You hit Print from your iPhone, expect the HP DeskJet 4255e to spit out the page, and instead you get "No AirPrint printers found" or a spinning wheel that never resolves. It is one of the most frustrating dead ends with a wireless inkjet, because the printer is sitting right there, powered on, and your phone simply refuses to see it. The good news is that AirPrint is officially supported on the DeskJet 4255e, so when it goes missing the cause is almost always a network mismatch or a stuck print state, not a broken feature.
Work through the fixes below in order. They start with the quickest network checks, where the problem usually lives, and end with a full reset and the support path, so you avoid wiping settings before you have ruled out the simple stuff.
Get Both Devices Onto the Same 2.4 GHz Network First
AirPrint only finds your printer when your iPhone or iPad and the DeskJet 4255e are on the same Wi-Fi network. As Apple puts it, make sure that your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Vision Pro is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your printer. This single mismatch is the most common reason for "no AirPrint printers found."
On your Apple device, open Settings > Wi-Fi and confirm there is a check mark next to your network name. The DeskJet 4255e is a 2.4 GHz single-band printer with no 5 GHz radio, so it can only ever join a 2.4 GHz network.
That detail matters more than it sounds. If your router splits its bands into separate names and your phone is sitting on the 5 GHz network, the two devices are effectively on different networks and will never see each other. Join your phone to the 2.4 GHz network, and make sure any router guest network or AP/client isolation setting is not separating the two devices.
Wake the Printer and Read the Wireless Light
A sleeping or powered-down printer is invisible to AirPrint, so confirm it is genuinely awake and online. If the printer is off or asleep, touch the control panel or press the Power button to wake it to a ready state.
Now look at the Wireless light. It should be on and solid. If that light is off or blinking, the printer is disconnected from your network, and no amount of tapping Print on your phone will surface it until the connection is restored.
Try the AirPrint Sequence the Right Way
Sometimes the printer is fine and the issue is simply how the print dialog is being opened. Run through the official AirPrint flow once to confirm whether the printer appears at all.
- 1.Open the item you want to print.
- 2.Tap the Share icon.
- 3.Tap Print to open Printer Options.
- 4.Tap Select Printer and choose your DeskJet 4255e.
- 5.Tap Print.
If your printer shows up in the Select Printer list, AirPrint is working and the page should come out. If it does not appear there, the problem is on the network or printer side, so continue with the fixes below.
Power-Cycle the Router, Printer, and Apple Device
Wi-Fi that is slow or intermittent can leave the printer technically connected but unreachable. A clean restart of everything in the chain clears those temporary error conditions.
If your signal is weak, move the printer closer to the router first. Then restart the router by unplugging it, waiting about 15 seconds, and plugging it back in. Once the router is back up, restart the printer and restart your iPhone or iPad before trying AirPrint again.
Confirm AirPrint Is Switched On in the HP App
AirPrint can be turned off for the printer, and when it is, your Apple device will never list it. You can check and enable it through the official HP app (also branded HP Smart), which you can download from 123.hp.com or your device's app store if you do not already have it.
- 1.Open the HP app and sign in, or create an account.
- 2.Select Network.
- 3.Look for AirPrint and select it.
- 4.Select Status.
- 5.Under AirPrint Status, select Turn on AirPrint.
With AirPrint switched on, go back and run the print sequence from the previous fix to confirm the printer now appears.
Let Diagnose and Fix Repair the Connection From a Computer
If you also print from a Windows PC or a Mac and that computer shows the printer offline or jobs stuck, HP's built-in repair tool can clear the underlying problem that may also be affecting your phone. Diagnose and Fix is built into the HP app for Windows and Mac.
Open the HP app on Windows or Mac, click the printer, then run Diagnose and Fix. The tool clears stuck and paused print jobs and print-queue errors and reconnects an offline printer, which often restores the connection your phone needs as well.
Clear an Offline Status or Stuck Queue on Windows
On a Windows PC, a paused queue, an offline flag, or a backed-up spooler can stop everything from printing. These checks are worth doing manually if Diagnose and Fix did not resolve it.
First, open the print queue and make sure Pause Printing and Use Printer Offline are not selected. If a checkmark shows next to either option, select it to clear the checkmark.
Next, search for and open Printers & scanners. Make sure Let Windows manage my default printer is not checked, then click your printer > Manage > Set as default.
If jobs are still stuck, clear the spooler directly.
- 1.Turn off and unplug the printer.
- 2.Open Services, right-click Print Spooler, and select Stop.
- 3.Open File Explorer and go to C: > Windows > System32 > spool > PRINTERS, then delete all files in that folder.
- 4.Restart the PC and the printer.
Reset the Printing System on a Mac
On a Mac, a corrupted printer configuration can keep the DeskJet 4255e offline. Resetting the printing system wipes the slate clean, so use it when other Mac-side fixes have failed. Be aware this removes all printers and clears saved print settings and queued jobs, so you will need to add the printer back afterward.
Open Printers & Scanners, right-click or Control-click in the Printers list, and choose Reset printing system. Then restart the printer.
Once the printer has restarted, add it back. Click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax, select your DeskJet 4255e, and click Add.
Put the Printer Back Into Wi-Fi Setup Mode
If the printer dropped off Wi-Fi entirely, for example after you changed your router or Wi-Fi password, it needs to rejoin the network before AirPrint can work. You do this by restoring Wi-Fi setup mode using the printer's buttons, then re-adding it in the HP app within two hours.
The exact button combination, hold time, and light behavior differ depending on your printer's control-panel layout, and several variants exist for this DeskJet family. To avoid sending the printer into the wrong state, follow HP's official Restore Wi-Fi setup mode instructions for your specific unit rather than a one-size-fits-all sequence.
After the printer enters setup mode, open the HP app and re-add the printer within the two-hour window so it reconnects to your 2.4 GHz network.
Restore Factory Defaults, Then Reach HP Support
When nothing above works, a factory reset is the last self-service step. A factory reset returns the printer to its default state and clears its saved Wi-Fi and settings, so you will have to set it up again from scratch afterward. To restore factory defaults on the DeskJet 4255e, open the cartridge access door, press and hold the Power and Wireless buttons for at least 3 seconds, and after about 20 seconds close the cartridge access door.
After the reset, set the printer up again from scratch in the HP app, which will walk you back through joining your Wi-Fi network and enabling printing. If AirPrint still fails after a clean setup, contact HP Support so they can look at the printer directly.
One reminder before you reset. The DeskJet 4255e is an HP+ printer. That means it requires an HP account, an ongoing internet connection, and the exclusive use of Original HP ink cartridges (HP 67) for the life of the printer, so keep your account credentials handy and make sure the printer can reach the internet during setup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my iPhone say "no AirPrint printers found" for the DeskJet 4255e?
The most common cause is that your iPhone and the printer are not on the same Wi-Fi network. Because the DeskJet 4255e is 2.4 GHz only, confirm your phone is joined to the 2.4 GHz network and not a separate 5 GHz band by checking Settings > Wi-Fi, and make sure guest-network or client-isolation settings are not separating the two devices.
Does the HP DeskJet 4255e work on 5 GHz Wi-Fi?
No. Per HP's official specifications it is a 2.4 GHz single-band (802.11b/g/n) wireless printer with no 5 GHz support. Your iPhone or iPad can be on either band, but for AirPrint to find the printer both devices must be on the same network, which in practice means joining the 2.4 GHz network.
How do I turn AirPrint on for this printer?
Open the HP app and sign in, then select Network, look for AirPrint and select it, select Status, and under AirPrint Status select Turn on AirPrint. You can download the HP app from 123.hp.com or your device's app store if it is not already installed.
What does a factory reset do, and how do I perform it?
A factory reset returns the printer to its default state and clears its saved Wi-Fi and settings, so you will need to set it up again from scratch in the HP app afterward. To do it, open the cartridge access door, press and hold the Power and Wireless buttons for at least 3 seconds, and after about 20 seconds close the cartridge access door.
Do I have to use Original HP ink in the DeskJet 4255e?
Yes. The 4255e is an HP+ printer, which requires an HP account, an ongoing internet connection, and the exclusive use of Original HP ink cartridges (HP 67) for the life of the printer.
