Plug and play
Plug and play is a system’s ability to recognise and configure a device automatically as soon as it is connected, without the person having to install or adjust anything manually
What it means, how it is used and where it comes up, with its related concepts.
What it is and how it works
It became popular in the 1990s with systems such as Windows 95 and was consolidated by connection standards such as USB and Bluetooth: when a mouse, keyboard or memory stick is plugged in, the system identifies the device, loads the appropriate driver and makes it ready to use.
By extension, the phrase is used for any product or solution that works without prior setup. In service and product design, it describes an aim of reducing set-up friction, although it is worth checking what tasks people still have to do.
Also known as
PnP