Printers have become more troublesome and costly over time, unlike most other technologies that improve and become cheaper. Microsoft has a plan to make dealing with printers less frustrating. In Windows 11, they plan to do it with third-party printer drivers and replace them with an integrated solution.
Microsoft plans to use an integrated IPP Class Driver and Mopria-compliant print devices as the default way printers communicate with Windows. This will eliminate the often buggy and problematic printer drivers that are currently specific to different printer brands.
This change will be beneficial for both users and printer manufacturers. Users won’t have to struggle with downloading and troubleshooting drivers, while manufacturers will save money on developing these drivers. Microsoft will also require Mopria certification for all HLK (Hardware Lab Kit) devices, which will ensure compatibility with various hardware.
This transition will happen in several stages. It starts in September 2023 with the retirement of third-party printer drivers. By 2025, Windows won’t accept any new printer drivers via updates, but existing drivers can still be updated. In 2026, Windows will prioritize the built-in IPP driver, and by 2027, Microsoft will stop distributing new printer driver updates, except for critical security cases.
However, this change won’t fix other issues like aggressive ink-selling tactics and subscription-based ink models, which are common with modern printers. These practices are linked to cloud-based features and won’t be affected by the switch to integrated drivers. Users with older printers will still be able to use them with existing third-party printer drivers that are available through Windows Update or by third-party drivers from manufacturers.