Polaroid Zip Instant Photoprinter: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the Polaroid Zip Instant Photoprinter right for you?

The Polaroid Zip was one of the first mass-market Zink pocket printers and sold in huge numbers between 2015 and 2019 as a fun gift. It is now discontinued and the original Polaroid Zip app has been retired from some app stores, which leaves owners hunting for a working app. Zink paper is still sold, so the hardware remains usable if you can connect to it.

Best for: Owners of a retired Zink gift printer looking to keep using it

Setting up the Polaroid Zip Instant Photoprinter

Charge via micro-USB, load Zink paper with the blue smart sheet at the bottom and pair over Bluetooth. Older Polaroid Zip or Polaroid Print apps may no longer be available; third-party Zink-compatible apps sometimes work as a fallback. Feed the smart sheet after every new pack to keep colours accurate.

1. Unbox and prepare. Remove every piece of shipping tape and packing material, install the ink cartridges, and load paper in the tray.
2. Join your Wi-Fi. Keep the printer close to the router for setup. Most printers only connect to the 2.4GHz band, so if your router broadcasts one merged network name you may need to split the bands temporarily. See our Wi-Fi guide if it will not join.
3. Install the setup app. Use Polaroid's official app rather than a driver you found on a search result — third-party driver sites are the most common source of printer malware.
4. Add the printer. On Windows 11: Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners › Add device. On macOS: System Settings › Printers & Scanners › Add Printer.
5. Print a test page and run a scan if this is an all-in-one, so you find any problem now rather than when you are in a hurry.

Ink, toner and supplies

The Polaroid Zip Instant Photoprinter uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• Polaroid 2x3 Zink photo paper

High-yield (XL) versions almost always cost less per page if you print regularly. On third-party ink and toner, read our honest assessment first, and note that some manufacturers push firmware that rejects non-original chips.

Full specifications