connector, but the Android operating system requires additional permissions and software to work correctly on the periphery. Unlike desktop systems, where drivers are often installed automatically, on mobile devices you need to manually activate the host mode.
In this guide, we will take a detailed look at all the stages of preparation, hardware selection and software configuration, learn which applications are best at printing on MiUI devices and how to avoid common connection errors.
Equipment and training required
To successfully implement the plan, you will need not only the smartphone and the printer, but also a special adapter. Standard cables that come with the phone usually have a USB Type-C or Micro-USB connector on one side and a USB-A on the other, but you need an adapter with support for OTG (On-The-Go) technology to communicate with the printer.
Without OTG support, the phone will not be able to give the voltage to the port needed for the printer controller to operate. Visually, such adapters are often marked with a zipper icon or the letters OTG. Make sure your cable is healthy and not physically damaged, as poor contact will lead to permanent connection breaks.
It is also worth checking whether the printer model is compatible with mobile operating systems. Older devices that were released more than 10 years ago may not have the necessary commands in their internal software to respond to smartphone requests, in which case only using a computer as an intermediary will help.
⚠️ Caution: Using cheap Chinese adapters without shielding can cause interference in the transmission of large amounts of data, which will cause printing errors or phone freeze.
- 📱 Xiaomi or Redmi smartphone with a serviceable charging port
- 🔌 adapter USB OTG (Type-C or Micro-USB depending on the model)
- 🖨️ Printer with support PCL or PostScript (preferably)
- 🔋 Charger (printers consume a lot of energy)
It's important to understand that powering a printer can completely drain your phone's battery in a short time. If you plan to print many pages, it's best to use it. USB-hub with an additional power source or connect the printer to the network and charge the phone in parallel.
Activation of OTG mode on Xiaomi and Redmi
In the shell. MIUI The new HyperOS function USB-The host is often turned on by default, but in some regions or older versions of Android, it needs to be manually activated. First, connect the adapter to your smartphone and wait for the beep or vibration to confirm the detection of the new device.
Go to your device settings, look for Advanced Settings or Additional. In the list of options, look for OTG. If you have one, make sure it's active. On modern Redmi models, the system automatically detects the connection and requests permission to access the data.
When you first connect, a system notification will appear on the screen requesting permission to use it. USB-You have to press OK or Allow. Without this step, the print app won't see the hardware that's connected.
Settings → About phone → (7 times tap according to MIUI) → Advanced settings → Debugging by USB (optional)Sometimes the system may not see the printer because of the file system format if you connect the device through the card reader, but for the printer itself, this is not relevant.
⚠️ Attention: Don't pull out USB-cable during printing, this can cause damage to the printing queue and the need to reboot the smartphone to reset the controller USB.
- 🔍 Check for notifications «USB-device connected in the curtain
- ⚙️ Make sure that the settings do not have a “only charging” mode»
- 🔄 Restart your phone if the connection is not determined after several attempts
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If the phone can't see the printer, try plugging the adapter first and then turning on the printer itself. The order of inclusion sometimes matters for older models.
It is worth noting that some Xiaomi energy-saving modes can limit the current supply to the USB port. It is recommended to turn off the energy saving mode for the time of setting up and printing large documents.
Selection and installation of printing applications
The Android operating system doesn’t have a built-in universal driver for all the printers in the world, so installing third-party software is required.The leader in this niche is the NokoPrint app, which supports thousands of models from HP, Canon, Epson, Brother and Samsung.
Alternatives can be PrinterShare or official plugins from manufacturers, for example, HP Print Service Plugin. But universal solutions often work more consistently with direct service. USB-Connection, as they have more flexible driver settings.
Download applications should only be from a trusted source of Google Play Market or GetApps (Xiaomi store) to avoid malicious code. Once installed, launch the application and provide all requested permissions to access files and USB-device.
☑️ Verification of press readiness
| Annex | Support for USB support | Interface language | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| NokoPrint | Complete. | Russian | Freemium |
| PrinterShare | Complete. | Russian | Paid |
| HP Smart | Limited. | Russian | Free of charge. |
| Mopria Print | Depends on the model. | Russian | Free of charge. |
Free versions of software often have restrictions, such as watermarks on the fields of a document or a limit on the number of pages per day. For one-time printing, this is not critical, but for regular work, it is better to consider buying a license.
Configuring drivers and printing parameters
Once you run the app and connect the cable, it will start looking for the devices, your printer should appear in the list, and if the model is automatically determined, the system will select the underlying driver, but for the correct display of fonts and graphics, you better choose the exact model name from the list.
In the driver settings, you can change the print resolution. For text documents, you just need to choose Draft or Standard, which will significantly speed up the process and save you toner. For photos, choose High Quality or Photo mode.
What if the printer model is not listed?
Pay special attention to the choice of paper size. A4 is often the default, but if you use photo paper or A5 formats, Letter, this should be manually specified, otherwise the fields may be cropped or the text will not fit on the page.
⚠️ Note: When printing high-resolution photos, the process can take several minutes. Do not interrupt the data transmission, even if the phone seems to be getting stuck.
- 📄 Choose the correct size of paper (A4, Letter, 10x15)
- 🎨 Set up color rendering (color/black and white)
- 📐 Check the fields of the document in the preview
In some cases, manual calibration is required, and if the printer prints "crackers" instead of text, try changing the driver inside the app to Generic or Text Only, which will disable complex graphical commands and leave only the base text.
Process of printing documents and photographs
Once you have all the settings, you can go to direct printing. Open the file you want through the Mi file manager or gallery. Click on the menu (three dots) and select Print or Send, then find the installed application in the list, such as NokoPrint.
In the preview window that opens, you will see how the document will look on paper, where you can change the number of copies, select the range of pages (for example, only the first or last) and the orientation of the sheet (book or landscape).
Press the print button. The progress bar will appear on the smartphone screen, showing the status of the data transfer, and after the phone passes the entire buffer, the printer will start to capture the paper, at which point the phone is no longer involved in the process.
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The speed of printing via USB is usually higher than over Wi-Fi, since the signal is not lost in the air and does not depend on the load of the router channel.
If the print has gone but stopped in the middle of the page, check if the paper is out or hushed up. After fixing the mechanical problem, click Continue in the app on your phone.
For printing photos from a gallery, the process is similar, but it is important to choose the right type of paper in the settings so that the colors fall flat. Glossy paper takes longer to dry, consider this when extracting the picture.
Addressing common problems
Even if you follow all the instructions, you can have technical difficulties, and one of the common problems is that the phone can see the connection, but the app says, "Printer not found." In this case, try replacing it. USB-cables, as many cables are only for charging and have no data lines.
Another common situation is the “Too big file” error, and mobile apps may not be able to handle heavy files. PDF-Multiple graphics files. Try to reduce the file size or break the document into pieces before sending it.
Why does the printer click but not print?
If nothing works, do a complete chain reboot: turn off the printer, disconnect the cable from the phone, reboot the smartphone, then plug the cable and turn on the printer. This will drop errors in the USB Android stack.
- ❌ Driver error: change the model in the application settings
- 🔋 Power shortage: connect your phone to charge
- 📉 Low speed: Close background apps on Xiaomi
⚠️ Warning: If the phone gets too hot at the cable connection, turn off the device immediately. OTG.