It hasn’t been that long since the concept of 3D printing seemed more like a dream than it did a reality. Fortunately for those of us who love technology, this isn’t the case anymore. The ability to print in 3D is becoming more affordable, which means many people have even given it a try with their own printers (lucky dogs). If you are among them, and your hardware is made by MakerBot, a new mobile app for Android allows you to monitor and control your device from the palm of your hand (the iOS version has been available for a while longer, so this news was much anticipated).

As long as you are connected to the same wireless network as your MakerBot 3D printer, you can access it to print jobs (using images saved to your library using the MakerBot desktop). In addition, functionality exists to monitor, cancel, or pause printing as required.

Describing the functionality in more detail, MakerBot explains:

“MakerBot Mobile adds a revolutionary layer of convenience and ease to your 3D printing workflow by allowing you to access everything MakerBot from your mobile device and prepare digital designs for 3D printing. Choose a downloadable digital design from Thingiverse or any 3D model file stored in your MakerBot Cloud Library, then use MakerBot cloud servers to optimize, scale, and slice your design for 3D printing, layer-by-layer. MakerBot Mobile does all the work for you so all you have to do is confirm the print on your MakerBot Replicator 3D Printer”

If you have a Replicator 3D Printer, consider grabbing MakerBot for your Android device and giving it a try.

Jillian Koskie is an experienced software developer, content writer, project manager and usability design expert. With over 17 years in these roles, Jillian has enjoyed applying her skill-set to assist clients and users across a wide variety of sectors including: legal, health, and financial services. Combining these professional opportunities with a love of technology, Jillian is pleased to contribute articles, opinions, and advice to numerous news outlets, websites, and publications.