Connect Hardware to iPads

Connect supported receipt printers, cash drawers and barcode scanners to the Square app on the iPad. If you have any connectivity issues after following the steps below, learn how to troubleshoot your hardware.

Create a Printer Station and Connect a Printer to Your iPad

To get started, make sure your printer has an Ethernet interface.

Use Printer Stations to save your settings to your device and easily swap between connected printers.

Ethernet Receipt Printer

1. Locate your wireless router with ethernet port and make sure you have a strong Wi-Fi signal.

2. Connect one end of the ethernet cable into the rear panel of the printer and plug the other end of the cable into the wireless router’s ethernet port.

3. From the Square app, tap More from the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen.

4. Tap Settings > Hardware > Printers > Create Printer Station.

5. Enter a printer station name.

6. Tap Printer and select your printer.

7. Make sure the receipt printer and your device are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. To test your connection, tap Test Print.

8. From the Use this printer for section, toggle on Receipts, In-person order tickets, Online order tickets, Order ticket stubs and/or void tickets.

9. Tap Save.

To connect multiple iPads to the same Ethernet printer, follow these steps with each iPad. You can also print copies of the same receipt to multiple printers from one iPad.

Bluetooth Printer

To connect a Bluetooth receipt printer to your iPad:

1. From the iPad’s home screen, tap Settings.

2. Tap Bluetooth > toggle the switch on.

3. Press the iPad’s home button > tap and open the Square app.

4. From the Square app, tap More from the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen.

5. Tap Settings > Hardware > Printers.

6. Tap “Connect a Bluetooth Printer” and follow the steps in the new window.

1. From the Square app you’ll see confirmation the printer is connected.

2. Tap Printer and select your USB printer. To test your printer connection, tap Test Print.

3. Toggle on Receipts, Order Tickets and/or Order Ticket Stubs.

4. Tap Save.

Once your receipt printer is connected, learn more about printing customer receipts and order tickets for your kitchen.

Note: Bluetooth printers are only compatible with iPads running the latest version of Apple iOS.

Connect Cash Drawers to iPads

A cash drawer must be connected to a receipt printer to open automatically. Otherwise, you’ll need to manually open the drawer using the cash drawer key. To link your cash drawer to the Square app on your iPad, you can connect it to a supported receipt printer that has a peripheral drive connector using an interface cable. Most receipt printers, except mobile bluetooth printers, generally have a peripheral drive connector.

The Square app officially supports APG, Star Micronics and Heckler printer-driven cash drawers though other brands may work.

Note: Certain USB cash drawers are supported by the Square app but require a Square Stand to open automatically.

Once the cash drawer is set up, it’ll automatically open in the following scenarios:

• Cash payments

• Cash refunds

• Payments entered as other tender

• Each time a cash drawer session ends

• Each time Paid In or Paid Out during a cash drawer session is selected

Connect Bluetooth Scanners to iPads

1. Scan the barcode below to put your Bluetooth Socket Mobile SocketScan S700 into iOS pairing mode.

2. Visit your iPad’s Settings.

3. Make sure Bluetooth is toggled on.

4. Tap Socket S700 from the Devices menu to pair it.

Note: Bluetooth can pair with only one mobile device at a time. To pair your Bluetooth hardware with a different iPad, you’ll first need to unpair it. 

Unpair your scanner

1. Hold the Trigger button (large button) and the Power button (small button) down together until you hear 3 beeps.

2. Release both buttons.

Follow the same steps above to pair your bar code scanner to a different iPad.