Is Epson iPrint discontinued?

Epson hasn’t said so in its Smart Panel FAQ. It describes Smart Panel as the app for selected, mainly recent models, and points people with printers that aren’t on Smart Panel’s list to iPrint.

Can I have both Epson apps installed?

Yes. They don’t conflict. If you have two Epson printers, a newer and an older one, you may even need both.

Why does Smart Panel ask for Bluetooth and location?

Epson lists Bluetooth and location permissions as requirements for setting up a printer with Smart Panel, together with being on the same Wi-Fi network. You need them for setup, not for printing from the iPhone’s Share menu.

Does my Epson printer support AirPrint?

Most Epson Wi-Fi printers do, but not all. Some budget ink-tank models don’t, including many L-series and some entry-level EcoTank models. Check your model on Apple’s AirPrint list or with our AirPrint checker.

How do I check ink levels without an Epson app?

Look at the printer’s control panel, which on most Epson models shows ink levels. On EcoTank printers, you can also see the ink level directly in the tanks. iPhone printing apps that use AirPrint, including Printer, don’t show ink levels.

Epson Smart Panel vs Epson iPrint: Which App Do You Need?

Epson gives iPhone owners two apps, and the App Store doesn’t make it obvious which one is yours. Epson Smart Panel and Epson iPrint both print and scan, but they support different printers. Here’s how to tell which one you need, and whether you need one at all.

The short version

If you want to…	Use
Set up a recent Epson printer, check ink, clean the print head	Epson Smart Panel
Use an Epson model that Smart Panel doesn’t support	Epson iPrint
Just print photos, PDFs or web pages	AirPrint, built into your iPhone (no app needed)
Scan with your iPhone’s camera, sign or pick pages, with no account	An AirPrint app such as Printer

Epson Smart Panel

According to Epson’s Smart Panel FAQ, Smart Panel works with selected Epson Wi-Fi printers and scanners and is aimed mainly at recent models. Not every Epson printer is supported.

Smart Panel brings several older Epson apps together. Epson lists these features:

printing, scanning and copying,
checking ink levels and ordering ink,
troubleshooting help,
capturing documents with your phone’s camera,
product registration.

To set up a printer with Smart Panel, Epson says your iPhone has to be on the same Wi-Fi network as the printer, with Bluetooth and location permissions allowed.

Epson iPrint

iPrint is Epson’s older app for printing and scanning from a phone. For printers that aren’t on Smart Panel’s compatibility list, Epson suggests using iPrint instead. If your Epson printer is a few years old, or Smart Panel can’t find it, iPrint is the one to try.

Epson doesn’t say iPrint is being retired. It remains the recommended app for models outside Smart Panel’s list.

How to tell which app your printer uses

Check Epson’s support page for your model

Search your exact model name (for example, “EcoTank ET-2850”) on Epson’s support site. The software or apps section lists the mobile apps that support it.
Try Smart Panel first

If your printer is recent, install Smart Panel and add the printer. If it can’t find or add your model, it probably isn’t on the compatibility list.
Fall back to iPrint

For models Smart Panel doesn’t support, use Epson iPrint, as Epson recommends.

Setup step two in Printer: choosing an Epson model such as EcoTank ET-2850 — Printer asks for your Epson model during setup, so you know right away whether it’s supported.

Do you need either app to print?

Not if your printer supports AirPrint, and most Epson Wi-Fi printers do. AirPrint is built into iOS: open the photo or document, tap Share → Print, pick your Epson printer and tap Print. No Epson app, no account, no setup on the phone.

The Epson apps are still useful for the jobs AirPrint doesn’t do: setting up a new printer, checking ink, cleaning the print head and updating the printer. See how to print from iPhone to an Epson printer for the full steps.

Honest note

Some Epson models, especially budget ink-tank printers such as many L-series models, don’t support AirPrint. For those, Epson’s own app is the way to print from an iPhone, and AirPrint apps like ours won’t work. Check your model with the AirPrint checker before you download anything.

If the Epson app can’t find your printer

Whichever Epson app you use, it can only find a printer that’s on the same network as your iPhone. Before you reinstall anything, check:

Same Wi-Fi network. Your iPhone and the printer must be on the same network, not a guest network or a separate 5 GHz network the printer can’t join.
Permissions allowed. For setup in Smart Panel, Epson lists Bluetooth and location permissions. Check them for Smart Panel in the iPhone’s Settings app.
Printer awake. Press a button or tap the screen. A sleeping printer may not answer a search.
The right app for your model. If Smart Panel never lists your printer, it may not be on its compatibility list. Try iPrint.

The same checks apply to the iPhone’s own Print button. If your Epson printer doesn’t appear there either, follow our fix for “No AirPrint Printers Found” or the broader guide to “iPhone can’t find printer”.

Where Printer fits

Printer works with Epson printers that support AirPrint, and with AirPrint printers from other brands too. It’s for everyday printing and scanning when you don’t want another account:

Scan with your iPhone’s camera. Printer finds the page edges automatically and saves a clean PDF.
Edit before you print. Sign, crop, mark up, rotate, and pick exactly which pages to print.
Print more than photos. PDFs and Office files from Files, web pages, notes, contact cards, shopping lists and travel checklists.
Private by design. No account, no ads, no tracking. Your documents stay on your iPhone.

Printer is free to download. Printer Pro, a weekly or annual subscription with a 3-day free trial, unlocks unlimited prints and scans, the Pro tools and printing without a watermark.

What Printer doesn’t do: it doesn’t show ink levels, clean the print head, update firmware or set up a new printer on your Wi-Fi. Keep Smart Panel or iPrint for those, and use whichever app you like for printing.

Epson Smart Panel vs iPrint: which app you need