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Freedom251 › Blog › AirPrint

How to Set Up an HP Inkjet Printer on Wi‑Fi and Print from Your Phone

By Freedom251 Team · · 10 min read

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To connect most wireless HP inkjet printers, connect your phone to the Wi‑Fi network you want the printer to use, install the HP app offered for your phone and model, put the printer into Wi‑Fi setup mode if necessary, and follow the app’s Add printer prompts. After setup, print through the HP app; on a compatible iPhone or iPad, you can also use AirPrint when both devices are on the same Wi‑Fi network. Button names and reset sequences vary by printer model.

What you need before starting

Have the printer’s exact model number available. “HP inkjet” covers many DeskJet, ENVY, OfficeJet and Smart Tank families, and their screens, buttons and wireless indicators are not identical. The model number lets you select the correct instructions when the app asks for a device or when a reset is required.

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  • A wireless-capable HP inkjet printer with power connected.
  • The Wi‑Fi network name (SSID) and password that the printer should use.
  • A phone or tablet with Wi‑Fi enabled and enough space to install the HP app offered for that device.
  • The phone positioned near the router and printer during setup.
  • Plain inkjet printer paper for a test page after the connection succeeds. Paper size and finish must match your model and the job you plan to print.

Connect the phone to the intended home Wi‑Fi before opening the app. HP also recommends turning on Bluetooth during mobile setup. Bluetooth helps the app detect and configure a nearby printer; it does not carry the print document after setup.

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Which HP app should you install?

HP’s current support guidance says the newer HP app replaces HP Smart where it is available. HP Smart remains available on devices or in regions where the newer app is not offered. Because availability depends on the phone, operating system and region, use HP’s official HP printer setup (HP app) instructions or the app-store link presented there rather than assuming one app name applies to every printer.

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Open the installed app and choose its option to add a printer or set up a new printer. Allow the requested Bluetooth, local-network and location permissions while setup is running. Restricting those permissions can prevent discovery even when the printer is powered on.

How do I connect my HP printer to Wi‑Fi?

1. Put the phone and printer in the right starting state

  1. Turn on the printer and wait until it reaches its ready state. If it has a wireless icon or light, check whether it indicates a connection.
  2. On the phone, open Wi‑Fi settings and join the exact network intended for the printer. Avoid switching between your home network and a guest network during setup.
  3. Move the phone close to the router and printer. A strong nearby signal makes the initial handoff less likely to time out.
  4. Turn on Bluetooth for the duration of mobile setup. It is a discovery aid only; the eventual print data travels over Wi‑Fi.

2. Start the HP app’s add-printer flow

  1. Open the HP app available for your phone and printer.
  2. Select Add printer, Set up a new printer or the equivalent option shown by your version.
  3. Choose the printer when it appears, then enter the Wi‑Fi password when prompted.
  4. Keep the app open and the phone nearby until it reports that setup is complete. Do not turn off the printer or move the phone to another network during this transfer.

The app’s labels can differ by model and region. If a screen in your version does not match these names, follow the model-specific choice presented by the app instead of selecting a similarly worded reset option at random.

3. Restore Wi‑Fi setup mode when the printer is not found

HP describes Wi‑Fi setup mode as the state that “allows your printer to accept a new Wi‑Fi connection from the HP app.” A printer that was previously connected to another router, had its password changed, or has been idle for a long time may need this state restored before the app can see it.

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  1. Use HP’s HP printer setup (Wi‑Fi network) instructions for the exact model. Printers without a screen commonly use a wireless button, a cancel button, or a combination held for several seconds, but the combination is not universal.
  2. Wait for the wireless light or on-screen message that confirms setup mode.
  3. Return immediately to the HP app and choose Add printer.
  4. Complete the connection within two hours. HP says setup mode remains active until the printer connects or two hours elapse; after that window, restore setup mode again before retrying.

If the common button procedure in HP’s general guidance does not produce a setup signal, stop repeating it and look up the printer’s exact model instructions. A sequence for one product family can reset a different family incorrectly or do nothing at all.

4. Confirm the connection

When the app reports success, check the printer’s wireless status in the app or on its control panel. Print a short test document from the app. A successful page confirms both that the printer joined the intended network and that the phone can reach it over that network.

How do I print from my phone to my HP printer?

Printing through the HP app

With the printer added, open the HP app and select the print function. Choose a photo or document from the phone, select the connected printer, set copies, paper size and orientation where offered, and send the job. Keep the phone and printer on the same local network while the job is being transmitted.

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Load paper before sending the test page. Use the size selected in the print settings; a mismatch can cause a stalled job or an incorrectly positioned image. For ordinary documents, plain inkjet printer paper is a practical starting point, while photo or heavier media may require a model-specific paper setting.

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Printing from an iPhone or iPad with AirPrint

Apple devices have a separate print path called AirPrint. HP Support explains: “Apple AirPrint is a built-in print driver that allows you to print from an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to most HP printers.” See HP’s HP printer setup (Apple AirPrint for iPhone, iPad) page for compatibility and model-specific checks.

  1. Make sure the iPhone or iPad and the HP printer are connected to the same wireless network.
  2. Open the app containing the document or photo, then tap its share, action or menu button.
  3. Choose Print, select an AirPrint-compatible HP printer, set the available options, and tap Print.
  4. Check the printer queue or status if the page does not start. The HP app remains useful for printer management and scanning even when AirPrint handles the print job.

AirPrint does not require installing a separate HP print driver on the Apple device in HP’s overview. It does require a compatible printer and the same-network connection; being connected to the internet alone is not enough.

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Printing on Android

HP’s app and support material cover Android mobile setup and printing, but the exact print command and any plug-in requirement can vary with the phone manufacturer, Android release and app version. First complete printer setup in the HP app. Then use the document or photo app’s Share, Print or equivalent command, select the HP printer or the HP print service offered on that phone, and follow the current on-screen prompts. If no printer appears, verify that the phone is still on the same Wi‑Fi network and consult the current instructions for that phone model rather than installing an unrelated print service.

Choosing the right connection method

Method Best fit Requirements and trade-offs
HP app setup and printing Most supported phones and HP wireless printers The app must be available for the phone and region. It guides Wi‑Fi setup and can use Bluetooth for mobile discovery; Bluetooth is not the print transport. Follow the model’s prompts.
Apple AirPrint Printing from an iPhone or iPad after setup Requires a compatible HP printer and the Apple device and printer on the same Wi‑Fi network. It is built into Apple devices; the HP app adds management and scanning.
WPS push button Joining a supported router without typing the network password The router must support WPS. The printer’s button or menu sequence varies by model, and WPS is unavailable on routers that do not provide the feature.
Wi‑Fi Direct Direct printing when ordinary local-network discovery is unsuitable The printer and phone must support Wi‑Fi Direct. It creates a direct printer-to-device connection rather than joining the printer to the shared home network; model-specific names and steps apply.

Alternative: connect with WPS

WPS can be useful when entering a long wireless password is inconvenient. It works only when the router has WPS support, usually exposed as a physical WPS button or a clearly labeled router control.

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  1. Open HP’s Connect an HP printer using Wi‑Fi Protected Setup (WPS) instructions for your model.
  2. Start the printer’s WPS push-button mode using the documented control-panel option or button combination.
  3. Press the router’s WPS button within the time limit specified by the router.
  4. Wait for the printer’s wireless indicator to show a connection, then add the printer in the HP app and print a test page.

If the router has no WPS feature or its administrator has disabled it, WPS cannot be made to work by changing the phone’s settings. Use HP app setup instead.

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Alternative: use Wi‑Fi Direct

Wi‑Fi Direct lets a supported printer communicate directly with the phone. It can help on a guest network that isolates wireless devices from one another, a common reason a phone can reach the internet but cannot discover a printer. It is not the same as joining the printer to the household router, so other devices on that router may not see the printer through the direct connection.

  1. Confirm that the printer model supports Wi‑Fi Direct and open HP’s HP printer setup (Wi‑Fi Direct) instructions.
  2. Enable Wi‑Fi Direct on the printer using its documented menu or button sequence.
  3. On the phone, open Wi‑Fi settings and select the printer’s Wi‑Fi Direct name. Enter the password shown by the printer or in its information page.
  4. Return to the HP app or the phone’s print command and select the direct connection.

Because names, passwords and activation steps differ, do not substitute a generic Wi‑Fi Direct sequence for the instructions written for the exact printer.

Troubleshooting by symptom

The printer does not appear in the HP app

  • Confirm that the phone is connected to the intended Wi‑Fi, not cellular data or a different router band/network name.
  • Move the phone closer to the router and printer, and leave Bluetooth enabled during setup.
  • Check that the printer is powered, wireless is enabled and no error message is blocking setup.
  • Verify that the HP app offered for the printer and phone is actually available in your region. If the newer HP app is unavailable, HP Smart may be the supported option.
  • Restore the printer’s Wi‑Fi setup mode using the model-specific procedure, then add it in the app within the two-hour setup window.

The printer appears but will not join the network

  • Re-enter the Wi‑Fi password carefully and confirm the network name shown by the printer matches the one on the phone.
  • Move the printer nearer to the router during setup to reduce signal problems.
  • Check whether the phone is on a guest network. HP notes that guest-network isolation can prevent a phone and printer from communicating even when both have internet access. Use the main network, if permitted, or consider Wi‑Fi Direct.
  • If the router was recently replaced or renamed, restore Wi‑Fi setup mode before trying the new credentials.

WPS is unavailable

WPS requires router support. If there is no WPS button or router setting, use the HP app’s normal Wi‑Fi setup. Do not confuse a router’s generic pairing or reset button with WPS unless its documentation identifies it as WPS.

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The phone can print once, then loses the printer

  • Check that the phone has not switched to another saved Wi‑Fi network or cellular data.
  • Make sure the printer is still connected to the same network and has not entered an error or power-saving state.
  • On a segmented or guest network, move both devices to a network that permits local-device communication, or use Wi‑Fi Direct if supported.
  • Reopen the HP app and refresh the printer list. If discovery fails again, restore setup mode and repeat the add-printer flow rather than repeatedly sending jobs to an outdated entry.

You need a button sequence for a specific model

Do not guess. HP documents different reset and wireless procedures across product families. Find the model number on the printer label or in its information menu, then use the model-specific instructions linked from HP’s Wi‑Fi setup page. The AirPrint guidance also directs readers to check the individual printer’s wireless setup options.

Smart Tank supplies: only for compatible tank models

Ink bottles are not a universal supply for every HP inkjet. If the printer is one of the Smart Tank families covered by HP’s HP Smart Tank Printers – First time printer setup instructions, HP says to use official HP ink bottles and to match the bottle’s ink code to the tank’s requirement. Confirm the exact Smart Tank model and ink code before filling a tank. Cartridge-based DeskJet or OfficeJet printers need their specified cartridges instead.

What a successful setup looks like

  • The printer’s wireless status shows the intended network, not an old router or a temporary direct connection.
  • The HP app lists the printer as ready and can retrieve its status.
  • A short test page prints from the HP app.
  • On iPhone or iPad, the printer appears in the system Print sheet when both devices are on the same Wi‑Fi network.
  • The printer remains reachable after the phone leaves the setup screen and returns to the normal home network.

If all five checks pass, the printer is configured for ordinary phone printing. Keep the model number and the correct HP support page bookmarked; they are the quickest way to recover if a router change later requires Wi‑Fi setup mode again.

Quick Recap

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$49.99

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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