Alexa long ago introduced the ability to power use connected printers. In this way, with a simple voice command you could order different types of documents to be printed. Now those capabilities have been improved and could be useful to you, although you should know how it is done and what limitations it offers.
How to connect a printer with Alexa
Having an printer with the ability to connect to the local network or WiFi nothing out of the ordinary comes out of the house anymore. Most manufacturers of this type of device have been offering this feature for years in practically their entire range, from very simple models to more advanced ones.
And it is logical, because with the popularization of laptops and other mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets, what is rare is that there are users who today use them connected via a USB cable. Therefore, it is also not surprising that devices such as Amazon smart speakers added support for being able to print documents through a simple voice command.
That is what Alexa has been allowing for some time now and has now been improved with new options. Although it is important to know that at the moment it is only available for accounts configured in English. But if you have no problem doing it, you will be able to use many of the models from manufacturers such as HP, Epson, Canon or Brother for all this.
Of course, before giving you ideas and telling you some of the commands that you can use, it is important that you know how to connect your printer to the Alexa app. To pair your Alexa-enabled device and your connected printer, follow these steps:
- Open the Alexa app or visit the website alexa.amazon.com
- Go to the Devices tab
- Once there, tap on the Add new device option
- Select Printers
- Now select your printer model which should appear like any other device you pair
- Done, in a matter of seconds or minutes your application and Alexa account will be paired to your printer
Now that you have your printer connected and the manufacturer's Skill installed, the next step is to know what can you ask Alexa to print for you. On Amazon's support page you have a pretty comprehensive command list of things you can do. For example, you could tell Alexa to print your to-do list, grocery list, recipe, or anything similar like calendars, coloring pages, etc. What's more, you could even have Alexa notify you when it detects that you have little ink left in the cartridges.
However, support for use connected printers by Alexa It should still continue to improve and add support for user accounts in other languages ​​such as Spanish. Which would be great if it came soon. Although it is also true that with the passage of time and the use of different apps, printing on paper has been left solely and exclusively for those documents intended for administrative procedures.
In any case, that decision must be made by each one. What is clear is that together with the use of Alexa routines, it can give a lot of play in office environments. Or if you are working from home to have the objectives that you must meet in sight every day.