The function of automatically searching for printers on Android may seem useful, but in practice it often becomes a source of irritation. Your smartphone constantly scans the local network in search of printing devices, which leads to increased battery consumption, slower Wi-Fi and even accidental connections to other people's printers on public networks. The problem is especially pressing for users who never print from a smartphone, but are forced to put up with constant notifications like "New printer found: HP OfficeJet 250".

In this article we Let's look all possible ways to disable printer search - from standard settings to hidden commands ADB and alternative solutions for different versions Android (from Android 8.0 Oreo to Android 15). You will learn how to completely deactivate the print service, delete the cache of associated applications, and even block access to printing functions at the system level.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (for example, MIUI or One UI), the paths to the settings may differ. If you do not find the specified menu items, check the section "Additional functions" or use the search in the settings (magnifying glass icon in the upper right corner).

1. Disabling search for printers through standard Android settings

The easiest way is to deactivate the print service in the settings menu. This method works on most devices without root-right and does not require the installation of additional applications. Here are the step-by-step guide:

Open Settings → Connected devices (or "Devices" on some firmware). In the list of available options, find the section "Printing" or "Print application". On Samsung this item may be called "Print plugins", and on Xiaomi — "Print services".

Inside the section you will see a list of installed plugins (for example Google Cloud Print, HP Print Service, Canon PRINT). Turn off the sliders next to each one. If there is a "Disable the print service" button, click it. On some devices, you will need to confirm the action through a dialog box.

  • 🔍 For Android 12+: The path may look like Settings → Google → Devices and sharing → Print.
  • 📱 On Samsung Galaxy: Go to Settings → Additional features → Printing.
  • ⚙️ On Xiaomi/Redmi: Search in Settings → Connections and sharing → Printing.

⚠️ Attention: Even after disabling plugins, the system may periodically search for printers when connecting to a new Wi-Fi network. To avoid this, go to Settings → Applications → Three dots (menu) → Show system, find "Print service" and force stop it.

☑️ Preparing to disable printing

Done: 0 / 4

2. Removing print plugins through the app menu

If disabling does not help, the next step is totally remove print plugins. Many of them are installed by default along with firmware or updates Google Play Services. They are removed like regular applications, but with nuances.

Go to Settings → Applications → Manage applications. In the search bar, enter the keywords: "print", "printing", "printer". The system will show all related services. For example:

  • 🖨️ Google Print Service (main plugin from Google)
  • 🖨️ HP Print Service Plugin (for HP printers)
  • 🖨️ Canon PRINT Inkjet/SELPHY (for devices Canon)
  • 🖨️ Mopria Print Service (universal standard for many brands)

Click on each plugin and select "Delete" or "Disable" (if deletion is blocked). On some devices, instead of the delete button, there will be an option "Uninstall updates", after which the plugin will be reset to the factory version and stop working.

Plugin Can I remove it? Alternative
Google Print Service Yes (on most devices) Disable via ADB
Mopria Print Service Partially (only updates) Blocking via pm disable
HP/Epson/Canon Plugins Yes Removal via Settings → Applications
Samsung Print Service No (disabling only) Use ADB or Package Disabler

⚠️ Attention: On devices with Android 10+ some print plugins may be automatically restored after updating Google Play Services. To avoid this, disable auto-update for these applications in Play Market.

3. Disabling the printing service via ADB (for experienced users)

If the standard methods do not work, it’s time for ADB (Android Debug Bridge) a tool for deep system customization. This method requires connecting the smartphone to the computer, but allows to completely block the print service at the OS level, including background processes.

First enable USB debugging on your phone:

  1. Go to Settings → About phone → Build number and tap on it 7 times to activate developer mode.
  2. Go back to the main settings, open the section "For developers" i enable "USB debugging".
  3. Connect your phone to the PC via a USB cable and confirm trust in the computer.

Now download ADB Tools (available for Windows, macOS, Linux) and run the following commands in the terminal:

adb devices

(Test connection - your device serial number should be displayed.)

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.printspooler

(Disables the main print service.)

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.printservice.recommendation

(Disables printer recommendations from Google.)

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.printservice

(Blocks system print plugin.)

After executing the commands, reboot the device. To get everything back, replace disable-user with enable in the commands above.

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If ADB does not recognize the device, try using the original cable from the phone and enable file transfer mode (MTP) when connecting.

4. Using third-party applications to block printing

If you do not want to bother with ADB, you can use specialized utilities. They allow you to disable system components without root access, but require caution - incorrect use can lead to failures.

One of the most reliable applications is Package Disabler (available in Play Market). It scans the system for unnecessary services and allows you to deactivate them. Here's how to use it:

  1. Install and open Package Disabler.
  2. In the search bar, enter "print".
  3. Tick all found printing-related packages (for example, com.android.printspooler, com.google.android.printservice).
  4. Click "Disable Selected Packages" and confirm the action.

Alternative applications:

  • 🛠️ Debloater (requires ADB, but with a user-friendly interface)
  • 🔧 App Inspector (shows all system packages)
  • 🚫 Disable Service (lightweight disabler)

⚠️ Attention: Do not disable packages that have systemui or android.core in their names - this may lead to critical interface failure. If, after disabling printing, the phone starts to fail, return the changes through the same application or reset the settings.

📊 Which method of disabling printing do you prefer?
Standard settings
ADB commands
Application side
Did not disable anything

5. Disabling printer search through Wi-Fi settings

Many people do not know, but the printer search function is closely related to mDNS protocol (Multicast DNS)which is used to detect devices on the local network. By disabling it, you will not only stop searching for printers, but also save battery power, since the phone will stop constantly scanning the network.

Unfortunately, in most versions Android there is no direct switch for mDNS, but you can use a workaround:

  1. Go to Settings → Wi-Fi.
  2. Click on the name of your network and select "Change network" (or "Advanced" on some devices).
  3. Activate the option "Static IP" (instead of DHCP).
  4. In the field "DNS 1" enter 8.8.8.8 (Google DNS), and in "DNS 2" — 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare).
  5. Save the changes and reconnect to the network.

This method does not disable mDNS completely, but reduces scanning activity. To completely disable it you will need root or ADB with the command:

adb shell settings put global captive_portal_detection_enabled 0

⚠️ Attention: Changing DNS may affect the operation of some applications (for example, banking or streaming services). If you notice problems, return the DNS settings to the default value.

6. Resetting network and print cache settings

If printers continue to appear in the list of devices even after disabling all plugins, the problem may lie in Cached data. The system stores information about found printers, and sometimes you need to reset it manually.

First clear the cache and data of printing-related applications:

  1. Go to Settings → Applications → Show all applications.
  2. Find and open:
    • 📄 Print storage (com.android.printspooler)
    • 🖨️ Google Print Service
    • 🔄 Mopria Print Service
  • In each of them, click "Clear cache" and "Clear data" (if available).

    • If this does not help, perform reset network settings:

    1. Open Settings → System → Reset settings.
    2. Select "Reset Wi-Fi, mobile network and Bluetooth settings".
    3. Confirm the action. The phone will reboot.

    After the reset, you will have to reconnect to all Wi-Fi networks, but this will delete all saved data about printers and other network devices.

    What if after the reset, the printers appear again?

    This means that one of the printing plugins is automatically activated by the system. Try:

    1. Install App Inspector and find all packages with the word "print" in the name.

    2. Disable them via ADB with the flag --user 0.

    3. If the problem persists, check your device for malware that may install print plugins.

    7. Alternative solutions: disabling notifications and using Firewall

    If you can’t completely disable printing (for example, on a work phone), you can at least hide notifications about found printers. To do this:

    1. Go to Settings → Notifications → Advanced.
    2. Find the section "System notifications" or "Other notifications".
    3. Disable the slider next to "Print" or "Service print".

    A more radical way is to use Firewallto block access to print services. Applications like NetGuard or AFWall+ (requires root) allow you to limit network activity for specific packages. For example, you can block Internet access for com.android.printspooler, and then the phone will not be able to download plug-in updates or search for printers on the network.

    ⚠️ Attention: Blocking network access for system applications may lead to unstable operation of some functions (for example, Google Play Services). Use this method only if other methods have not helped.

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    On devices with Android 13+ Google has introduced new restrictions on disabling system services. If standard methods do not work, try rolling back to an earlier version of the firmware or use Magisk for a deep modification.

    ❓ Why does the phone constantly search for printers, although I have never printed?

    The automatic printer search function is enabled by default in Android as part of Google Play Services. It runs in the background, even when you're not printing, to offer quick access to devices on your local network. This is one of the "features" that Google considers useful, but in practice it only wastes resources.

    ❓ Is it possible to disable the search for printers without root?

    Yes, in most cases root is not required. It is enough to disable printing plugins in the settings, delete them through the app menu, or use ADB. Root is only needed for deep removal of system packages that cannot be deactivated using standard methods.

    ❓ After turning off printing, some applications stopped working. What should I do?

    Some applications (for example, Google Drive or Chrome) use the print service to export documents to PDF. If, after disabling printing, these functions stop working, return the plug-in settings to their original state or use alternative applications for converting files (for example, OfficeSuite or Adobe Acrobat).

    ❓ How to check if the search for printers is really disabled?

    There are several ways:

    1. Open Settings → Connected devices → Printing —the list of found printers should be empty.
    2. Use the application Network Analyzer to scan the local network - if the search for printers is disabled, there should be no requests to ports in the logs 631 (IPP) or 5353 (mDNS).
    3. Check battery consumption in Settings → Battery → Battery usage —the print service should not appear in the list of active processes.

    ❓ Is it possible to disable the search for printers only for a specific Wi-Fi network?

    No, in the standard settings Android there is no such option. The system either searches for printers in all networks or does not search at all. However, you can use a workaround: disable the print service manually when connecting to a specific network using applications like Tasker or MacroDroid, which allow you to automate actions based on conditions (for example, when connecting to Wi-Fi with the name "Office").