Setting up an HP printer to use with your Chromebook [Video]

Chromebooks and printing have a historically painful relationship. More specifically, users finding a printer that works with Chrome OS and configuring it has always been one of the biggest obstacles for Chromebook owners. For years, this has meant finding a printer compatible with Google Cloud Print or setting up a second computer as a print server for your Chromebook. Unfortunately, (or fortunately, if you know what we know) Google Cloud Print will soon be gone. As of December 31, 2020, Google’s wireless printing protocol will be phased out and this has left many Chromebook users confused as they struggle to find a viable printing alternative.

Fortunately, printing on Chrome OS has come a long way in the past two years. In some cases, setting up a wireless printer and using it with a Chromebook is actually easier than other operating systems. This is partly due to the fact that Chromebooks do not need to download drivers or install applications to access network printers. Today, let’s take a look at how easy it is to set up an HP all-in-one printer on your wireless network with just your smartphone. Once we’re done, your Chromebook will automatically see the printer and you’ll be able to print without any extra apps, extensions or plug-ins. Check out this video to see how this is done.

Set up an HP All-in-One printer for your Chromebook

From start to finish, this entire process takes less than five minutes, and once completed, your HP printer should appear on the devices available in your Chromebook’s settings. All of this is done from the HP Smart app on your phone. You can get it for free at 123.hp.com. There is also a Windows and macOS version of the HP Smart application if you prefer to use another computer to set up the printer. Keep in mind that there is no comprehensive printing solution for Chrome OS at this time. I tested and used half a dozen HP consumer models that work perfectly with Chrome OS after being set up on the wireless network. That said, you can find an HP printer that doesn’t work well with the HP Smart app. If that’s the case, you can try the HP Print for Chrome extension and chances are it will give your Chromebook access to the wireless printer.

In the video, I used the HP Envy Pro 6455 All-in-One, but this method works for low-cost 2000 series printers and also for HP 3000 series printers. To find your specific printer and what protocols it supports, go to this support page at HP. I think you’ll find that most high-end HP printers work with HP Smart or the HP Chrome extension.

If you have a new HP printer or if you recently reset it, install the HP Smart app on your mobile device and make sure your phone is connected to the wi-fi to which you want to connect the printer. Open the HP Smart application and click “set up a new printer”. From there, the application will search for any printer already configured on the network. Click the “+ Add printer” button and search for your new printer or restart the printer. The model number may not be exactly the same as the actual printer, but it should be similar, as there are several models in the HP device family. For our HP, the application displayed HP 6400. Click on your model and you will be asked to confirm the wireless network and password, if any.

Setup should take no more than a minute or two, and once completed, you may be asked to connect an HP account for things like HP instant ink or other services. You can do this at your discretion or just skip this step and your printer is ready to use. Now, when accessing the printer settings on the Chromebook, you will see the new printer ready for use. You can click the Save button next to the printer and it will now be displayed as an option whenever you choose to print from your device. Note: If your printer does not appear in the HP Smart application, you may need to put it into configuration mode. For information on this, see the HP website and find the manual for your specific printer. For my $ 60 HP 2652, I just had to press the wireless button on the control panel and the app found it.

I hope this quick tutorial will help you get started with a new printer and put an end to any fears you may have now that Google Cloud Print is leaving. We found that many printers from Epson, Canon and Brother work just as well with Chrome OS. All you need to do is make sure that they are set up on your wireless network, on your Chromebook you will simply see them and you will be able to print easily. If you’re having trouble configuring your specific printer, leave a comment below and we’ll see if we can help you solve the problems. Cheers.

HP Smart app for Android and iOS