To fix an SMTP gateway not responding error on an HP printer, restore its network connection, correct the outgoing email settings, and use the authentication your email provider requires. Run the printer’s email test after saving the profile. HP’s menus vary by model, so use the path that matches your printer’s interface.
The short version
- Check connectivity: Reconnect the printer if it has lost its network connection.
- Correct the profile: Match the server, port, encryption, and credentials to your email provider’s requirements.
- Check authentication: Eligible Gmail accounts can use app passwords, while certain LaserJet Pro models need another provider for free Outlook.com accounts.
- Send another way: Scan with the HP app and share the file through your configured email app when direct SMTP still fails.
| Fix | When to use it | What to change |
|---|---|---|
| Reconnect the printer | The network connection is lost | Use the supported wireless setup procedure |
| Correct the newer EWS profile | Your printer shows General and Email Servers | Enter provider settings and test the profile |
| Correct the classic EWS profile | Your LaserJet Pro shows System and Scan | Enable Scan to Email and configure an outgoing profile |
| Use the EWS home page | Your LaserJet Pro shows Scan to Email there | Correct Outgoing Email Settings and apply |
| Use HP Printer Assistant | Your Windows software includes the email wizard | Configure the sender and authentication, then test |
| Correct Gmail authentication | Your account is eligible for app passwords | Use an app password with matching server and encryption settings |
| Change the sending provider | An affected LaserJet Pro uses free Outlook.com | Configure a supported provider |
| Power reset the printer | The corrected profile still fails | Disconnect power for 60 seconds and retry |
| Recreate the stored account | Your printer exposes email account controls | Remove the configuration and add it again |
| Update through the app or EWS | Your printer offers browser update controls | Check for an update and keep power connected |
| Update from the touchscreen | Your connected printer has an update menu | Use the firmware path shown on your model |
| Download a firmware updater | HP offers a compatible download | Select the exact model and operating system |
| Share through an email app | You need another way to send | Scan and share through your configured email account |
Restore the printer’s network connection
Start by confirming that the printer is connected to your network. On a touchscreen printer that has lost its connection, open Setup, Network, or Wireless settings, then select Wireless Setup Wizard and reconnect. Verify the connection before trying email again.
On compatible button-only models, hold Wireless for five seconds until its light flashes, then initiate WPS on the router within two minutes. Use this procedure only on models that support that button sequence, since HP’s wireless controls vary by printer. Verify the connection before retesting email.
Correct the outgoing email settings
Enter the printer’s IP address in a browser on the same network to open its Embedded Web Server, or EWS. Match the SMTP server, port, encryption, and login details to your sending provider’s requirements. Follow the matching interface below.
On supported OfficeJet Pro 8120/8130, 9120/9130, and 9720/9730 families, and Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301 through 3304, 3388, and 4301 through 4303 models, open General > Email Servers > Add. Choose SMTP server or User-defined email profile. Enter Display Name, Email address, SMTP Server Name, SMTP Port Number, and Maximum Size of Email; feature availability varies by model suffix.
Enable Always Use Secure Connection (SSL/TLS). If the SMTP server or email profile requires authentication, select Server Requires Authentication and enter User Name and Password using credentials supported by your provider. Click Apply. Select the new profile’s checkbox, click the Test icon, then click Test.
For LaserJet Pro MFPs with the classic interface, open System > Administration and set Scan to Email to On under Enabled Features. Next, open Scan > Outgoing Email Profiles > New. Complete Your Email Address, Display Name, SMTP Server, and SMTP Port.
Select Always use secure connection (SSL/TLS) when your provider requires it. If the SMTP server requires authentication, select SMTP server requires authentication for outgoing Email messages and enter SMTP User ID and SMTP Password using provider-supported credentials. Click Save and Test.
If your LaserJet Pro instead has Scan to Email on the EWS home page, click it to open Outgoing Email Settings. Enter the sender and SMTP details, or configure the required individual profiles, then click Apply.
Configure the profile through HP Printer Assistant
On Windows, you can also configure the outgoing profile through HP Printer Assistant if your model’s full HP printer software includes the wizard. Open HP Printer Assistant for your printer, then select Scan > Scan to E-mail Wizard > New. If the wizard is unavailable, HP directs you to the EWS paths above.
Enter Email Address and Display Name, then proceed to 2. Authenticate. Enter SMTP Server and SMTP Port, and select Always use secure connection (SSL/TLS) where required. If the SMTP server requires authentication, select Email Log-in Authentication, then enter User ID and Password.
Continue through 3. Configure and 4. Finish, then click Save and Test, followed by Finish. If authentication still fails, check the provider requirements below before entering the same credentials again.
Use an eligible Gmail app password
For an eligible Gmail account on an HP printer that supports authenticated SMTP, use a Google app password in the printer’s SMTP password field. Enable 2-Step Verification on your Google Account, then open Google’s app password page and create an app password. Enter the generated password in the outgoing profile.
Google’s printer guidance for Google Workspace specifies smtp.gmail.com, with port 465 for SSL or port 587 for TLS. On a printer supporting the required encrypted SMTP connection, enter the complete Google email address as the username and use the eligible app password. Save the settings and run the printer’s email test.
App passwords may be unavailable with Advanced Protection, security-key-only verification, or organizational restrictions. If your account cannot create one, use the HP app’s scan-and-share workflow below with your configured email application. Google’s former less-secure-apps setting cannot restore ordinary username-and-password access.
Resolve the Outlook authentication restriction
If you use a free Outlook.com or Hotmail account with an HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M478 or M479, or LaserJet Pro MFP M428 through M429f, HP identifies an authentication compatibility problem. Those accounts require OAuth, and an Outlook.com app password does not add OAuth support to these printers. An older tutorial that recommends generating an Outlook app password will not resolve that restriction.
Configure an outgoing profile for a supported provider, such as Gmail with an eligible app password. Enter that provider’s server, port, encryption, sender, and authentication details, then test the profile. You can also use the scan-and-share method below to send through your existing email application.
Power reset the printer and refresh the account
When the corrected profile still fails, try a power reset of your HP printer. With the printer turned on, disconnect its power cord and unplug it from the wall, then wait 60 seconds. Reconnect directly to a wall outlet, reconnect the printer, turn it on, and retry a small scan.
If your touchscreen has Scan > Scan to Email > Settings > Email Accounts, you can also recreate the stored account. Deleting the account removes its existing email configuration from the printer. Open that path, delete the existing account, restart the printer, and add it again with current provider credentials.
For printers exposing the corresponding browser controls, HP also describes recreating the configuration through EWS under Scan or Scan to Email Setup. Removing that configuration deletes the existing email setup. Remove it there and recreate it with current credentials; use this route only when your printer exposes those controls.
Install an available firmware update
On supported home and small-business printers, open the HP app, select your printer, and open Advanced Settings, or select Printer Settings > View All > Advanced Settings. In the side-menu interface, open General > Firmware Update. In the top-menu interface, select Printer Update, or open Tools > Printer Updates > Firmware Updates.
Enter the PIN from the printer label if requested, then click Submit. Click Check for Update, followed by Update when an update is offered, and keep the printer powered on during installation. A firmware update does not guarantee that the printer gains OAuth capability.
You can also update from a supported touchscreen when the printer is connected to the internet through Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Use the path shown on your model: Menu > Tools > Maintenance > Firmware; Setup > Printer Maintenance > Update the Printer; or Setup > Tools > Update the printer > Check Now. Keep power connected during installation; this update route does not work through a USB-only connection.
For a compatible downloadable updater, open HP Software and Driver Downloads. Identify the exact printer model and operating system, select Firmware when a compatible download is offered, and follow the updater’s instructions. You can also get the model’s full software package there when you need HP Printer Assistant.
Send the scan through your email app
To send without using the printer’s direct SMTP profile, scan through the HP app and share the file with an email application. This workflow supports compatible HP app installations on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, and your device’s email account must already be configured. Get the app from the official HP app page and add your supported printer.
Open the HP app, select your printer, and choose Scan or Printer Scan, then scan the original. Select Share or Share/Save, choose Basic PDF, and select Share or Share/Save again. Choose Mail or your email app, address the message, and send it. This sends through your device’s email account without repairing the printer’s direct SMTP profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Gmail scanning stop after changing my Google password?
Google revokes existing app passwords when you change your Google Account password. If your printer used one, generate a replacement and enter it in the printer’s SMTP password field.
Can I email a scan using a USB flash drive instead?
Yes, if your HP multifunction printer supports scan to USB. Insert a flash drive into the printer’s walk-up USB port, select the control-panel scan-to-USB option, and save the scan. Attach the saved file using your computer’s email application or webmail.
What should I check if my printer sends email through HP Shortcuts?
On eligible network-connected HP ID/Shortcuts printers, sign into the HP app, select the printer, and open Shortcuts > the settings icon > Printer Access. Set the access period and select Save, then use Scan > Scan to Email on the printer, choose the recipient, and scan. ENVY 6100/6500 and DeskJet Plus 6100/6500 families use Shortcuts for email.
Can I send an email Shortcut from an older supported control panel?
On ENVY Inspire 7200/7200e/7900/7900e and OfficeJet Pro 8020e/8030e/9010/9010e/9020/9020e models, open the HP app, select your printer, then open Shortcuts. Click Enable when Shortcuts Access appears, set the access duration, and click Save, then OK. On the printer, select Shortcuts > New Email Shortcut or an existing shortcut. Configure it, touch Start or Continue, then touch Done to send.