How to Connect Your HP Printer to Your Phone

The fastest way to print from your phone to an HP printer

You can print from your phone to an HP printer using either the HP Smart app or your phone's built-in printing system. The HP Smart app works with almost all HP printers made in the last five years and is the most reliable route. Both your phone and printer need to be on the same Wi-Fi network — they do not need to be plugged into each other with a cable.

The whole process takes about five minutes the first time. After that, printing is one or two taps away. If your printer is older or does not have Wi-Fi, you can still print using a USB cable and a special adapter, though this is slower and less convenient.

Key Takeaways

Download the HP Smart app on your phone, then sign in with a free HP account or skip the sign-in to use the app without an account.
Your phone and printer must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network for wireless printing to work.
Once the app finds your printer, you can print photos, documents, and web pages directly from your phone in seconds.
If your printer does not have Wi-Fi, you can connect it to your phone using a USB cable and an adapter that matches your phone type.
The HP Smart app also lets you scan documents from your printer back to your phone without using a computer.

Setting up the HP Smart app on your phone

Start by downloading the HP Smart app from the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android). The app is free. Open it and you will see a screen asking you to sign in or continue as a guest. You can create a free HP account if you want to save your printer settings across devices, but signing in is not required to print — you can tap "Continue as Guest" and start printing right away.

After you open the app, it will ask permission to access your phone's photos, documents, and location. Grant these permissions so the app can find your printer on your Wi-Fi network and let you print from your files. If you skip these permissions, the app will still work but may not find your printer automatically.

Connecting your printer to the same Wi-Fi network

Your printer and phone must be on the same Wi-Fi network. Check your printer's display screen or control panel — most HP printers show which network they are connected to. If your printer is not yet on Wi-Fi, use the printer's buttons or touchscreen to go to Settings, then Network or Wi-Fi, and select your home network. You will need to enter your Wi-Fi password.

If your printer does not have a display screen, look for a Wi-Fi button on the printer itself — usually marked with a Wi-Fi symbol. Press and hold it for a few seconds until a light blinks. Then go to your phone's Wi-Fi settings and look for a network name that starts with "HP-" or "HPSETUP-". Connect to that temporary network, and your phone will walk you through connecting the printer to your real Wi-Fi.

Once both devices are on the same network, open the HP Smart app again. It should find your printer automatically within 10 to 30 seconds. If it does not, tap the plus sign or "Add Printer" button and search for your printer by name or model number.

Printing a document or photo from your phone

Open the photo, document, or web page you want to print. Look for a share button or menu icon (usually three dots or lines). Tap it and look for a "Print" option. If you do not see Print, tap "More" or "Share" to find it. When you tap Print, your phone will show a list of printers — select your HP printer from the list.

A print preview will appear showing how many pages you are printing and what size paper the printer will use. You can change the number of copies, choose color or black-and-white, and select single or double-sided printing. Once you are happy with the settings, tap the print button. Your printer will start printing within a few seconds.

If you are using the HP Smart app itself to print, open the app, tap the plus sign at the bottom, and select "Print Document" or "Print Photo". Choose the file from your phone, adjust the settings, and tap Print.

Printing using the HP Smart app directly

The HP Smart app has its own print feature that does not require you to open another app first. Open HP Smart, tap the plus button at the bottom of the screen, and select "Print Document" or "Print Photo". Browse to the file on your phone that you want to print. You can print photos from your camera roll, PDFs from your downloads folder, or documents from cloud storage like Google Drive or OneDrive if you have linked those accounts to your phone.

After you select the file, you will see a preview of how it will print. Adjust the number of copies, paper size, and color settings. Then tap the print icon. The app will send the job to your printer, and printing will start in seconds. You can print multiple files one after another without closing the app.

Troubleshooting when your phone will not find the printer

If the HP Smart app cannot find your printer, the most common reason is that your phone and printer are not on the same Wi-Fi network. Check your phone's Wi-Fi settings and confirm you are connected to your home network. Then check your printer's network settings and make sure it is on the same network. If your printer shows a different network name, reconnect it to your home Wi-Fi.

If both devices are on the same network and the app still cannot find the printer, restart both devices. Turn off your printer completely, wait 10 seconds, and turn it back on. Then close the HP Smart app on your phone and reopen it. This clears temporary connection problems that sometimes prevent the app from seeing the printer.

If your printer is very old (more than 10 years), it may not be compatible with the HP Smart app. Check the model number on the back or bottom of your printer and search "HP [model number] Smart app compatibility" online. If your printer is not compatible, you can still print using your phone's built-in printing system if your printer supports AirPrint (iPhone) or Google Cloud Print (Android), though these are less reliable than the HP Smart app.

Printing from an older HP printer without Wi-Fi

If your HP printer does not have Wi-Fi, you can connect it to your phone using a USB cable and an adapter. For iPhone, you need a Lightning-to-USB adapter (or USB-C adapter if you have a newer iPhone). For Android, you need a USB-C-to-USB adapter or a Micro-USB adapter depending on your phone model. These adapters cost between $10 and $20 and are available at most electronics stores.

Plug the USB cable into your printer, then plug the other end into the adapter, then plug the adapter into your phone. Your phone should recognize the printer automatically. Open the HP Smart app or your phone's print menu, and your printer should appear in the list. This method is slower than Wi-Fi printing and you have to physically connect the cable each time, but it works with almost any HP printer that has a USB port.

Scanning documents from your printer back to your phone

The HP Smart app also lets you scan documents using your printer's scanner and save them to your phone. Open the HP Smart app, tap the plus button, and select "Scan". Place your document face-down on your printer's glass or in the automatic feeder. The app will send a scan command to your printer, and the scanned image will appear on your phone within a few seconds.

You can save the scan as a PDF or image file, and the app will store it in your phone's files or in cloud storage. This is useful for scanning receipts, contracts, or handwritten notes without needing a computer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to create an HP account to print from my phone?

No. You can tap "Continue as Guest" when you open the HP Smart app and start printing right away. Creating an account is optional and only useful if you want to save your printer settings or print remotely from outside your home network.

Can I print from my phone if my printer is in another room?

Yes, as long as both your phone and printer are on the same Wi-Fi network. They do not need to be close to each other. The Wi-Fi signal will reach them both as long as they are within your home or office network range.

What if my printer keeps disconnecting from Wi-Fi?

Move your printer closer to your Wi-Fi router if possible, or move the router closer to the printer. Walls and distance weaken Wi-Fi signals. If the printer still disconnects, restart your router by unplugging it for 10 seconds, then plug it back in and wait for it to fully restart before reconnecting your printer.

Can I print from my phone without the HP Smart app?

Yes. If your printer supports AirPrint (iPhone) or Google Cloud Print (Android), you can use your phone's built-in print feature. Open the document or photo, tap Share or the menu icon, select Print, and choose your printer. This works but is less reliable than the HP Smart app and does not support all HP printer models.

Why is my printer printing blank pages?

Check that your printer has paper in the tray and that the paper is loaded correctly. Also check that your printer has ink or toner. If the printer has supplies but still prints blank, the print head may be clogged. Use your printer's maintenance menu to run a cleaning cycle, which usually takes a few minutes.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.