HP Smart Reports Instant Ink printer offline when in fact it is connected to a working WiFI

[BlueBozo]

Message on printer console: A problem has occurred with your HP account and you will be unable to print very soon unless the issue is resolved.

A check on my HP Smart account: the printer is there, but is reported as unconnected. The account is being billed for my Instant Ink Plan without any problems (that is, payment method is ok). So, I assume that the "problem" with my account is that the printer can not be reached on the network. I further assume that this is a problem because of my Instant Ink subscription.

I believed that this problem was created because I turned off the printer while on a recent 2 month vacation.

Question is: how do I make the printer reconnect (so that HP can see it) without killing the record of the Instance Ink plan on the printer?

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @BlueBozo,

Welcome to the HP Support Community! 

It sounds like your HP printer lost its connection with HP’s Instant Ink servers due to being turned off for an extended period. Since your subscription is active but the printer is offline, you need to re-establish communication with HP’s servers while keeping your Instant Ink plan intact.

Try These Steps:

1. Manually Reconnect the Printer to Wi-Fi

• On the printer’s touchscreen, go to:
  Setup → Network Settings → Wireless Setup Wizard
• Select your Wi-Fi network and reconnect using your Wi-Fi password.

Once reconnected, check if the printer appears online in your HP Smart account.

2. Restart Your Printer & Router

• Turn off the printer and unplug it from power.
• Restart your router and wait 2 minutes.
• Plug the printer back in and turn it on.
• Check if the printer appears online in HP Smart.

3. Reconnect the Printer in HP Smart

• Open the HP Smart app on your PC or phone.
• Remove the printer (if it shows as offline).
• Click Add Printer and follow the steps to reconnect it.

Note: If prompted, log in to your HP account again to sync Instant Ink.

4. Reactivate Instant Ink Services

If your Instant Ink plan got paused due to disconnection, reactivate it:

• Go to HP Instant Ink Account
• Check for any messages related to reactivation.
• If needed, follow the steps to resync your printer.

5. Factory Reset the Printer (Last Resort)

If nothing works, reset the printer to factory defaults:

• Setup → Printer Maintenance → Restore Factory Defaults.
• Reconnect to Wi-Fi and log into HP Smart again.

Try these steps and let me know if your printer reconnects! 😊

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?"—your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,