Enrolled in Instant Ink errorr

[VG_1150]

I recently received and error stating Cartridge cannot be used until printer is enrolled in HP instant ink. I am enrolled in Instant Ink and I’ve logged I to my account. I can see my printer I. The HP app and in my instant ink account page where it says I am already enrolled. However it says the printer is offline. The printer is not offline and I reset and reconnected to WiFi. I also rebooted the printer by cycling the power. 

second print cartridge related error in a month that has rendered my printer useless. 

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @VG_1150,

Welcome to HP Support Community.   

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you. 

I would need to know a few details regarding your Instant ink account to help you get the ink cartridges sorted. Since the instant ink account details are confidential, please send me the required information via private message.   

To access your private messages, simply click the private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Support Community profile, next to your profile name. 

You can use this link as well: 

Private Messages - HP Support Community

To locate your account, please provide 

Your registered email address 

Your Instant Ink account ID 

Serial number of your printer enrolled in instant ink 

Confirm your address, 

Take care and have a great day ahead! 

Kuroi_Kenshi

Best Regards,

[VG_1150]

I have sent you a direct message. Did you receive it?

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi,

I see that the printer last communicated with our server on the date of 03/18/2026 at 01:35:26, which is very likely the reason your printer is showing as “offline” in Instant Ink even though it’s already connected to Wi-Fi.

Instant Ink requires the printer to regularly check in with HP’s servers to validate cartridge status.

If the printer hasn’t reported in since March 18, the system assumes it’s offline, even if locally it’s connected and printing.

That mismatch triggers the error message about cartridges not being usable until enrollment is confirmed.

Force a reconnect to HP servers

On the printer, go to Setup > Web Services > Settings.

Turn web services off, then back on.

This forces the printer to re‑register with HP’s cloud.

Check HP App

Open HP Smart, remove the printer, then re‑add it using the printer’s IP address.

Confirm that Web Services and Instant Ink show “Connected.”

Firmware Update

Install the latest firmware for your OfficeJet Pro 8020 series from HP Support.

Kindly refer to this link to update your printer firmware.

Restart your router to clear stale sessions.

Reconnect the printer to Wi‑Fi and verify the blue light is solid.

Even if the printer prints locally, Instant Ink cartridges will stop working until the printer checks in with HP’s servers. That’s why the error persists despite being “connected.”

I hope this helps.

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

Kuroi_Kenshi

[VG_1150]

No. This didn’t help. I did all of theses steps. I’ll note that the first step of going to web services isn’t applicable to my printer but I turned off WiFi direct reset all network settings and reconnected to the my WiFi network. The printer is online. 

I did remove the printer from the hp app and reconnected. That works fine. On the HP smart web pages where I see instant ink account info I am not allowed to remove my printer. It says I have to cancel instant ink do remove the device

Also when I started getting the error message it was in between print jobs. A few pages printed and them moments later another page was sent to the printer and the error popped up. 

This is frustrating…

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @VG_1150,

I understand how frustrating this is, especially since you’ve already tried the recommended steps and the error appeared mid-print job. Thanks for sharing the details, that helps narrow things down.

Here’s what I suggest next:

1. Confirm server check‑in: Since Instant Ink relies on the printer reporting to HP’s servers, if the last check‑in was March 18, the system still sees it as offline. Even if Wi‑Fi is solid, the printer must re‑establish that cloud handshake.

2. Refresh Web Services another way. On some OfficeJet Pro 8020 models, the Web Services menu may not appear. In that case:

Go to Setup > Network Settings > Advanced Settings.

Disable Wi‑Fi Direct and re‑enable regular Wi‑Fi.

Then open HP App > Printer Settings > Web Services and toggle them there.

3. Firmware reinstall Even if you’re on the latest version, reinstalling the firmware package from HP’s support site forces the printer to rebuild its Instant Ink connection.

Kindly refer to this link to update your printer firmware.

You’re correct, you cannot remove the printer from Instant Ink without canceling the plan. But you can remove and re‑add the printer in HP Smart, then run Diagnose & Fix. This often forces a sync between the app and HP’s servers.

I hope this helps

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

Kuroi_Kenshi

[VG_1150]

Nope. Nothing worked. I did a full factory default reset and the same error was the first thing that popped up. 

I was not able reinstall firmware. I read all the links and research the steps myself. There are not really instructions on how to do that as far as I can tell. I was able to download them to a pc and attempt but I couldn’t select the printer. I think the fact that it is up to date is blocking it. Also I can’t actually remove the printer from hp smart. i can remove it from the HP iPhone app but on the go smart portal is where I get the message saying I can’t remove the printer if I have an instant ink account. 

what else should I try?

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @VG_1150,

Welcome to the HP Support Community! 

We're here to help you tackle that malfunction! 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. Alternatively, you can click on this link. 

You can use this link as well: 

Private Messages - HP Support Community

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

Stay tuned, and thanks for your patience! 

Kuroi_Kenshi

Best regards,