Instax mini Link 2 review: a fun smarthphone printer for on the go

The instax mini Link 2 is the latest version of Fujifilm's smartphone printers and has new creative features to bring your photos to life. The printer works through Bluetooth once you download the mini Link app. Instead of just printing your photos like a regular instant camera, the app has frames and other features to add creativity to your photos. 

The instax mini Link 2 comes in Soft Pink, Clay White or Space Blue. I got to try the Soft Pink printer which was a super cute colour. The printer itself is very lightweight and could fit in my handbag easily. It would be great to use while on holiday or travelling with a small bag as it's so compact.

When it comes to battery life, instax states it can print 100 photos per charge but I found the battery’s life to go down quickly while trying to get the hang on the Instax Air feature. Now that I mention the instaxAir I will say that it’s fun to use and definitely adds a creative element to your snaps but can be a little tricky to figure out in the beginning. 

InstaxAir is part of the Fun Mode on the app. There is also Print Mode. This allows you to take normal photos or select pictures you have taken previously and print them instantly just like a regular smartphone printer. You can also take a photo from a video you have on your camera roll to print. 

When you turn on the instaxAir feature in the app, a green light appears on the side of your printer. This is what is tracked when you point the printer at your phone. It will appear on your photo once you start to ‘draw’ in the air by holding down a button on the top of the mini Link 2. It gives a very similar feeling to holding a spray can. On first use, I tried to use this feature when it was really sunny and the app couldn’t detract the green LED light but once out of direct sunlight, the drawing was pretty easy to do. If you don’t want to wave your hand around in public by drawing in the air, the app allows you to draw with your finger on your phone too. 

There are 5 different graphics that you can add to your live photos when using instaxAir. They include a spray can, petals, a neon pen, glitter and bubbles. Each graphic has its own sound when you use it and vibrates at the same time. 

Within the Fun Mode of the app there are lots of frames to choose from which can be added to photos you already have on your phone. There are Christmas, Halloween and birthday ones to name a few. I think the ‘Happy Birthday’ frame would make a cute addition to a photo of you and a loved one to give as a gift. 

There is also a collage feature which is similar to the frames one as it uses photos you already have on your phone, but instead of adding a border to your snaps, you can add up to 8 photos to the one print. It’s a great feature to keep memories from one occasion together on the one print or if you don’t have much film left. 

The Match Test feature allows you to take a photo live or pick one from your camera roll to check your compatibility with someone by answering some short question. It’s a fun addition to have printed on a photo but doesn’t show you your results until after you press print. 

The last feature on the Fun Mode section of the app is the Sketch, edit & print one where you can take a photo of text from a book or something you’ve written, capture it and overlay it onto a live photo you want to take. Again, a cool addition but instaxAir is definitely the most fun to use. 

I also got to try the Spray Art Instant Film which jazzed up my photos with added colour rather than using the plain white film.  

Overall, the instax mini Link 2 was great to use, handy to go out with and has cool added extras that I would use again. If you were going to choose between buying a regular portable printer or this one, I would choose this purely for the drawing, frames and collage features, as well as being able to use it like a regular instant printer. The only thing I would love to see on it is a wrist strap because when you’re waving the printer around, it would be quite easy to drop or for someone to bump into if you’re in a crowded place.