Microsoft will update Universal Print to allow Android users to print documents directly from their phones

Good news for all Microsoft 365 Universal Print users: the Redmond-based tech giant will update the capability to allow Android users to print documents directly from their phones, as long as the printers are installed on their devices.

The announcement was made in the latest entry to the Microsoft 365 Roadmap, last week, and users will be able to integrate their Android devices with the Universal Print platform through the Microsoft 365 apps, allowing them to easily add work/school printers.

Integration of Universal Print with the Microsoft 365 mobile app will enable users to add work/school printers to their Android phones. Once the printers are installed on the phone, the user can print to them from any phone app that has a print action.

Microsoft

According to the entry, Android users will have to wait, though, as the Redmond-based tech giant will only preview it at the end of the year, in December 2024, followed by a general release sometime in 2025.

However, to prepare users for it, Microsoft will release another capability for IT managers in Universal Print, called Pull Print queues. Basically, this upcoming policy will allow IT admins to customize and offer a simple view of all print solutions, based on their locations or regions, so that other users can use them.

This new policy will be previewed in June 2024, followed by a general release in August 2024, and it might affect the date of the other capability.

Pull Print enables IT Pros to offer their end users a simplified view of the print solution. Specifically, IT Pros can set up virtualized printer(s) per location or region so that end users only need to know the name of one printer. Those users can securely release their own print jobs at any printer at that location or region, depending on the setup.

Microsoft

This is quite useful considering that employees won’t have to depend on other people to print documents at work. They can easily do so by accessing the Microsoft 365 App and searching for and connecting to the nearest available printer, and that’s it.

The new Pull Print policy will also be available on Mac, following the general preview of the Universal Print capability on these devices earlier this year.

And given that the Redmond-based tech giant recently announced it would offer a staggering 1900% increase of print jobs to A3 and A5 licenses, easing the job of doing so means that number soon won’t be enough.