[rollcat]

We've had ad-hoc WiFi for about 3 decades, but that requires a level of device access that no gatekeeper will agree to anymore.

[jeroenhd]

WiFi Direct has been in Android for at least a decade, maybe even a decade and a half: https://developer.android.com/develop/connectivity/wifi/wifi...

The code was added to Android with Android 4.0 back in 2011.

You can check for WiFi Direct networks manually in Settings > Network & internet > Internet > Network preferences > Wifi Direct. If you live in a city, you can probably find one or two printers in the neighbourhood advertising a WiFi Direct channel you can use to print over.

[gumby271]

Well, one gatekeeper. Wifi direct/aware seems to work fine outside of iOS and Mac os.

[layer8]

It is now supported bey iOS as well, thanks to the EU: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/WiFiAware