How to Reset the Ink Levels on an HP Cartridge

It can be frustrating when you’re trying to print an important document and the printer isn’t cooperating with you. A common issue that often stops your printer from working is an inaccurate ink level status – even after you’ve just refilled your ink. HP printers store the cartridges’ serial numbers in the printer’s internal memory, so sometimes when the same cartridges are refilled, the printer doesn’t recognise them as full cartridges. 

If you’ve just replaced your old HP cartridges with new ones, several reasons may cause an error upon the installation. Your HP printer may not recognise the ink cartridges due to improper placement or dirty connections, so it reads full cartridges as empty cartridges instead. This error may also lead you to replace or refill the cartridges too early when they actually haven’t run out of ink. If this is the case, you can also try double-checking the remaining ink levels in your cartridges on your computer for a manual HP printer ink level reset.

This is a common issue for users asking how to reset an HP ink cartridge without replacing a fully functional one. Luckily, you can follow a few simple steps to get your printer back to working in no time.

How to reset an HP printer cartridge

Step 1 — Remove the HP cartridges

Take out both the black and colour cartridges from your HP printer. 

Step 2 — Power cycle the printer

Turn on your printer and wait for 20 seconds before turning it off. Try repeating this step at least five times to erase the HP cartridge identification information from the printer’s memory. It’s recommended to do this five times because HP printers usually store the identification of the last five ink cartridges that were used. 

Step 3 — Reinsert the cartridges and test

Put the black and colour cartridges back inside the printer. Print a test page to ensure that everything has been set correctly. 

These steps are useful if you’re wondering how to reset an HP printer cartridge or if your HP printer ink level reset hasn’t worked through software alone. Other popular tricks you can try are simply unplugging the power cord and plugging it back on or cleaning the cartridges with an alcohol wipe.

FAQs

Is it hard to reinstall ink cartridges on an HP printer?

Most printers in the market today utilise easy steps to reinstall the ink cartridges. You can simply open your printer’s top cover, open the ink cartridge housing and place the cartridges in the correct spots based on the labels. If you’re not sure how to insert an ink cartridge in an HP printer, always refer to the user manual that came with your device.

Why is my printer unable to recognise new ink cartridges?

It is unlikely to be a mistake from the manufacturer. In most cases, the error message is usually caused by a cartridge that hasn’t been appropriately placed in its designated slot or is not fully clicked into position. This can prevent the printer from detecting the cartridge properly.

There’s also a possibility that you’ve gotten incompatible cartridges that aren’t designed to fit your printer model. Always double-check the cartridge number against your printer’s specifications and if you’re using third-party or refilled cartridges, make sure they are recognised as compatible by your printer.

If you’re still experiencing issues, consider following the steps for how to reset an HP ink cartridge to clear the error.

Why am I still getting a ‘Low on Ink’ display message after refilling the ink cartridges?

If you’ve opted for refilled cartridges instead of the disposable ones, the message is probably inaccurate. However, you can simply ignore it or follow the instructions above if you face difficulties with printing. These steps are ideal if you’re unsure how to reset the HP cartridge ink level or remove persistent warning messages from your display.