Your iPhone photos should be printed, and these printers get the job done!

Best
Photo Printers for iPhone
iMore
2021

Best overall: Fujifilm Instax Mini Link Special Edition

Your iPhone photos will love Fujifilm colors. Fresh to the marketplace is the Fujifilm Instax Mini Link Special Edition, and special it is! The Instax Mini Link connects to your devices over Bluetooth and outputs credit card-sized 2×3-inch photos.

This first-of-its-kind mobile printer not only gives you a way to print from your smartphone but also your Nintendo Switch. Take screenshots from the Nintendo, and using Fujifilm’s free app, you can add a border, filter, and then print out your favorite characters. From your iPhone or another portable, printing is also seamless. Each photo prints in about 12 seconds in vibrant Fujifilm colors.

The novelty of printing from your phone and Nintendo Switch comes with a price: this is a spendy little printer. Still, if you want the best photo printer for iPhone, this is it. The colors are gorgeous, the printing process smooth, and this little guy is perfectly portable.

The best photo printer for your iPhone is the Kodak Step, a miniaturized model that fits in your pocket. Available in white or black, the Kodak Step is compatible with iPhones, iPads, Android devices, NFC, and Bluetooth devices.

The Kodak Step uses Zink, a zero-ink technology that does away with expensive ink cartridges and toners. Colors come out bright and warm, printing on glossy 2×3 paper. With the Step, there’s no need for a computer connection or wires. Connections are made simply and securely over Bluetooth, moving your images from your iPhone to the printer in seconds.

My one complaint is that the Step uses Kodak color profiles, which have always run a bit warm. They won’t reproduce your iPhone’s colors perfectly without editing. Thankfully, there’s a full editing suite of software included to do just that. If you want the best photo printer for iPhone, go with the affordable Kodak Step.

Looking for a printer that can do more than just print photos? If so, then consider Lifeprint — it does some wickedly cool Harry Potter magic to your prints to make them come to life through augmented reality (AR).

The Lifeprint printer is small and compact enough for you to take anywhere and wow your friends, as long as you’re connected through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on your iPhone. With Lifeprint, you can print photos from your device from the Lifeprint app or just connect it to your social media accounts and print directly from there. The app also lets you share your real photos with friends and family (as long as they have the app), so they can print your photos from wherever they are too.

Prints with Lifeprint use ZINK technology, so you don’t need ink cartridges or toner. The 3×4.5 size Lifeprint printer also means you get larger prints than the standard 2×3 sizes of other printers, though Lifeprint also comes in a smaller size if you want.

The real fun with Lifeprint lies behind the AR technology. This works by having the app embed a video inside your photo print, and then you can view the video as you point your device’s camera at it through the Lifeprint app. Think of the moving pictures in the world of Harry Potter because that’s what this is similar to.

It’s definitely different, but the added AR element spices things up from the norm.

Some portable printers come with a manual a mile long, and they’re still confusing to use. The Kodak Smile Instant Digital Bluetooth Printer is different. Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned photographer, you can snap pics on your phone and transfer them over to the Kodak Smile with the free Kodak app and print anything in seconds.

The Kodak Smile outputs shiny, bright pics on 2×3 Zink paper. Photos are editable in the Smile app. You can adjust color, lighting, crop pics, and apply fun effects before printing or posting to social media. The only possible miss here is that photos have an antiquated look. This is intentional but may not be for all.

The Kodak Smile is a mini printer that’s simple and fun to use. It charges in less than two hours and prints up to 40 pictures per charge. Get it now in white, blue, black, red, or green.

Some portable printers are so small they skimp out on important features like ergonomics. Others are so big they’re not portable at all. The HP Sprocket hits the sweet spot, and is a superb companion for your iPhone or iPad.

A big plus to the HP Sprocket for having a free app that allows for shareable photo albums! You can also personalize prints using HP’s free software. Once printed out, you can use photos to decorate walls, lockers, photo albums, and more. The 2×3-inch glossy paper is sticker-backed, so you can show off your prints anywhere you want.

One word of caution: the battery life is lacking. You’ll be able to print for an hour or so, but after that, it’ll need a recharge. If that doesn’t worry you, the HP Sprocket is a doozy of a compact printer that will satisfy your needs.

Many portable photo printers only print out in the small 2×3 size, which isn’t ideal if you want to frame them to display. If you want larger prints, like the standard 4×6 size, then the Kodak Dock Instant Photo Printer is a good option.

While it is not as compact and even a bit bulky, it’s worth it for the 4×6 printing capability. The Dock connects directly to your iPhone via an adapter (and charges it while printing), or you can connect via USB cable or Wi-Fi. The Kodak Printer Dock app lets you put stickers, filters, card templates, and more on your photos for extra fun.

As far as prints go, the Kodak Dock uses thermal transfer technology, so there isn’t ink to deal with, but you need to get the photo cartridges. Prints will be vivid in color and high resolution, so fine details should appear. The thermal print won’t bleed or fade, so it’ll last quite a while.

Bottom line

There are a lot of high-quality mobile printers on the market, but none measure up to the Fujifilm Instax Mini Link Special Edition. The pintsize printer works with your iPhone, iPad, and even your Nintendo Switch. If you’re a gamer who likes to celebrate achievements, you’re going to love this printer. Grab a screenshot of the action, and through Fujifilm’s app, you can edit and print those memories. You can do the same from almost any Bluetooth device, including your iPhone.

Photographers around the world adore Fujifilm colors for their vibrancy. The Mini Link SE keeps all the impressive Fujicolor magic, and images are editable within an app before printing.

This is a pricey printer, but if you use Nintendo Switch and want to print from your phone and console, this is the best (and only) way to do it. For that reason, this unique smartphone printer is worth every penny in our book.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Christine Romero-Chan is a big fan of iPhone photography and loves to go out and take pictures with her iPhone. She likes to get those pictures printed out now and then, so she knows about iPhone photo printers like the back of her hand.