What Is Microsoft Universal Print and Is It Worth Using in 2026?

Printing is probably not the first technology most businesses think about when modernising their IT.

Yet traditional business printing can still involve print servers, locally installed drivers, Group Policy, queues, permissions and considerable administrative effort.

Microsoft Universal Print is designed to change that.

Universal Print is Microsoft's cloud-based print management service. Instead of relying on a traditional Windows print server to publish printers around an organisation, printers can be registered with Microsoft's cloud service and assigned to users through Microsoft Entra ID. Microsoft describes Universal Print as a secure cloud-based printing solution designed to simplify printer management and allow users to print from different locations.

For businesses already heavily invested in Microsoft 365, Entra ID and Intune, it can make printing feel considerably more like a modern cloud service.

But Universal Print isn't necessarily right for every organisation.

Here's what businesses need to know in 2026.

What Is Microsoft Universal Print?

Traditionally, a business might have a Windows Server acting as a print server.

Printers are installed on that server, drivers are maintained, print queues are created and users connect to those shared queues.

Universal Print moves much of that management into Microsoft's cloud.

Instead of the user's computer communicating with a traditional print server, the Universal Print service handles the print workflow through Microsoft 365.

Microsoft highlights several advantages, including cloud-based management, Microsoft Entra ID identities and driverless printing.

That can be particularly attractive to organisations that are already trying to reduce dependence on physical servers.

Do You Still Need a Print Server?

Potentially, no.

The cleanest Universal Print deployment uses printers with native Universal Print support.

These devices can register directly with the Universal Print service without needing a traditional Windows print server.

That means you can potentially remove:

Traditional shared Windows print queues

Print-server operating systems

Large collections of printer drivers

Some on-premises print infrastructure

Certain Group Policy printer deployments

Microsoft specifically positions Universal Print as a way to move away from traditional on-premises print infrastructure.

However, there's an important catch.

Many organisations already own perfectly serviceable printers that don't have native Universal Print functionality.

You don't necessarily have to replace them.

What Is the Universal Print Connector?

Older printers can often be brought into Universal Print using Microsoft's Universal Print connector.

The connector runs on a supported Windows system and allows traditional printers to be registered with Universal Print. Microsoft currently documents support for running the connector on supported Windows 11 or Windows Server environments.

This gives businesses a useful migration path.

You might initially connect existing printers through the connector and then gradually replace them with Universal Print-ready models as they reach the end of their lifecycle.

However, the connector means you haven't completely eliminated local infrastructure.

That distinction matters.

A business with ten old printers may still need a Windows device running the connector, whereas an organisation buying new Universal Print-ready printers may be able to operate much more directly from the cloud.

No More Traditional Printer Driver Management

Printer drivers have historically been one of the less enjoyable parts of managing Windows environments.

Different models need different drivers, drivers become outdated, applications can behave differently and poorly maintained print drivers can introduce reliability or security issues.

Microsoft says Universal Print doesn't require traditional printer drivers on the client device, helping remove much of that management burden.

That can make deployment particularly attractive to organisations managing large numbers of laptops.

Instead of IT manually installing different printer drivers on every computer, printers can be centrally published and users can connect through Universal Print.

For a growing business, that can significantly simplify administration.

Microsoft Entra ID Controls Who Can Print

Universal Print uses Microsoft Entra ID for identity.

That means printer access can be assigned to authorised users and groups rather than simply making every printer available to anyone who happens to be connected to the office network.

Imagine a business with printers in:

Finance

HR

Reception

Warehouse

Management

The organisation can control which employees have access to particular printer shares.

This fits naturally with organisations already managing employees through Microsoft 365 and Entra ID.

When somebody joins the company, moves department or leaves, printer access can form part of the same identity-management process as the rest of their IT access.

Deploy Printers With Microsoft Intune

Universal Print also integrates with Microsoft Intune.

In 2026 Microsoft documents printer provisioning through Intune's modern device-management channel, allowing Universal Print printers to be deployed to managed Windows devices through cloud policies.

This is useful for organisations operating modern Microsoft environments.

Instead of:

Engineer visits laptop.

Engineer installs printer.

Engineer finds driver.

Engineer chooses queue.

Engineer repeats this on 50 computers.

IT can define policies centrally.

Managed devices receive the appropriate printer configuration automatically.

That can become particularly valuable when onboarding new employees or replacing computers.

Universal Print Now Works With Macs Too

An important improvement since many older Universal Print articles were written is macOS support.

Microsoft now supports Universal Print on macOS, allowing Mac users to print from normal Mac applications after installing and configuring Microsoft's Universal Print application.

That's particularly useful for mixed environments where a company has both Windows and Apple devices.

There are some printer-model-specific limitations around advanced functionality, so organisations with important finishing features should check Microsoft's compatibility information before assuming every printer behaves identically from macOS.

Still, this makes Universal Print considerably more attractive to organisations with a mixed Windows and Mac estate than it was several years ago.

What About Printing From Phones?

This needs explaining carefully because older marketing around “printing from any device” can make Universal Print sound more universal than it really is.

Windows and macOS have established Universal Print client experiences.

Mobile phones currently have an important role in secure print release, but you shouldn't simply assume an iPhone or Android phone provides exactly the same native printing workflow as a Windows PC.

In particular, Microsoft has been evolving the QR-code secure-release experience during 2026.

So if mobile printing is an important requirement for your organisation, it should be tested as part of any Universal Print deployment rather than assumed.

Secure Release Can Stop Sensitive Documents Sitting in the Tray

One particularly useful Universal Print feature is secure release.

Normally, somebody clicks Print and the document immediately appears in the printer tray.

That isn't ideal for confidential documents.

An employee might print:

Payroll information.

An employment contract.

Customer records.

Financial information.

Legal documents.

Then become distracted and leave the document sitting beside the printer.

Universal Print can hold supported jobs securely until the user releases them at the printer. Microsoft supports methods including QR-code release, with jobs held in the cloud until the authorised user performs the release action.

This can improve both confidentiality and reduce wasted printing.

If somebody sends a 60-page document to the wrong printer, it doesn't necessarily have to come pouring out before they realise their mistake.

Secure Release Is Changing in August 2026

There is a particularly current Universal Print change worth knowing about.

Microsoft has been moving QR-code secure release away from the Microsoft 365 Copilot mobile-app experience and towards a dedicated Universal Print web portal.

Microsoft says the new portal provides the secure-release functionality and that existing QR codes will redirect automatically, so administrators shouldn't need to replace the physical QR codes already attached to printers.

The transition is scheduled around 18 August 2026, so businesses already using QR secure release should make sure users know the workflow may look slightly different.

This is a good example of why older Universal Print setup articles can become outdated quickly.

Can Staff Print When They're Away From the Office?

One of the attractions of Universal Print is that printer discovery and management aren't based purely on the employee being connected to a traditional local Windows domain.

Microsoft describes Universal Print as supporting cloud-managed printing and allowing organisations to provide access through their Microsoft identity.

That can help businesses with remote and hybrid workers.

However, just because somebody can send a document to an office printer remotely doesn't necessarily mean they should.

Imagine somebody working from home accidentally sending a confidential report to a printer in an empty office.

Your print strategy should therefore consider business process as well as technical capability.

Secure release can be particularly useful here because the job remains held until somebody physically releases it.

How Is Universal Print Licensed?

This is one of the areas businesses need to understand before deployment.

Universal Print is included with various eligible Microsoft licences, while other organisations can purchase it separately.

But printing isn't simply unlimited.

Microsoft measures Universal Print consumption using print jobs, not the number of pages printed. Eligible user licences and additional Universal Print capacity contribute to a shared monthly print-job pool across the organisation.

That distinction is important.

A one-page document counts as a print job.

A 40-page report sent as one job also counts as a print job.

Your organisation's available volume depends on the eligible licences and any additional print-job capacity purchased.

Microsoft notes that many organisations find their included allowance sufficient, but businesses with high-volume printing should examine their actual print behaviour before migrating.

Don't assume Universal Print will automatically be cheaper simply because it is cloud-based.

Work out your volume first.

Who Is Universal Print Best Suited To?

Universal Print makes particularly good sense for organisations already using:

Microsoft 365

Microsoft Entra ID

Microsoft Intune

Cloud-managed Windows devices

Modern Microsoft security and identity policies

It can also be attractive for businesses that:

Want to remove ageing print servers.

Have multiple offices.

Manage remote or hybrid employees.

Frequently provision new laptops.

Want to reduce printer-driver maintenance.

Need more controlled printer access.

Want secure print-release functionality.

Have Windows and Mac users.

For those organisations, printing becomes another centrally managed cloud service.

When Might Traditional Printing Still Be Better?

Universal Print isn't automatically the right solution for every company.

Businesses with specialist printing requirements should test carefully.

Examples could include:

Large-format printers.

Label printers.

Highly specialised finishing requirements.

Manufacturing equipment.

Legacy applications that expect conventional Windows printer queues.

Extremely high-volume print environments.

Printers with features that aren't fully exposed through Universal Print.

The correct question isn't:

“Is Universal Print newer?”

It is:

“Does Universal Print improve the way this particular business operates?”

Sometimes the answer will be yes.

Sometimes a hybrid approach will make more sense.

A Sensible Migration Strategy

Businesses don't necessarily need to move every printer overnight.

A practical approach could be:

Stage 1: Review existing printers and print volumes.

Stage 2: Identify Universal Print-ready devices.

Stage 3: Connect suitable legacy printers through the Universal Print connector.

Stage 4: Deploy printer access through Entra ID and Intune.

Stage 5: Test Windows and macOS users.

Stage 6: Introduce secure release where appropriate.

Stage 7: Replace legacy printers with Universal Print-ready models through the normal hardware lifecycle.

Eventually, the connector can potentially disappear along with the last legacy printer.

That is usually far more sensible than replacing thousands of pounds of working equipment simply because Microsoft has developed a newer printing architecture.

Is Microsoft Universal Print Worth It in 2026?

For the right business, absolutely.

Universal Print can help remove traditional print-server infrastructure, reduce driver management, centralise printer administration and integrate printer access with Microsoft Entra ID and Intune.

It is particularly attractive for businesses already pursuing a cloud-first Microsoft strategy.

But it needs planning.

Printers need to be checked for compatibility, licence and print-job allowances need reviewing, legacy equipment may require the connector and specialist printing workflows need testing.

Universal Print should therefore be approached as an IT infrastructure project rather than simply another Microsoft 365 switch to turn on.

Done properly, it can make one of the oldest parts of business IT feel considerably more modern.

Need Help With Microsoft Universal Print?

Hamilton Group can help assess whether Microsoft Universal Print is suitable for your business and design a migration that works with your existing printers, Microsoft 365 environment and device-management strategy.

We can help with Microsoft 365, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Intune, Universal Print, Windows and Mac management, networking, cyber security and managed IT support.

Whether you're looking to remove traditional print servers, modernise device deployment or simply work out why business printing is still more complicated than it should be, our team can help.

And when your employees need IT support, our aim is to make first contact within 15 minutes.

Call Hamilton Group on 0330 043 0069 or visit hgmssp.com to speak with one of our Microsoft 365 and IT experts.