How to Disable Printing on an iPad Mini

AirPrint technology is built into the iPad Mini's operating system to facilitate printing from the device to a local AirPrint-enabled printer. It requires no additional driver downloads on the iPad Mini and can be accessed using the share functionality from the browser or any file-viewing app that supports sharing. If you don't want to use printing support -- perhaps you're experiencing printer issues or want to restrict other people from using your iPad Mini to print -- you can turn it off.

Because AirPrint is built into the native share functionality of iOS, there's no way to restrict it without restricting the network it uses for sharing. You can, however, disable the Wi-Fi on the iPad Mini and effectively disable AirPrint at the same time. The feature, after all, works only when both devices are discoverable on the same wireless network. This solution comes with a major drawback, however. Lack of wireless functionality will limit -- if not completely restrict -- a majority of the other iOS features and apps you use.

A more effective way to block AirPrint functionality is by disabling it on the printer itself. The process varies between models and manufacturers, but you'll likely be required to log into a Web interface to access print settings, where you can toggle the AirPrint feature on and off. In some cases, you'll also be able to configure security settings -- like allowing specific users or restricting print access with a password. While extra security won't disable printing, unauthorized users will be blocked from accessing the feature.

If your printer isn't AirPrint-enabled and you connect to it by way of AirPrint receiver software installed on a computer, you'll need to launch the program in order to restrict print settings. If you prefer to disable printing altogether, remove the printer configuration for the machine you don't want used. Otherwise, configure security settings so the device remains available and printing is restricted to specific user IDs or access passwords.

If you print using an app that doesn't depend on AirPrint technology, printing functionality is disabled using one of two choices. First, you can launch the app and locate the option to temporarily turn off the printer you want blocked. Otherwise, uninstall the app from the device completely. This will, in turn, remove the app from the list of available share options.