HP Printer Setup With the HP Smart App: Independent Guide

HP printer setup on current home models is built around the free HP Smart app. You unpack the printer, switch it on so it enters Wi-Fi setup mode, then open HP Smart on a phone or computer, which finds the printer and hands it your Wi-Fi details. This page is an independent walkthrough, not HP’s own documentation; for model-specific details, your printer’s user guide on HP’s support site is the reference.

It replaces our older separate pages on HP wireless printers, HP Smart printers and the HP Tango, which all follow the same process.

Before you start

• Remove all tape and packing, install the ink and load paper. Our new printer setup checklist covers this in detail.
• Keep the printer near your router for the first connection.
• Have your 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network name and password ready. Most HP home inkjets connect on 2.4 GHz; if your router merges both bands under one name, see our 2.4 GHz printer Wi-Fi setup guide.
• Install HP Smart from the App Store, Google Play, the Microsoft Store or the Mac App Store. Only download it from those stores or from HP’s own website.

Step 1: make sure the printer is in setup mode

When a new HP printer is switched on for the first time, it waits in Wi-Fi setup mode for a limited time. On many models the Wi-Fi light blinks (often blue or purple, depending on the model). Printers with a screen show a setup prompt.

If the printer has been set up before, or the setup window has expired, restore setup mode:

• Printers with a screen: open the Wireless or Network settings and choose Restore network settings (the wording varies slightly).
• Printers without a screen: use the button combination for your model, usually holding the Wi-Fi button alone or together with another button for a few seconds. The exact combination is in the user guide.

Step 2: add the printer in HP Smart

1. Turn on Bluetooth and location on your phone if asked; the app uses them to find printers in setup mode.
2. Open HP Smart and sign in or create an HP account when asked.
3. Tap Add printer or the plus sign, or accept the prompt saying a new printer was found.
4. Select your printer from the list.
5. Confirm your Wi-Fi network and enter the password.
6. Wait while the printer joins the network. The Wi-Fi light turns solid when it is connected.

The app may then offer firmware updates, print quality alignment, and optional services such as ink subscriptions. You can decline optional offers; they are not needed for printing.

Screenless models such as the HP Tango

The HP Tango and Tango X have no screen at all, so the app is the only practical way to set them up. The process is the same as above: power on, wait for the setup light, then add the printer in HP Smart. The Tango is designed to be printed to from phones and over Wi-Fi, and supports AirPrint and Android printing once connected. If HP Smart cannot find it, restore its network setup mode using the button combination in its user guide and try again from the phone, standing near the printer.

Setting up an HP printer without HP Smart

You do not have to use the app. Alternatives:

• Touchscreen models: open the Wireless menu and run the Wireless Setup Wizard, then choose your network and enter the password on screen.
• WPS: many HP printers support Wi-Fi Protected Setup; see connect a printer to Wi-Fi with WPS.
• Ethernet: models with a network port can be cabled to the router; see Ethernet printer setup.

After setup: adding the printer on your devices

Once the printer is on Wi-Fi, you can print from any device without HP Smart:

• Add a printer in Windows 11
• Add a printer on Mac
• Print from iPhone with AirPrint
• Print from Android

HP Smart remains useful for scanning to your phone, checking ink levels and printer settings, but it is optional for printing.

Settings to check after setup

Once the printer is online, a few settings decide whether it keeps working smoothly. You can reach most of them in HP Smart (select the printer, then its settings) or by typing the printer’s IP address into a browser on the same network to open its built-in web page, called the Embedded Web Server.

Setting	What to check
Network name	Print a network configuration report, or check in HP Smart, and confirm the printer joined your main network rather than a guest or neighbouring one.
IP address	Note it and reserve it in your router so computers that added the printer by IP stay connected.
Power and sleep	Many HP models have Auto-Off or sleep timers. If the printer switches fully off, devices will show it as offline until it is turned on again.
Printer updates	Decide whether firmware should install automatically, notify you, or wait. Updates can change how the printer behaves, so read HP’s release notes for your model.
Default paper size	Match the paper you load, A4 or Letter, in the printer’s settings and on each computer.

Option names vary between models and firmware versions. If you cannot find a setting, search your model’s user guide on HP’s support site for its name.

A word on setup scams

Searches for HP setup often show lookalike sites and ads that ask you to call a “support” number, install remote access software or pay for setup. Setting up an HP printer is free, HP Smart is free, and you never need to give a stranger remote access to your computer to do it. Use the app stores and HP’s own domain only.

If HP Smart cannot find the printer

• Restore network setup mode as described above and restart the app.
• Keep the phone within a few metres of the printer, with Bluetooth and location turned on.
• Make sure the phone is on the 2.4 GHz network you want the printer to join, not a guest network.
• Restart the router, printer and phone, then try again.

Setting up a printer from another maker as well? See our Epson printer Wi-Fi setup guide or the Canon PIXMA setup guide.