HP Smart (the HP app) Download and Setup Guide
HP's official setup, printing, scanning and ink app for home and small-office printers
Representative photo — Achim Raschka CC BY-SA 4.0
HP Smart is the app HP now uses for almost everything a home or small-office printer owner needs to do: first-time setup, connecting the printer to Wi-Fi, installing the print driver, scanning, checking ink levels and ordering supplies. On Windows and macOS it replaced the old bundled software suites and the separate HP Scan application, and it downloads the correct driver for your model rather than shipping one giant package. On phones and tablets it is the way to print and scan without a computer. If your printer is an HP+ model, HP Smart is not optional, because HP+ activation happens inside the app.
Version and licence: Free. HP has started branding it simply as the HP app. It is required to set up HP+ printers, and HP+ needs an HP account plus a permanent internet connection and locks the printer to Original HP cartridges. About 150 MB on Windows.
Download HP Smart (the HP app)
What it does
- Guided first-time setup, including joining the printer to a Wi-Fi network
- Downloads and installs the correct print driver for your specific model
- Scan from the flatbed or feeder, or use the phone camera as a scanner, and save to PDF or JPEG
- Ink and toner level display with reorder links and Instant Ink enrolment
- Mobile fax, shortcuts and simple document editing on supported models
- Printer diagnostics, firmware updates and access to the printer's advanced settings
- Print from cloud storage such as Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive
How to install it
Step 1
Turn the printer on and make sure it is near the router; if it is brand new leave it in setup mode with the wireless light flashing.
Step 2
On Windows open the Microsoft Store, search for HP Smart and choose Get; on macOS use the Mac App Store; on a phone use the App Store or Google Play.
Step 3
Open the app and sign in or create an HP account. This step is mandatory for HP+ printers and optional for everything else.
Step 4
Choose Add Printer or the plus sign. The app scans the local network and lists printers it can see.
Step 5
Pick your model. If it is not listed, choose Set up a new printer and follow the prompts to hand your Wi-Fi name and password to the printer.
Step 6
Let the app download the print driver and any firmware update. Do not unplug the printer during this stage.
Step 7
Print the test page it offers, then open Scan once so the app can register the scan components.
Which printers it supports
Covers current and recent consumer and small-office HP lines including DeskJet, DeskJet Plus, ENVY, ENVY Inspire, OfficeJet and OfficeJet Pro, Smart Tank, Tango, and LaserJet and LaserJet Pro single-function and all-in-one models. Very old printers and most enterprise LaserJet Enterprise devices are not supported and use a full-feature driver or the Universal Print Driver instead.
When HP Smart (the HP app) will not work
The computer or phone must be on the same network and, on many home routers, the same 2.4 GHz band as the printer. Turn off any VPN, print a Network Configuration page from the printer's panel to confirm it actually has an IP address, and then use Add Printer and enter that IP manually if discovery still fails.
This generic error usually means the app cannot reach HP's servers or the local session is stale. Sign out of your HP account, close the app completely, reopen it and sign back in. If it persists, uninstall and reinstall the app, and check that no firewall or content filter is blocking hp.com.
Move the printer within a few metres of the router for setup. Restore network defaults from the printer panel under Wireless or Restore Settings, then start setup again. Networks that hide the SSID or use enterprise 802.1X logins will not work with the standard flow.
Scanning needs the printer added as a scan device, not only as a printer. Remove the printer from HP Smart and re-add it, and on Windows check that the printer also appears in Settings, Bluetooth and devices, Printers and scanners. A USB-connected printer must be plugged in directly rather than through a hub.
This is by design and cannot be turned off after activation. HP+ printers accept only Original HP cartridges for the life of the printer. During the first setup you are offered the choice of activating HP+ or not, and declining it is the only opportunity to avoid the restriction.
Printers that use HP Smart (the HP app)
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to create an HP account?
Only for HP+ printers, where the account is part of activation. For every other HP printer you can skip the sign-in and still set up, print and scan.
Is HP Smart the same as the old HP printer software?
It replaces it. The old full-feature driver suites and the separate HP Scan app are no longer offered for most current models, although some business models still have a traditional driver download.
Does HP Smart work without an internet connection?
Once set up, printing and scanning over your local network work offline. HP+ printers are the exception, because they stop printing if they lose internet access for an extended period.
Can I use HP Smart on ChromeOS?
There is no ChromeOS build. Chromebooks print to HP printers using the built-in ChromeOS printing support with IPP or Mopria.
Questions & comments (0)
No comments yet. Describe your printer model, operating system and the exact message you see; comments appear after review.
Ask about this page
Your comment appears after our team approves it. Or sign in to post faster.