Report updated Apr 18, 2026

HP is a challenged productivity app that is free with in-app purchases. With a 4.6/5 rating from 4.9M reviews, it faces significant user friction. Users particularly appreciate mobile convenience, though app stability and loading remains a common concern.

What is HP?

The HP app (formerly HP Smart) is a centralized productivity hub for managing HP's hardware ecosystem, including printers, PCs, and accessories. It leverages a massive install base of nearly 5 million users to drive a freemium model centered on hardware lock-in and supply subscriptions. While its 'Unified Device Management' is a key differentiator, the app is currently suffering from significant stability issues and user resentment regarding mandatory account requirements and subscription-linked hardware functionality.

Current Momentum

v20.2 · 1mo ago

Steady

The HP app rebranded from HP Smart, expanding support to include laptops, desktops, and peripherals. This major redesign was released across platforms between December 2025 and March 2026.

Active Nemesis

Adobe Scan: PDF & OCR Scanner

Adobe Scan: PDF & OCR Scanner

By Adobe

Other Rivals

iScanner: PDF Document Scanner
Scanner Pro・Scan PDF Documents
Genius Scan Enterprise - PDF
PDF Scanner App: TapScanner

7-Day Rank Pulse 🇺🇸

Productivity
#23
1

Rating Pulse 🇺🇸

Recent User Mood

What makes this app unique?

What Does It Look Like?

What Are The Key Features?

Unified Device ManagementDifferentiator

Centralized dashboard to manage printers, laptops, desktops, and accessories in one place

Smart Scanning & OCRDifferentiator

Automatically correct images, flatten pages, and extract text from scanned documents

HP PrintablesDifferentiator

Access to a library of cards, coloring pages, and educational worksheets for personal use

Guided SetupStandard

Step-by-step installation process for new HP hardware

Supply MonitoringStandard

Real-time notifications for low ink or paper levels with integrated ordering

How much does it cost?

Freemium
  • Free core functionality
  • HP+ subscription (requires Original HP ink)

The app functions as a retention tool for HP's hardware ecosystem, driving recurring revenue through the Instant Ink subscription and supply replenishment.

What do users think recently?

High confidence · Latest 100 of 4.9M total reviews analyzed

How did the latest release land?

Overall
4.6/ 5
(4.9M)
Current version
4.7/ 5
+0.1 vs overall
(4.1M)
Main signal post-update: mobile Convenience.

What is the recent mood?

Frustrated

Recent user voice shows a frustrated sentiment. Users appreciate mobile convenience, but report app stability and loading and connectivity failures.

What Users Love

Mobile Convenience

What Frustrates Users

App Stability and Loading
Connectivity Failures
Subscription and Account Barriers

View the full user-sentiment analysis

Mood gauge, ratings & review-volume history, every praise / complaint / request, and sentiment over time.

Go deeper

What is the competitive landscape for HP?

Where is it available?

Localized markets (12)

United StatesBrazilGermanySpainFranceItalyJapanSouth KoreaMexicoNetherlandsPortugalSweden

How's The Productivity Market?

How does it evolve in the Productivity market?

Rank progression

85 active rankings tracked — 30-day window

The rivals identified

The outtake for HP

Strengths to defend, gaps to attack

Core Strengths

  • Massive install base (4.9M+ ratings)
  • Unified management of both PC and Print hardware
  • Direct hardware-to-app supply monitoring

Critical Frictions

  • Critical stability regressions (white screen bug)
  • High friction due to mandatory account creation
  • Poor WiFi/connectivity handshake reliability

Growth Levers

  • AI-driven image cleanup (shadow/stain removal) to compete with Adobe Scan
  • MDM support for enterprise deployment (Genius Scan gap)
  • Automation macros/workflows for power users (Scanner Pro gap)

Market Threats

  • Software-only scanners (Adobe Scan) capturing professional users
  • High-velocity competitors (TapScanner) iterating faster on PDF tools
  • User exodus due to perceived predatory subscription models

What are the next best moves?

high

Resolve 'White Screen' and Infinite Loading regression

This is the top complaint theme and a P0 blocker that renders the app useless for a significant segment of the user base.

medium

Implement a 'Guest Mode' for basic local printing

Users describe the mandatory account requirement as 'insane'; removing this friction for basic tasks would improve sentiment and reduce churn.

medium

Develop AI-based document cleanup tools

Adobe Scan (Nemesis) currently differentiates with AI tools to remove fingers and stains, a capability HP's basic adjustments lack.

Feature Gaps vs Competitors

  • AI-driven 'Cleanup' tool for removing stains/fingers (available in Adobe Scan)
  • Smart Workflows/Macros for automated renaming and uploading (available in Scanner Pro)
  • Mobile Device Management (MDM) for enterprise fleets (available in Genius Scan)
  • On-device full-text search across scan library (available in Scanner Pro)

Key Takeaways

HP is successfully expanding its ecosystem footprint by rebranding into a unified device manager, but this strategy is currently undermined by a critical stability crisis. If I were the PM, I would pause feature expansion to fix the 'white screen' regression and the WiFi handshake reliability, as these core failures are driving the 'Upset' sentiment and threatening the hardware-lock-in strategy.

Where Is It Heading?

Declining

Recent updates have introduced a 'white screen' loading bug, leading to an 'Upset' user mood.

Category ranking has dropped (↓3) to #20 in the US Productivity chart.

Rebranding to 'HP app' indicates active investment in ecosystem expansion, but stability is not keeping pace.

Disclosure: Independent intel to help mobile builders succeed.

AI-powered analysis with editorial review, built from publicly available sources. Marlvel.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by HP, its developer, the app publisher, Apple, or Google Play. All trademarks, logos, and screenshots referenced remain the property of their respective owners.

What's new

The app has rebranded and expanded its scope to a unified ecosystem hub, but is experiencing a significant decline in user sentiment due to stability issues and aggressive subscription-based friction.

shifted

Rebranding to Unified Ecosystem Hub

declined

Sentiment Shift to Negative

shifted

Formalization of Freemium Model

improved

Elevation of Device Management

shifted

Broadened Target Audience

Cite this report

Marlvel.ai. “HP Intelligence Report.” Updated Apr 18, 2026. https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-hp-printer-control

Agent Markdown (.md)See methodologyContact support

Data licensed under CC-BY-NC 4.0