Mopria Print Service is a free Android app and underlying certification standard that lets Android devices print to and scan from printers made by different manufacturers without needing to install a separate app for each brand. It's developed and maintained by the Mopria Alliance, a nonprofit consortium of major printer and imaging companies (including brands like HP, Canon, Epson, Samsung, Xerox, Brother, Lexmark, and others) formed to create a universal, driver-free printing standard.
Once installed from the Google Play Store (it also comes pre-installed on many Android devices), Mopria Print Service integrates directly into Android's native print menu. This means when you tap "Print" from an app like Gmail, Chrome, Google Docs, or a photo gallery, any Mopria-certified printer on the same Wi-Fi network is automatically discovered and appears as a print destination — no manufacturer-specific software, cloud account, or manual driver installation required.
Key features typically include:
- Wireless discovery: Automatically finds compatible printers via Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi Direct.
- Cross-brand compatibility: Works with any printer bearing the "Mopria Certified" logo, regardless of manufacturer.
- Print customization: Lets users adjust paper size, color/black-and-white, duplex (double-sided) printing, and copy count.
- Scanning support: Many versions also support scanning documents directly to an Android device from Mopria-certified multifunction printers.
- No internet dependency: Unlike some cloud-print services, it typically works over the local network without requiring an internet connection or a Google/manufacturer account.
The service was created to solve the fragmentation problem where Android lacked a built-in universal printing framework comparable to Apple's AirPrint on iOS. It's widely used in home, office, and enterprise environments, and printer manufacturers submit their devices for Mopria certification testing to ensure compatibility. Most modern Android versions include native support for the Mopria framework, though installing the dedicated app ensures full feature access and broader printer compatibility.