Connecting a Brother printer to your phone via Wi-Fi: Complete instructions with troubleshooting steps

Wireless printing from your smartphone to a printer Brother Saves time and eliminates the need to transfer files to your computer. However, many users encounter difficulties during the first connection: devices don't find each other, authentication errors occur, or printing stops mid-connection. In this article, we'll cover all setup steps—from preparing the equipment to resolving common issues—to ensure your Brother DCP-T720DW, MFC-L2710DW or another model worked stably with Android And iPhone.

Feature of printers Brother — support for multiple wireless printing protocols: AirPrint (for iOS), Google Cloud Print (obsolete, but still found in older models) Brother iPrint&Scan And MopriaWe will focus on the universal method through Wi-Fi Direct and a local network, which works on 90% of devices. If your printer was released after 2018, it most likely supports modern standards—check the documentation.

Before you begin, make sure that:

• 📶 The printer and phone are connected one Wi-Fi network (or you are ready to customize Wi-Fi Direct).
• 🔋 The printer has enough battery power (for portable models) or is plugged into the power outlet.
• 📱 The official app is installed on the phone Brother iPrint&Scan (links at the end of the article).
• 🔄 Router does not block local communication between devices (disable AP Isolation, if it is enabled).

1. Preparing your Brother printer for wireless connection

The first step is to activate the Wi-Fi module on the printer itself. For models Brother This is done through the control panel or the web interface. Let's consider both options.

If your printer has touch screen (For example, MFC-J6945DW), go to the menu Network → WLAN → Wireless Network SetupFor devices with buttons (e.g. HL-L2350DW) the path will be like this: click Menu → Network → WLAN → Setup WizardThe printer will start searching for available networks - select your Wi-Fi network and enter the password. Please note: some models (e.g., DCP-T425W) only support networks 2.4 GHz, so if your router is running in dual-band mode, temporarily disable it 5 GHz.

For fine tuning we recommend using printer web interfaceTo get there:

1. Print it out Network Configuration (in the printer menu: Reports → Network Config).
2. Find the line in the printout IP Address (For example, 192.168.1.10).
3. Enter this IP into the address bar of your browser on your computer or phone.

In the web interface, go to the tab Network → WLAN and manually specify the network parameters if the automatic search did not work.

2. Setting up your phone to print on Brother

Your smartphone must be connected to the same network as your printer. If you are using Wi-Fi Direct, you can skip this step - the connection will be established directly.

For Android:

• 📱 Install the application Brother iPrint&Scan from Google Play.
• 🔍 Launch the app and allow access to files and location (required to search for printers on the local network).
• 🖨️ In the main menu, click Add a printer — the application will automatically find devices Brother on your network.

For iPhone/iPad:

• 📱 Download Brother iPrint&Scan from App Store.
• 🔄 Make sure the function AirPrint enabled on the printer (in the web interface: Network → AirPrint → On).
• 🖨️ Open a document (for example, in Photo or Files), click Share → Print and choose yours Brother from the list.

If your printer does not appear in the list, check:

• 🔌 Are the phone and printer connected to the same network (not a guest network!).
• 🔒 Is your router's firewall blocking local communication (disable it) Client Isolation).
• 📵 Is the phone in sleep mode? Saving traffic or VPN (they may interfere with device detection).

Phone and printer are on the same Wi-Fi network | Wi-Fi is enabled on the printer (blue light is on) | Official Brother software is installed | VPN and firewalls are disabled on the phone | The printer is not in sleep mode -->

3. Connecting via Wi-Fi Direct (if the printer is not visible on the network)

Wi-Fi Direct — is a technology that allows you to connect your phone directly to a printer without a router. It's useful if:

• 🏠 You don't have home Wi-Fi.
• 🔒 The printer cannot connect to your network due to security settings.
• 📶 The router signal is weak, and the devices cannot see each other.

Activate Wi-Fi Direct on the printer Brother you can do it like this:

1. On the printer control panel, go to Network → Wi-Fi Direct → On.
2. Write it down or remember it SSID (network name) and the password that the printer will generate (for example, DIRECT-BRWXXXXXX).
3. On your phone, open Wi-Fi settings and connect to this network.

After connection:

• 📱 On Android open Brother iPrint&Scan — the printer should appear in the list.
• 🍎 On iPhone You may need to manually add the printer via Settings → Printers and Scanners.

What to do if Wi-Fi Direct is not working?

If your printer does not create a Wi-Fi Direct network, reset it to factory settings (Menu → Initial Setup → Reset Network). After rebooting, repeat the setup. Also, check if your phone's antivirus software is blocking connections to new networks (e.g. Avast or Kaspersky can do this).

4. Printing from your phone: step-by-step instructions

Once the printer is connected, all that's left to do is print the document. Let's look at three methods: via the app Brother, standard system tools and cloud services.

Method 1: Brother iPrint&Scan app

This is a universal method for all models:

1. Open the app and select your printer from the list.
2. Click Seal and select the source:
   • 📷 Photo — for printing images.
   • 📄 Documents — for PDF, Word, Excel.
   • 🌐 Web pages — for printing websites.

Configure the settings: color/black and white, two-sided, number of copies.

Click Seal.

Method 2: Standard Printing (Android/iOS)

On Android (with support Mopria):

1. Open a document (e.g. PDF in Google Drive).
2. Click ⋮ → Print.
3. Select your printer from the list of printers. Brother.

On iPhone (through AirPrint):

1. Open the file in Files or Photo.
2. Click Share → Print.
3. Select your printer and configure the settings.

Method 3: Cloud Printing (Google Cloud Print, Brother Web Connect)

If the printer supports Google Cloud Print (valid for models up to 2020), you can print remotely:

1. Connect your printer to your Google account via web interface.
2. On your phone, open the document in Google Drive and select Print → Saved Printers.

Google Cloud Print has been officially discontinued since 2021, but some Brother printers still support an alternative: Brother Web Connect. To do this, you need to register your device on the Brother website and use the iPrint&Scan app.

5. Solving common connection errors

Even with proper setup, problems can still arise. We've compiled the most common errors and how to fix them.

Error	Cause	Solution
Failed to connect to printer	The printer and phone are on different networks	Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network or use Wi-Fi Direct
Authentication error	Incorrect Wi-Fi password or MAC address blocking	Reconnect the printer to the network, check the password, and disable MAC filtering on the router.
The printer is not responding	Sleep mode or firmware failure	Restart the printer, update the firmware via Brother website
The document does not print.	Incompatible file format or print queue	Check the format (PDF is best), clear the print queue on the printer

If the printer Brother blinking orange and not connecting to Wi-Fi, this could mean:

• 🔌 Nutritional problems — check the cable and socket.
• 📡 Weak router signal - Move the printer closer or use a repeater.
• 🔄 Network settings failure - reset the printer settings (Menu → Initial Setup → Reset Network).

6. Printing optimization: ink savings and speed

Printing from your phone may use more ink than from a computer due to automatic image scaling. To save:

• 🖼️ Use the mode Draft for text documents.
• 🎨 Print color photos in mode Quick Print (lower quality, but lower consumption).
• 📄 For multi-page documents, enable Double-sided printing.

To speed up printing:

• 📶 Connect your phone to the router via cable (if supported) or use 5 GHz (if the printer is compatible).
• 📱 Close background apps on your phone—they can slow down data transfer.
• 🖨️ Disable it in your printer settings Fine-tuning color (reduces processing time).

For models with NFC (For example, MFC-J6530DW) you can set up quick printing with one touch. To do this:

1. Turn on NFC on the printer and phone.
2. Place your phone over the mark on the printer.
3. Confirm the connection in the app Brother iPrint&Scan.

How to print from a phone to a Brother printer without Wi-Fi?

If the printer has USB host (Type-A port), you can connect your phone via an OTG cable and print directly. To do this, select the mode in your phone's settings. File Transfer (MTP) and use the application Brother iPrint&Scan for printing.

7. Security: How to protect your printer on the network

A printer connected to Wi-Fi can be a vulnerability for your network. To protect it:

• 🔐 Change the default administrator password in the printer's web interface (Admin → Password).
• 📡 Turn off WPS on the printer - this protocol is vulnerable to hacking.
• 🌐 Update your printer firmware (go to Settings → Software Update once every 3-6 months).
• 📵 When the printer is not in use, unplug it or turn it on Sleep mode.

For office networks we recommend:

• 🖥️ Set up VLAN for printers (isolates them from the main traffic).
• 📊 Keep a print log in the printer's web interface (Reports → Print Log).
• 🔑 Use IPSec or SSL/TLS for data encryption (available in business models Brother).

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about connecting Brother to a phone

❓ Is it possible to connect an old Brother printer (2015) to a modern phone?

Yes, but with some caveats. Models before 2017 may not support it. AirPrint or Mopria, so you'll have to use Wi-Fi Direct or application Brother iPrint&ScanCheck your model's compatibility at official website.

❓ Why does my Brother printer print blank pages when sending from a phone?

This problem occurs due to:

• Incorrect file format (eg. .pages instead of .pdf).
• Empty print queue (restart printer).
• Driver failure (update printer firmware).

Solution: Try printing a test document from the application. Brother iPrint&ScanIf it prints fine, the problem is in the source file.

❓ How do I print from my phone to my Brother printer via mobile internet (4G/5G)?

To do this you need:

1. Connect the printer to a cloud service (for example, Brother Web Connect).
2. Register the printer to your Brother account.
3. In the appendix iPrint&Scan select mode Remote printing.

Please note: This method does not work on all models and may require a paid subscription.

❓ Why doesn't my iPhone see my Brother printer in the AirPrint list?

Check:

• Is it included? AirPrint in the printer settings (Network → AirPrint → On).
• Are your iPhone and printer connected to the same network (AirPrint does not work via Wi-Fi Direct).
• Is the router blocking the protocol? Bonjour (needed for AirPrint).

If nothing helps, use the app Brother iPrint&Scan instead of the standard seal.

❓ Is it possible to print to a Brother printer from a phone without installing apps?

Yes, but with restrictions:

• On Android (with support Mopria) can be printed through the standard menu Seal.
• On iPhone - only if the printer supports it AirPrint.

Without the app, you will lose access to advanced settings (scanning, ink saving, duplex printing).