How to print from an Android phone or tablet

• You can print from an Android phone or tablet if you have a connection to a wireless printer.
• If your printer only supports Bluetooth printing, be sure to pair the printer with your Android phone.
• If they're on the same wireless network, printing from an Android phone to your printer is largely automatic.

Printing from your Android phone might sound like something that is difficult or unusual, but it's not 2013 anymore. These days, as long as you have a wireless-enabled printer, then you should be able to easily print directly from your Android phone with just a few taps — wireless printing tends to be included in many productivity or business-related apps.

How to print from an Android phone or tablet

Most printers include WiFi, but if your printer only offers Bluetooth printing, you need to pair the printer with your Android phone before attempting to print. To do that, make sure your printer's Bluetooth setting is turned on and is discoverable. On your phone, start the Settings app, tap Connected devices and tap Pair new device. When your phone finds the Bluetooth printer, select it and complete the pairing process. Once paired, you should be able to print normally.

The exact location of the print command varies from app to app; it's not standardized. Unfortunately, it's not feasible to outline where to find the option to start printing in every major Android app, so you might need to explore the app a little on your own. Even so, it shouldn't be hard to locate. Here is how to print using Google Docs.

1. Make sure your printer is turned on and the wireless feature (Bluetooth or WiFi) is enabled.

2. If WiFi, be sure your Android phone is connected to the same WiFi network as the printer.

3. Start the app you want to print from and open the document. In this case, open Google Docs.

4. Tap the three-dot menu at the top right.

5. Tap Share & export, then choose Print.

6. At the top of the page, select the printer. Options will include printing to a PDF file (this converts the file to a PDF) and any wireless printers on your network.

7. Select any additional options, such as number of copies, page size and orientation, duplex printing, and color or black and white.

8. Tap the printer icon to start printing.

Quick tip: If an app supports printing, you can almost always find the Print command in the app's menu (such as the three-dot menu).