Google Cloud Print Download and Setup Guide
Retired on 31 December 2020, with nothing to install
Representative photo — Creative Tools CC BY 2.0
Google Cloud Print let you register a printer with a Google account and print to it from anywhere, and it was widely used on Chromebooks before ChromeOS gained native printing. Google shut it down on 31 December 2020 and it has not worked since. Printers that advertised Cloud Print support still print normally over the network; only the cloud service is gone. Google's replacement guidance is to use native ChromeOS or CUPS printing, or one of the partner services it names for organisations that need managed cloud printing.
Version and licence: Retired. Google Cloud Print was shut down on 31 December 2020 and no longer works. There is nothing to install, and any site offering it is not legitimate. Google's own notice directs users to native printing or a partner service.
Download Google Cloud Print
What it does
- Registered a printer with a Google account for printing from anywhere
- Was the main printing route on early Chromebooks
- Supported Cloud Print ready printers and shared classic printers through Chrome
- All of this stopped working on 31 December 2020
- Replaced by native ChromeOS printing and partner services
How to install it
Step 1
Do not look for a Google Cloud Print download; the service was shut down on 31 December 2020 and nothing can restore it.
Step 2
On a Chromebook, use native ChromeOS printing: Settings, Printing, Printers, then save the printer it discovers.
Step 3
On Windows or macOS, add the printer normally through the operating system's printer settings.
Step 4
If the printer's own menu still shows a Cloud Print option, ignore it, as the service behind it no longer exists.
Step 5
For managed cloud printing in an organisation, evaluate a partner service such as PaperCut Mobility Print, PrinterLogic, Printix or directprint.io.
Step 6
Update the printer firmware, which in many cases removed the dead Cloud Print entries and improved IPP support.
Step 7
Remove any Cloud Print references from internal documentation so people stop looking for it.
Which printers it supports
It supported Cloud Print ready printers and classic printers shared through Chrome. Those printers all still print over the network; only the cloud service was withdrawn.
When Google Cloud Print will not work
The service was retired on 31 December 2020, so the option is dead even though it still appears in some printer menus. A firmware update often removes it. Print over the network instead.
ChromeOS now prints natively through IPP Everywhere and Mopria. Open Settings, Printing, Printers and save the printer that appears, or add it manually by IP address.
Google names partner services including PaperCut Mobility Print, PrinterLogic, Printix and directprint.io. Microsoft Universal Print is another option for Microsoft 365 customers.
There is no legitimate download. The service is gone and any site offering it is either out of date or unsafe. Do not install anything from such a page.
Those guides are more than five years out of date. Native printing on ChromeOS, Windows, macOS, Android and iOS all cover what Cloud Print used to do on a local network.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still use Google Cloud Print?
No. It was shut down on 31 December 2020 and cannot be restored.
What replaced it?
Native printing on ChromeOS through IPP Everywhere and Mopria, and for organisations, partner services such as PaperCut Mobility Print, PrinterLogic, Printix and directprint.io.
Does my Cloud Print ready printer still work?
Yes, over the network. Only the cloud service was withdrawn, not the printer's normal functions.
Questions & comments (0)
No comments yet. Describe your printer model, operating system and the exact message you see; comments appear after review.
Ask about this page
Your comment appears after our team approves it. Or sign in to post faster.