Tip of the Week: How to Print Directly From Your Android Device

Have you ever tried to print something from your smartphone? Yes, we know that sounds kind of absurd--but it’s certainly not impossible. In fact, it’s often easier to do this than sending yourself an email with the attachment, or accessing the files on your desktop. We’ll go over how you can print a document or picture from your Android smartphone so that you can make things just a little bit simpler.

First, take a moment to think about how often you use your smartphone to access important documents via a cloud connection. Why waste time to print something out when you can accomplish largely the same feat just by connecting your device to your printer via Google’s Cloud Print?

First, you’ll want to check to see if your printer is Cloud Ready. You can use this web page to search for the product number to find out if it is or not. If it’s Cloud Ready, you can then access the wireless setup for your device in your printer’s software, which should be available on a connected desktop. Just make sure that it’s connected to your wireless network.

Depending on the brand and manufacturer of your printer, you may need to visit their website for instructions on how to set it up for Google Cloud Print. Otherwise, you should see your device in your web browser by typing chrome://devices into the search bar. If your device appears under New Devices, click on Manage. You’ll then be able to Register it. When you return to chrome://devices, you’ll see your printer located in the My Devices section, and you’ll be able to select it as a Print destination.

This next step involves downloading the Cloud Print app on your smartphone, which acts as an add-on to services like Google Docs, Gallery, and other apps on your phone. Once you’ve downloaded it, just navigate through Settings > Printing > Cloud Print.

The next time you find yourself in need of a quick print job, just check the settings of the app you’re working in. It will generally be accessed through the three-dot menu in the top-right corner. One of the options should display Print or Cloud Print. Afterwards, it’s only a matter of choosing which device you want to use.

Does your business need a hand with printing documents and other mobile-related issues? Reach out to Computerware at (703) 821-8200.