How to use Google Cloud Print

Print straight from your phone or tablet to any home printer.

You have a printer at home and a computer that work happily together, but how can you print from your iPhone, iPad or Android device?

Well, we have good news, thanks to Google and its Google Cloud Print service it’s possible to print to a home printer from almost any device, be it an Android device, Apple iPhone, tablet or another computer.

Before starting, the things you need for this to work are a Mac or PC – which are connected to a working printer. These will need to be on and awake, so any sleep mode has to be disabled.

Cloud printing with the HP Deskjet 3050A.

The computer also needs to be connected to the internet via a broadband connection for remote printing. Printing around the home can be done over your wireless network. If you can tick all of those boxes you’re good to go.

If that sounds like a lot of gear, alternatively you can buy Google Cloud-ready printers, like this HP Deskjet 3050A.

These are clever enough that you can print directly to them without the need for an intermediary computer.

1. Get Google Chrome

Head to google.com/chrome, download and install Google Chrome. It might seem odd as it’s a browser but Google has added a few background extras in there.

2. Get a Google account

If you use Gmail or Google Documents you’re already set up with an account. If you don’t, you need a Google Account to access its services. Head to google.com/account and sign up for a free one.

3. Activate Cloud Print

Open Google Chrome and click the tool button – the spanner icon. Choose Settings > Show advanced settings and click Sign in to Google Cloud Print and use your new Google Account.

4. Confirm and print

At this point you will get a confirmation saying everything is successful and an option to Manage your printers, do so. This provides a list of detected local printers, choose the one you use and you’re set.

5. Print anywhere

If you’re logged into Google Mail or Google Docs you now have an option to print from any device to your printer. For general documents install a Google Cloud Print app – such as Cloud Print – and you will be able to print most types of documents on the move.

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