Microsoft Expands Cloud Printing with “Universal Print Anywhere”

Microsoft has rolled out Universal Print Anywhere, a cloud-based “pull-print” feature for Microsoft 365 customers that lets users send print jobs to a secure queue and release them at any participating printer after authentication. Instead of picking a specific printer in advance, users simply walk to any enabled device, scan a QR code, and print—improving flexibility and reducing wasted pages.

The system boosts security by ensuring sensitive documents are only printed when the user is present, while providing cost savings through fewer abandoned prints. IT admins can centrally manage printers, set user permissions, and monitor usage without on-premises print servers. The feature works on both Windows and macOS, and is included in many Microsoft 365 plans at no extra cost. Badge-based authentication is planned for a future update, further aligning Microsoft’s solution with traditional enterprise pull-print systems.