Google Cloud Print will be killed off in 2021

Google Cloud Print is one of the company’s older services. Launched in 2010, it’s a service that allows users to print from devices that are on a network with cloud-connected printers. It was created as a way for users to print from Chrome OS devices. Technically, Cloud Print has never left beta, and now Google is officially ending support.

Announced in a support document, Google says Cloud Print will no longer be supported starting January 1st, 2021. Devices across all operating systems, including Android and Chrome OS, will no longer be able to use Cloud Print. This gives users over a year to “identify an alternative solution and execute a migration strategy,” as Google puts it.

Cloud Print was a great method for printing from not only Chrome OS, but also Android phones. It doesn’t require a printer that can connect to the internet. All you had to do was add printers to your Google account from a PC and you could then print to them from your phone or Chromebook. Printing on Android has come a long way since Cloud Print was introduced, and Google talks about how Chrome OS’ native printing has been improved as well.

The following native print management features are currently or will be supported by Chrome OS by the end of 2019.

• Admin console interface to manage thousands of CUPS-based printers for users, devices, and managed guests (the legacy 20-printer cap has been removed) by organizational unit
• Admin console policy to manage user printing defaults for 2-sided (duplex) and color
• Support for advanced printing attributes (stapling, paper trays, pin printing)
• Admin console policy to include user account and filename in IPP header of print job over a secure IPPS connection, which enables third-party printing features such as secure printing and print-usage tracking
• Admin console policy to manage PIN code printing, allowing users to enter pin code when sending the print job, and release the print job for printing when they enter the pin code into the printer keypad

The following print management features are being developed for Chrome OS and will be available prior to Cloud Print deprecation.

• Support for external CUPS print servers, including authentication
• Policy to configure connections to external CUPS print servers
• APIs for third-parties to access print job metadata, submit print jobs and printer management capabilities

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Source: Google

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