Android reports no print service installed
Android's print framework has no plugin available to talk to any printer, so the print option finds nothing to hand the job to. Some devices no longer ship with a print service preinstalled, and on others the service has been disabled or removed. Installing and enabling a print service resolves it.
What causes it
- The device shipped without a default print service
- The bundled print service was disabled in app settings
- A manufacturer plugin was uninstalled during a cleanup
- The service is installed but switched off under Printing settings
- A work profile restricts which services can be enabled
How to fix it, in order
Work down the list and stop when the printer recovers. The steps are ordered from most likely and least invasive to last resort.
Install Mopria Print Service
Open the Play Store and install Mopria Print Service, which is the standard plugin supported by most printer manufacturers. It covers the great majority of network printers made in the last decade without any additional driver.
Enable the service
Go to Settings › Connected devices › Connection preferences › Printing, tap the service you installed, and switch it on. A newly installed plugin sometimes remains off until enabled here, which reproduces the original message.
Check for a disabled built-in service
In Settings › Apps, tap the three-dot menu and choose Show system, then look for a default print service and confirm it is not disabled. Re-enabling it restores printing without installing anything.
Add the printer
Inside the print service, let it search the network, then select your printer. If it is not found, use the service's option to add a printer by IP address, taking the address from a configuration page printed at the device.
Install the manufacturer's plugin as well
Brands such as HP, Epson, Canon and Brother publish their own print apps and plugins. Installing the one for your printer adds vendor-specific options and provides a fallback if Mopria has trouble with a particular model.
Confirm the phone is on the printer's network
Open Settings › Network & internet › Internet and join the same Wi-Fi network the printer uses. A print service with no reachable printers will still say there is nothing available, which can look like the service being missing.
Check work profile restrictions
On a managed device, the printing options may be controlled by your organisation and certain plugins blocked. If the Printing screen shows a policy note, the change has to come from whoever manages the device.
Stopping it happening again
When it is not worth fixing yourself
If you would rather not work through this alone, a printer specialist can take a look with you on a screen-share and tell you honestly whether the machine is worth saving.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mopria free?
Yes, it is a free plugin published by the Mopria Alliance and supported by most printer manufacturers.
Do I need both Mopria and the vendor app?
Not necessarily, but having both gives you a fallback and access to vendor-only options such as ink levels.
Where is the Printing setting?
Settings › Connected devices › Connection preferences › Printing on most Android builds, though some manufacturers place it under a different name in Settings search.
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