HP instant ink - weird text in profile

[Liron]

When I log into the HP Instant Ink website (actually HP Smart) and click on my profile icon at the top right of the page, something appears that I don't know what it is or how to view or change it.

Under my name, my e-mail address and the link for the account profile, there is a head icon, a string saying "Person..." and a bunch of random looking text, followed by more random looking text in parentheses, and a tick.  If my move my mouse over the text, it expands to "Personal_" followed by random looking characters, and under it are a bunch of what look like hexadecimal strings separated by dashes and enclosed in parentheses.

I can't find anything about this in the settings.

What is all this and how do I configure or remove it?

[zoey7886]

@Liron, Welcome to the HP Support Community!  

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding Instant Ink Profile Issue! 

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.  

It sounds like you are experiencing an issue with the HP Instant Ink or HP Smart website where unknown text appears under your profile section. Here's how you can address this issue:

Clear Your Browser Cache: Sometimes browser cache can cause display issues. Try clearing your browser cache and cookies:

• In most web browsers, you can open a dialog to clear browsing data by pressing Ctrl-Shift-Delete (Windows) or Command-Shift-Delete (macOS).
• Close all browser windows after clearing the cache.

Use Incognito/Private Browsing Mode: Try accessing the HP Instant Ink website in Incognito Mode (Chrome), Private Browsing (Firefox), or InPrivate Browsing (Edge):

• Open the browser menu (usually three dots or lines at the top right) and select the option for Incognito or Private Browsing.

Change Browser: Switch to a different browser such as Google Chrome, Safari, or Microsoft Edge. Sometimes certain browsers may have compatibility issues.

Update Your Browser: Ensure your browser is updated to the latest version. Outdated browsers can cause display problems.  

Hope this helps! 

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards, 

[Liron]

Hi Zoey7886,

I tried:

* deleting browsing files and images

* deleting cookies involved with the site,

* restarting the browser,

* logging out and in from my HP account

* Logging in from an incognito/inprivate type browser

* Logging in using Firefox, Chrome and Edge (non incognito type browser)

None of that made a difference.

Additionally, for the hpsmart.com website, I found that Google Chrome was treating some hpconnected.com cookies like 3rd party cookies and blocking them (my browser was set to not accept 3rd party cookies).  I allowed hpsmart.com to accept 3rd party cookies, then deleted those hpconnected.com cookies that were there.  Didn't help.  BTW: Those hpconnected.com cookie did not reappear.

I also temporarily allowed 3rd party cookies for all sites but that didn't help either.

All browsers were latest or recent (within a week) version.  Updating Chrome to the latest version didn't help.

[zoey7886]

@Liron, Thanks for sticking with this and for the clear steps you’ve already taken — it really helps narrow things down. That odd-looking “Personal_...” string and hex text under your profile isn’t expected behavior, and while it may look like a debug or internal reference, let’s try a few more advanced things before escalating.

Here’s what you can try next:

Check for Extensions Interfering

Sometimes browser extensions (especially ad blockers, script blockers, or password managers) can interfere with how a page loads or displays.

Try disabling all browser extensions temporarily.

Reload the page and see if the weird string disappears.

If it works, re-enable extensions one by one to find the culprit.

Flush DNS + Clear Local Storage

Even though you’ve cleared cookies/cache, some local storage or DNS entries can linger.

Flush your DNS:

On Windows:
Press Win + R, type cmd, then run this command:
ipconfig /flushdns

Clear local storage:

Open the HP Smart website.

Press F12 to open Developer Tools.

Go to Application tab > Expand Storage > Clear Local Storage and Session Storage for the site.

Refresh the page.

Try a Different Network

Sometimes the issue can be tied to cached DNS or firewall settings on your home Wi-Fi:

Try logging into the HP Smart site using a mobile hotspot or a completely different network (like your workplace or a friend’s connection).

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards, 

[Liron]

Hi Zoey7886.

I tried your suggestions but they didn't make a difference.

[Liron]

I also tried on a completely different device (iPhone with iOS 18.5) and had the same problem there too.

[zoey7886]

@Liron,  Welcome to the HP Support Community! 

We're here to help you tackle that HP Instant Ink issue! Don't worry, we've got your back! 

To get you the best assistance, we need to take this conversation to a private chat. We're inviting you to a private message to protect your privacy and ensure that any sensitive information remains confidential. 

To access your private message, just click the little blue envelope icon on the upper right corner of your HP Community profile, next to your profile name.  

We're looking forward to helping you resolve this issue! 

Stay tuned, and thanks for your patience! 

Regards,