HP Tango: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the HP Tango right for you?

The Tango was HP's experiment in a smartphone-first printer: a slim box with no screen, no USB port and no scanner, where copying means photographing a page with the HP Smart app. It looks good on a shelf and prints quietly, but the 50-sheet tray, manual duplex and pricey HP 64 cartridges limit it to very light use. Because it depends completely on Wi-Fi and the app, a router change or an app update can leave it unusable until it is set up again.

Best for: Design-conscious homes that print a few pages a week from a phone

Setting up the HP Tango

Setup only works through HP Smart with Bluetooth enabled; hold the button on the back until the light pulses blue to enter setup mode. The Tango supports 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks, but it must be on the same network as your phone because there is no cable fallback. If it vanishes from the app after a router reset, repeat the button hold and run Add Printer again.

1. Unbox and prepare. Remove every piece of shipping tape and packing material, install the ink cartridges, and load paper in the tray.
2. Join your Wi-Fi. Keep the printer close to the router for setup. Most printers only connect to the 2.4GHz band, so if your router broadcasts one merged network name you may need to split the bands temporarily. See our Wi-Fi guide if it will not join.
3. Install the setup app. Use HP's official app rather than a driver you found on a search result — third-party driver sites are the most common source of printer malware.
4. Add the printer. On Windows 11: Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners › Add device. On macOS: System Settings › Printers & Scanners › Add Printer.
5. Print a test page and run a scan if this is an all-in-one, so you find any problem now rather than when you are in a hurry.

Ink, toner and supplies

The HP Tango uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• HP 64 Black
• HP 64 Tri-color
• HP 64XL high-yield
• HP 303 (UK/EU)

High-yield (XL) versions almost always cost less per page if you print regularly. On third-party ink and toner, read our honest assessment first, and note that some manufacturers push firmware that rejects non-original chips.

Full specifications