Print photos, docs, and more from your Android to any
printer
Want to print from Android to
old-fashioned paper? Quickly get started using Google Cloud Print.
Now Playing: Print from any Android
phone or tablet
If sending an email to your desktop
is still your method of printing from your Android, now's the time that
changes. Using Google Cloud Print, you can print just about anything from your
Android phone or tablet to any printer, even if it's an older
model.
Cloud Print -- which is technically
in beta, like many Google things -- works by processing the print jobs over the
Web. So, if you like, you can send items to your printer at home, even when
you're at a friend's house.
It gets better. Google Cloud Print
doesn't only work with Android -- it also works with any device running Chrome,
including iOS and any desktop or laptop. Let's set it up.
Step
1: Is your printer Cloud Ready?
If your printer is Wi-Fi-capable,
it's probably "Cloud Ready." What that means is that you can print to
your printer, even if your computer is turned off. Because the printer has
Wi-Fi, it can connect directly to your Android device without the help of the
computer.
Find out if your printer is Cloud
Ready by visiting the Cloud Print site and looking for your printer model. Once
you find it, click the link in the description to get the setup istructions.
The step-by-step will vary for each printer, which is why we won't walk through
them here. Once that's set up, come back and continue to the next step.
Not
Cloud Ready? No problem.
The beauty of Google Cloud Print is
that it's compatible with even the eldest printers. As long as your computer is
turned on, connected to the Internet, and your printer is plugged in, you can
print to it.
- Head to your computer and launch Chrome. There's no getting around this -- you need Chrome to make Cloud Print work.
- In Chrome, open the menu and check to see that you're signed in with your Google account. It should be the same one you use with your Android device.
- In the same Chrome menu, go to Settings. Scroll down and click Show Advanced Settings, then click Manage under Google Clount Print. Here's where you'll associate a printer with your Google account.
- Click Add Printers, and check the boxes for the printer(s) you'd like to print to from your Android device. Click add printers again, and you're set.
Step
2: Set up your Android device
The setup on your Android device is
dead simple. Head to the Google Play store and download Google Cloud Print. It's
essentially a plug-in that enables printing for a number of Google apps (like
the Gallery), and lets you manage your print jobs.
On Android versions older than
KitKat, it'll appear as a standalone app. On KitKat, it works in the
background, and will appear in the notification shade when you've initiated a
print job.
Step
3: Start printing
At this point, you're ready to start
printing from the Gallery or Chrome. Just tap the menu button in either app and
choose Print. A window will appear, letting you choose your printer from a
drop-down, along with various settings, like paper size and color. Hit Print,
and the item will be sent to your printer.
But Android printing doesn't stop at
photos and Web pages. Using third-party apps like Cloud Print Plus, you can
expand that selection to text messages, contacts, email attachments, and files
stored on your device. You can even use Cloud Printer to print from
Firefox, if that's your default Android browser.
Google's has a page listing all apps compatible with Cloud Print.
Don't
forget!
Cloud Print isn't just for Android.
Now that you're set up, you can head to any computer running Chrome,
sign in with your Google account, and print directly to your home printer, even
when you're away. Just choose your printer from the Print dialog when using
Chrome.
It also works with iOS devices. Just
install PrintCentral Pro to start
printing emails and attachments, contacts, Web pages, and text messages from
your iPhone or iPad.
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