What to do when my printer says “ Cartridge can only be used in printer that initially installed it”

[Unhappiest]

We have two printers both enrolled in Instant Ink.  My husband installed the cartridges for my printer in his and now neither printer will accept the cartridges.  What do I do?  I have two sets of cartridges like this (and a husband in the doghouse).  Help!

[Sneha_01]

Hi @Unhappiest 

Welcome to HP Support Community.

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

Oh no, sounds like you’ve got a bit of a cartridge conundrum! This error happens because many HP Instant Ink cartridges are tied to a specific printer for security and to ensure they're being used in the correct machine. Since your husband swapped the cartridges between printers, they now can't be used in the other printer.

Here's what you can do to fix the issue:

1. Check the Cartridges

• Verify which cartridges are in which printer. If the cartridges were swapped between your printer and your husband's printer, both printers may think the cartridges are incompatible.
• Look at the printer's display or the HP Smart app for more details about the error message, but generally, HP Instant Ink cartridges are locked to the printer they were originally activated in.

2. Reinstall Cartridges in the Correct Printer

• Reinstall the cartridges in the printer they were originally activated for. That is, put the cartridges back in the printer they were first installed in.
• Turn off the printer and unplug it for about 1 minute, then plug it back in and power it on. After doing this, reinsert the cartridges carefully.

3. Reactivate Instant Ink

• After the cartridges are in the correct printer, they may need to be reactivated via the HP Instant Ink program. You can do this in a couple of ways:
  • Through the HP Smart app or by going to the HP Instant Ink website to manage your Instant Ink subscription.
  • Log in to your Instant Ink account and re-enroll the printer with the correct set of cartridges.

4. Reset the Printer (if necessary)

• If you're still seeing the error after reinstalling the cartridges in the correct printer, try a hard reset:
  1. Turn off the printer and unplug it from the power source.
  2. Wait for 1 minute, then plug it back in.
  3. Turn the printer back on and check if the cartridges are recognized.

I hope this helps.

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