Google Cloud Print

History

Google introduced Cloud Print in April 2010, as a future solution for printing from ChromeOS. They made the design document and a preliminary version of the source code available. Google Cloud Print reached beta stage on 25 January 2011.

Applications print through a web-based, common print dialog (web UI) or an API. The service forwards the job to a printer registered to the service. Cloud Ready printers (which connect directly to the web and do not require a computer to set up) can directly connect to Google Cloud Print. As legacy ("classic") printers cannot accept input from a cloud service, Google Chrome 9 contained a "Cloud Print Connector"—which lets printers plugged into a Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac, or Linux computer with Internet access use Cloud Print while the connector is running in Google Chrome.

Printing through Google Cloud Print from any instance of Google Chrome was enabled in Google Chrome 16.

Since December 2014, Google Cloud Print lets users share printers in a manner similar to Google Docs.

In July 2013, Google updated the service to allow printing from any Windows application if Google Cloud Printer is installed on the machine. The Google Cloud Print Service can run as a Windows service, so legacy printers can connect to Google Cloud Print.

Google Cloud Print 2.0, not supported by some printers that support v 1.0, adds support for a local mode similar in operation to Apple's AirPrint. Unlike the earlier version of Cloud Print, v 2.0 does not require either the printer or printing client to be connected to the Internet. Local mode uses a discovery protocol called Privet, which uses Multicast DNS and DNS-SD for discovery, and HTTPS for transmitting print jobs to the printer. Clients supporting this mode only list printers that are discoverable on the same subnet the device is connected to, and forget the printers once disconnected from that subnet.

Discontinuation

In November 2019, Google announced end of support for Google Cloud Print on December 31, 2020. Google cited improvements in native ChromeOS printing as well as a marketplace of other print solutions providers in its decision to terminate the service.

Privacy

Documents printed via Google Cloud Print were sent to Google's servers for transmission to the printer. Google stated that they stored each document queued for printing, "but only for so long as the printing job is active and not complete". And: "Documents you send to print are your personal information and are kept strictly confidential. Google does not access the documents you print for any purpose other than to improve printing."