Setting Up a HP Printer: Common Setup Problems (Using HP App)

Setting up a new HP printer is supposed to be quick. You take it out of the box, install the app, and print. When something goes wrong, though, the printer rarely tells you what. The app spins and says it can't find the printer, sign-in goes nowhere, or setup finishes and your computer acts like the printer doesn't exist.

The good news is that setup tends to break at the same few points, and you can fix each one yourself. This guide follows setup in the order it happens: getting the printer ready, preparing your phone or computer, signing in, adding the printer, and printing from your computer. Find the spot where yours stopped and start there.

A quick note on the app: HP has replaced HP Smart with the HP app, and that's what the steps below use. If HP Smart is still on an older phone or computer, the screens look a little different, but setup follows the same order.

Where Did Setup Stop?

Think about the last thing that happened before setup went wrong, then jump to the matching step.

Why HP Printer Setup Fails

Most failed setups come down to one of these. They're grouped by where the problem shows up.

At the printer

• Packing material is still inside. Tape, foam, or cardboard can block the moving parts, and the printer stops with an error before setup really starts.
• The wrong cartridges are installed. Many new HP inkjets come with SETUP cartridges and won't finish setup with regular cartridges in place.
• A printer setup step never finished. The alignment page wasn't scanned, or a Smart Tank printer was turned off while it was priming its ink system.
• Wi-Fi setup mode ran out. A printer waiting to be added stays in setup mode for two hours. After that, the app can't see it.

In the HP app

• Your phone or computer can't run the app. The HP app needs a fairly recent operating system, and an older device may not install it at all.
• Bluetooth or location access is off. The app uses Bluetooth to find a nearby printer and asks for location permission while it searches.
• Sign-in isn't working. The app won't add a printer until you're signed in to an HP account.
• Your device is on a network the printer can't use. Common examples are a guest network, a 5 GHz network the printer doesn't support, or a VPN that hides everything on your home network.

On your computer

• Windows thinks your network is public. On a network marked Public, Windows hides other devices, and that includes printers.
• An old printer install is in the way. A half-finished setup or a leftover copy of an earlier printer can confuse the new one.
• The USB cable runs through a hub or dock. HP says to plug the printer straight into the computer.

How to Fix HP Printer Setup Problems

Each step below matches a stage of setup. If you're starting fresh, go in order. If setup already failed at a certain point, use the table above to skip ahead.

Step 1: Finish the Printer's Own Setup Before You Open the App

The HP app can't finish a setup the printer hasn't started. Get these done first.

1. Take out every bit of packing material. Peel the tape off the outside, then open the paper tray, the ink or toner door, and the scanner lid. Look for tape, foam, or cardboard inside each one.
2. Plug the printer into a wall outlet and turn it on. If it has a touchscreen, choose your language and country or region when it asks.
3. Install the ink or toner that came in the box. If the cartridges say SETUP on the label, use those. The printer won't finish setup with regular cartridges, and SETUP cartridges aren't sold in stores, so hang on to them. Before you put an ink cartridge in, pull off its protective tape, and try not to touch the copper contacts or the ink nozzles.
4. Smart Tank owners: fill the tanks and install the printheads in the exact order your setup guide shows. Then leave the printer on while it primes the ink for the first time. That first cycle takes longer than a normal startup, so give it time before you decide it's stuck.
5. Load plain letter-size paper in the main tray.
6. Print and scan the alignment page if the printer asks for it. On many all-in-one models, the printer prints a page of lines or blocks, then asks you to lay it face down on the scanner glass and press OK. That step lines up the printheads so your prints come out sharp.

If the printer shows an error code or a blinking warning light during this stage, the problem is with the printer, not your network or your computer. Our guide to HP printer error codes and messages can help you figure out what it means.

Step 2: Get Your Phone or Computer Ready

When the HP app can't find a new printer, the cause is usually on the phone or computer you're setting up from. Check all of these before you add the printer.

• Install the HP app. Get it from your device's app store or from 123.hp.com.
• Make sure your device can run it. HP lists Windows 10 version 1809 or later, macOS 12 or later, iOS and iPadOS 17 or later, and Android 10 or later. If your device is older than that, set up from a newer phone instead, or use one of the options in the section on setting up without the app.
• Turn on Bluetooth, and allow location access. The app uses Bluetooth to spot a new printer nearby, and it asks for your location while it searches. Say yes to both. If you tapped "Don't Allow" earlier, turn the permission back on for the HP app in your phone or computer's settings.
• Join your main Wi-Fi network. A guest network won't work. Many HP home printers only connect on 2.4 GHz, so if your router shows separate names for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, pick the 2.4 GHz one while you set up. If your router uses one name for both bands and setup keeps failing, our HP printer not connecting to Wi-Fi guide explains how to split them.
• Turn off any VPN. A VPN can hide every device on your home network from your phone or computer, including the printer.
• On Windows, set your network to Private. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi, open your network's properties, and choose Private under Network profile type. On a Public network, Windows keeps printers hidden.
• Keep the printer in the same room as your router for now. A strong signal makes setup a lot more reliable. Once everything works, you can move the printer where you want it.

Step 3: Sign In to Your HP Account

The HP app asks you to sign in or create an HP account before it adds a printer. Stick with one account. If someone else in your home set the printer up under their account, or you signed in with a different email last time, the printer may not show up under yours.

If sign-in fails or the page won't load:

• Close the HP app completely, open it again, and sign in once more.
• Restart your phone or computer.
• Look for a verification code in your email, and check the spam folder too.
• On a computer, the sign-in page opens in your default web browser. Update that browser, or switch your default browser for a few minutes and try again. On a Mac, HP suggests using Safari.
• Turn off browser extensions for a moment, especially privacy or ad blockers. They can interrupt the sign-in page.
• Load any website on the same device to make sure the internet is working.

Step 4: Add the Printer in the HP App

1. Make sure the printer is in Wi-Fi setup mode. A brand-new printer is in setup mode when you first turn it on. If the printer was set up before, or it's been more than two hours, restore setup mode. On most touchscreen models, open the Wireless or Setup menu, choose Network Setup or Settings, and select Restore Network Settings. Printers without a touchscreen use a button combination that depends on the model. Our HP printer not connecting to Wi-Fi guide lists them model by model.
2. Open the HP app and choose to add a printer. It's usually a plus sign or an Add option on the home screen.
3. Pick your printer when it shows up. Then choose your Wi-Fi network and enter the password. Wi-Fi passwords are case-sensitive, so type carefully.
4. Keep the app open and the printer on until setup says it's finished. The app may check for a printer firmware update along the way. Let it finish. HP warns that turning the printer off during an update can permanently damage it.
5. Slow down when the offers appear. Read the box below before you tap Accept on anything.

The two-hour clock matters here. If you're still troubleshooting when it runs out, the app won't see the printer anymore. Restore setup mode again and pick up from this step.

Before you tap Accept: HP+ and Instant Ink

Near the end of setup, the app may show one or both of these:

• HP+ shows up on eligible printers, which usually have an "e" at the end of the model name. HP says turning on HP+ can't be undone. After that, the printer needs an HP account, an internet connection, and Original HP ink or toner for as long as you own it.
• Instant Ink is HP's ink delivery subscription. It's optional, and you can skip it during setup.

HP+ is the one you can't take back, so make that decision on purpose instead of tapping through the screens.

Step 5: Get Past a Setup That Stalls or Starts Over

Sometimes the app finds the printer, gets partway through, and then says something went wrong or sends you back to the beginning. Try these in order, and test setup again after each one.

1. Restart all three devices. Turn off the printer and the phone or computer you're using, then restart your router. Wait until the internet works again, turn the printer back on, and then turn your device on.
2. Remove the half-added printer. In the HP app, open the printer's settings and remove it. On Windows, also go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners (Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners on Windows 10) and remove any copy of this printer, plus any old printer you don't use anymore.
3. Reinstall the HP app. Uninstall it, restart your device, install it again from the app store or 123.hp.com, sign in, and add the printer from scratch.
4. Try a different device. If setup keeps failing on your laptop, set the printer up from your phone, or the other way around. Once the printer is on your Wi-Fi, you can add it to the other device without going through setup again.
5. Reset the printer to factory settings, but only as a last resort. A factory reset wipes the network settings and anything else you've changed on the printer. On many touchscreen models, you'll find Restore Factory Defaults under the Setup, Tools, or Printer Maintenance menu, though the path varies by model. For button-only printers, check your model's user guide. When the reset is done, go back to Step 4.

Step 6: Set Up With a USB Cable or Ethernet Instead

If wireless setup fails no matter what you try, a cable can get you printing today. You can always try Wi-Fi again later.

With a USB cable

1. Plug the cable directly into a USB port on your computer. HP says not to use a USB hub or docking station.
2. Open the HP app on that computer, add the printer, and choose the USB option when the app offers it.
3. On a Mac, you can also skip the app. Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners, click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax, and select your HP printer.

One catch: an HP+ printer still needs its own internet connection to print, even when it's plugged in by USB. For those models, USB alone won't solve a Wi-Fi problem, so Ethernet is the better backup.

With an Ethernet cable

If your printer has an Ethernet port and sits near your router, run a network cable from the printer to an open port on the router. The printer joins your network without a Wi-Fi password. Then add it in the HP app the same way as in Step 4.

Step 7: Setup Finished, but Your Computer Won't Print

The app says setup is complete and the printer looks connected, but nothing comes out when you print from your computer. At this point, the problem is almost always on the computer.

• Add the printer on this computer, too. Setting the printer up from your phone doesn't add it to your laptop. Open the HP app on the computer and add the printer there as well.
• Run Diagnose & Fix. In the HP app on Windows or Mac, select your printer and choose Diagnose & Fix. It clears stuck or paused print jobs, reconnects an offline printer when it can, and repairs print spooler errors. On Windows, it also looks for driver updates and fixes a printer that's set to the wrong port.
• Skip HP Print and Scan Doctor. Plenty of older guides still recommend it, but HP has retired the tool and taken it off its website. If it's still on your PC, HP recommends removing it.
• Look for a duplicate printer on Windows. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. If your printer is listed twice (for example, once with "Copy 1" after the name), print a test page from each one and remove the copy that doesn't work.
• On a Mac, try adding it through Printers & Scanners. If the HP app won't cooperate, open System Settings > Printers & Scanners, click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax, and pick your printer. HP supports this built-in setup on Mac.

If the computer still calls the printer offline, our HP printer offline guide walks through the Windows and Mac fixes in detail. If the printer shows as ready but pages still don't print, go to our guide for an HP printer not printing.

Setting Up an HP Printer Without the HP App

Maybe your computer is too old for the app, or you'd just rather not install it or create another account. Either way, you still have options. The one exception is HP+: those printers need an HP account however you set them up.

• Get the printer on Wi-Fi first. Touchscreen printers have a Wireless Setup Wizard on the control panel, and many HP printers can connect using your router's WPS button. Our HP printer not connecting to Wi-Fi guide covers both methods.
• On a Mac: open System Settings > Printers & Scanners, click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax, and choose your printer. This works over Wi-Fi or USB, and macOS supplies the driver.
• On Windows 11: go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners and select Add device. Windows finds the printer on your network and installs a basic driver for it.
• Check HP's driver downloads for your model. For some printers, HP's software and driver page still offers a full driver package you can install without the app. Search your exact model number to see what's listed.

What you give up: some features only work through the HP app with an HP account, including Mobile Fax, advanced scanning tools, and printing to your printer when you're away from home.