How to Print Documents and Photos from WhatsApp

Admission forms, CNIC copies, challans, assignments, tickets — in Pakistan most documents that need printing arrive as a WhatsApp message. You do not need to email them to yourself first. This guide shows how to print directly from WhatsApp on a phone, from a computer, and how a print shop can take orders over WhatsApp without mistakes.

Printing from WhatsApp on Android

• Make sure the printer is on the same Wi-Fi as your phone, or turn on the printer's Wi-Fi Direct and connect the phone to it. Setup is in our Wi-Fi and phone printing guide.
• PDF: tap the document in the chat to open it, tap the three-dot menu → Print (or Share → Print). Choose your printer, the number of copies and pages, then tap the print button.
• Photo: open the image, tap the three-dot menu → Share → choose HP Smart, Epson Smart Panel, or Print.
• Word or Excel file: open it with Word, Excel or WPS Office from the chat, then use that app's menu → Print.
• If your printer does not appear, install your brand's print plugin (HP Print Service Plugin or Mopria Print Service) from the Play Store and switch it on.

Printing from WhatsApp on iPhone

• Open the document or photo in the chat, tap the Share icon, then tap Print.
• Choose the printer — AirPrint printers on the same Wi-Fi appear automatically — set copies and page range, and tap Print.
• If your printer does not support AirPrint, install HP Smart or Epson Smart Panel, save the file to Files, and print from the app.

Printing from WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp Desktop on a PC

• Open web.whatsapp.com or the WhatsApp app for Windows, and link it to your phone by scanning the QR code (WhatsApp → Linked devices).
• Open the chat, click the document's download arrow, then open the downloaded file.
• Press Ctrl + P, pick the printer, and check the page range and paper size (A4 or legal) before printing.
• For photos, click the image, download it, then open it in the Photos app and print — choose 'Fit' so nothing is cropped.

For print and photocopy shops: taking orders on WhatsApp

• Use one dedicated WhatsApp Business number for print orders, linked to WhatsApp Desktop on the counter PC, so files never go through a staff member's personal phone.
• Set a quick-reply that asks for the number of copies, single or double-sided, colour or black, and paper size.
• Print from the PC to a network printer so the counter is not tied up. A fast printer with Wi-Fi Direct also lets walk-in customers print from their own phones.
• Delete downloaded CNIC copies, bank statements and other personal documents from the PC and the chat after printing. Customers notice, and it protects them.
• Keep the Downloads folder tidy: create a folder per day, and clear it every evening.

Setting up a counter? See how to start a photocopy shop for which machines to buy for your volume.

Which printers work best for printing from phones?

Any printer with Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi Direct: the brand-new HP LaserJet 108w and Laser MFP 136w, the M211dw with automatic duplex, or the Epson EcoTank L3150 for colour. A network printer connected by cable to a Wi-Fi router also prints from phones on that Wi-Fi. Browse all wireless printers.