Not able to print from Google Docs

[Moombas]

Hi all,

we provided Google docs, sheets and slides to our devices.

We set managed app config (allow of using printing api and usage without Google account).

We noticed now that printing is possible on sheets and slides but not on docs.

Is there any known issue rgarding this? I mean I'm a bit confused because it works from the other two.

Maybe @Lizzie and @ReeceK you kno more about that or can ask internally?

[Moombas]

No, i just created a docx file with Microsoft Office (no matter if the app of Windows program is used), having only a text content "Test bla" (yes i know very creative 🤣) and copied to the device and opened with Google docs.

[ReeceK]

haha very creative. 

Last thing - have you sent the document to another colleague for them to try?. Just trying to cross out every option. 

Thanks,

Reece

[Moombas]

I tried on some devices and also our MDM support did.

They recorded a video trying to open such file on a private (and unmanaged) device of them as well: Example behavior (Zebra TC26 running with latest OEM version, Android 13)

My device is a Samsung A34 EE with Android 14 and our test devices are most likely Nokia 5.3 with Android 13.

[ReeceK]

Hmm its a challenging one for sure. 

Just to confirm what was said earlier, having a normal account added allows you to print the device though? 

Reece 

[Moombas]

I don't know if that would make a difference on the managing device but as we do not allow to add any other accounts on the managed devices, i can't check.

I can just say that i have more possibilitys on the private device.

1. The document opened on my private device:

(1)The file opened in Google docs

2. The Office compatibility mode shown in Google docs

(2) Office Compatibility mode shown

3. There i have (only on my private device) following additional option (save as) which lets me save the file as a Google Docs file (not available for the managed devcies, so from here on only private device!):

(3) The menu on my private one for share & export

4. The Google Docs file now provides the possibility to print annd even more like "save as":

(4) After saving it as a Google Docs, i have these options available

5.If i save that Google Docs file now as a word file i get following prompt which i now agree to:

(5) If i stry to save that Google docs file (instead of printing) i get this prompt

6. Now the file is a docx file (again) but if i now go to share & exprt i have the same options like in (4) which means able to print and so on.

(6) Now its a printable docx file (same options as in (4)) But on Sheets and presentations the original file is printable (without all these steps) which are not possible on a managed device.

Again: In sheets and presentations i don't need to do any of these steps. just can print the xlsx and pptx files created by Microsoft on my private and on the managed device as well.

[ReeceK]

Hey @Moombas,

Thanks again for the update.

Are you still in touch with your MDM regarding this issue? Have they mentioned seeing similar reports from others in your team?

Thanks, Reece

[Moombas]

@ReeceK Yes, but we all agree here that this is an app issue not an issue related to the MDM, so we need Google to investigate that.

Regarding the request of "my team" it doesn't make sense (my team is 2 people :P) but the users using our managed devices are reporting this a lot (we speak about thousands of devices).

[ReeceK]

Hey @Moombas 

haha small but mighty team! 😎

We've attempted to replicate this issue on our end without success. It seems the next step would be for you to request your MDM to raise a bug report to Google. Once raised, they can escalate the ticket for further investigation. 

Sorry I couldn't find a direct solution for you, but that would be the best option. 😊

[Moombas]

Hi @ReeceK,

so you have created a test file (docx) with Microsoft Office, copied to the device (if not created with their app) and opened with Google docs and able to print without doing any additional action/transformation of the file?

As said, this issue is only on docs and anyone here i spoke to (i aksed some other collegues to do it the same way (on their private devices!) i already provided) can replicate it instantly.

I don't see why our MDM should raise a ticket as i can replicate the issue on my private mobile (as my screenshots above show)!?

[Moombas]

Just to add another example. This is taken right now from my private device (only available for 2 days):

https://streamable.com/9j4u9c 

[chilidad]

Just came across this post, and here's more food for thought fwiw...

All our field guys on android have this same problem.  After lengthy troubleshooting, the Google Team confirmed the issue is with Docs security rights on a local device, and that we'd have to wait until the next update before it would be resolved. Sounded good, but unfortunately that was 5 years ago, and the exact same problem still persists even after many OS and Docs version upgrades. We tried again during Covid, but had less success with Google help. We ultimately resolved it with a rather inefficient solution... that is, we must move the file off the local device to a google drive... then the print shows up and works fine. Our problem is that our workflow includes printer, cell phone and Docs out in the field and 50% of the time without internet, which makes this solution a 50% fail. I posted this info because this issue is definitely major and it seems overlooked for some reason, so hopefully more investigation and a more efficient resolution will occur.

[Moombas]

Thanks for posting this here and also verifying from someone else 😉
And yes if you transfer the file to google drive it will be transferred into a Google docs document which works to print (as i stated here in the psot as well) but is not an option if you have thousands devie enrolled NOT using a real Google account.