I needed to print a concert ticket last year. Just one page. My printer was on and connected to WiFi, but every “easy print” app I tried wanted me to create an account, give it access to my photos and contacts for some reason, and then tried to sell me ink. I just wanted to print one page.

The Built-In Way Most People Miss

Both iPhones and Android phones have built-in printing built into the operating system. You do not need a special app for your printer brand. You do not need anything extra. It has been there for years.

On iPhone: Open whatever you want to print — an email, a photo, a webpage in Safari. Tap the Share icon (the square with the arrow pointing up). Scroll down past the app suggestions and tap “Print.” If your printer is on the same WiFi network and supports AirPrint (most printers made in the last 8-10 years do), it will appear automatically. No app. No account. No setup.

On Android: Open the content, tap the three-dot menu or Share icon, and look for “Print.” Android uses a service called Mopria Print Service, which is built into most modern Android phones. If your printer supports WiFi Direct or is on the same network, it appears in the printer list.

If Your Printer Does Not Show Up

If the printer is not detected, it is probably because your phone and printer are not on the same WiFi network — or your printer is too old to support AirPrint or Mopria. In that case:

Use the printer’s WiFi Direct feature. Most printers made after 2015 have this. On the printer’s screen, go to Network Settings and enable WiFi Direct. Your phone will see the printer as a WiFi network. Connect to it (like you are connecting to a cafe WiFi), then try printing again. No router needed — it is a direct phone-to-printer connection.

Email the document to your printer. Some HP and Epson printers give you a unique email address when you set them up. You can email a PDF or image to that address, and the printer prints it automatically. It sounds like magic. It works about 80 percent of the time. The other 20 percent, the printer mysteriously goes offline and you give up and use a USB cable like it is 2008.

For Public Printing

If you need to print at a library, UPS Store, or FedEx Office, most of them let you email the document to a store-specific address and they will print it for pickup. Check their website for the email address. You can also save the document as a PDF on your phone (the Share → Print screen on iPhone has a “Save as PDF” option if you pinch-zoom outward on the preview), then transfer it to a library computer via a USB drive or cloud link.

I printed my ticket, went to the concert, and deleted three printer apps from my phone. I am still mad about the one that asked for my contacts.