Is There a Secret Reset Button on HP Ink Cartridges? (What Actually Works)

Published October 14, 2026. Written by William Elward, founder of Castle Ink.

Quick answer

No. HP ink cartridges don't have a secret reset button, hidden or otherwise. A cartridge is an ink reservoir, a printhead (on most consumer HP cartridges) and a small electronic chip. There is nothing on it to press. The "reset" tricks you see online actually reset the printer (power-cycling it, reseating the cartridge, or tapping OK on a warning), which clears temporary errors but can't refill or "un-empty" a cartridge. If your HP printer is rejecting a cartridge, the real causes are dirty contacts, the wrong cartridge number or region, a full ink estimate on the chip, or firmware blocking a non-HP chip, and each has a specific fix below.

Where did the "secret reset button" idea come from?

It's a mash-up of a few real tricks that got exaggerated as they were shared:

• The printer's own buttons. Older guides, such as a 2016 post from BCH Technologies (BCH), describe pressing OK on the printer's "used or counterfeit cartridge" warning to keep printing, or opening and closing the cartridge door to make some third-party chips re-register. The buttons are on the printer, not the cartridge.
• Power resets. Unplugging the printer for a minute clears many cartridge errors, which made it feel like a "reset."
• Chip workarounds. Some counterfeit cartridges use a sticker-thin extra chip over the contacts that intercepts the printer's check and fakes the ink level, as YouTuber Jay Summet demonstrated in 2024 (Cybernews). That's a hack built into a fake cartridge, not a button you can press on a real one.

What HP cartridge error messages actually mean

HP's own ink help page lists the common messages: "Ink Cartridge Problem," "Ink Cartridge Failure," "Incompatible Ink Cartridges," "Incorrect Ink Cartridge" and "Used or Counterfeit Ink Cartridge Detected" (HP Support). Here's what each usually means:

5 fixes that actually work (in this order)

1. Power reset the printer. With the printer on, unplug the power cord from the back of the printer and the wall, wait 60 seconds, plug it back in and turn it on. This clears temporary cartridge errors. Full steps by model: how to reset an HP printer.
2. Reseat the cartridge and check for tape. Remove it, make sure the protective tape over the nozzles and the plastic clip are fully gone, and click it back in until it locks.
3. Clean the copper contacts. Wipe the cartridge's gold or copper contacts, and the matching contacts in the carriage, with a lint-free cloth lightly dampened with distilled water. Let them dry. An HP Community admin recommends exactly this sequence (unplug, reinsert, wipe contacts, update, reset) for "incompatible" errors (HP Community).
4. Confirm the cartridge number and region. An HP 65 won't work in an HP 67 printer even though they look alike, and cartridges sold in Europe won't work in North American printers. Check our HP ink cartridge compatibility chart.
5. Turn off HP Cartridge Protection and press OK on chip warnings. If you're using a remanufactured or refilled cartridge, the printer may warn that it's "used" or "non-HP." Accept and continue; the ink-level gauge may stop working, but printing continues. Step-by-step: how to get past an incompatible HP cartridge error.

Still stuck? Work through printer says cartridge not recognized and new ink cartridge not working.

Why some HP printers block cartridges no button can fix

Sometimes the cartridge is fine and the printer has been told to refuse it. HP calls this Dynamic Security. In the disclosure HP requires on its product listings, it says certain printers are meant to work only with cartridges carrying an HP chip, and that periodic firmware updates may "block cartridges that previously worked."

Recent history worth knowing:

• 2024 US settlement. In Mobile Emergency Housing Corp. v. HP, HP settled without paying consumers or admitting wrongdoing, but agreed to keep disclosing Dynamic Security and to let users choose whether to install firmware updates on covered printers (The Register).
• April 2025 firmware. HP firmware 2512B for OfficeJet 8010/8020/8030 and OfficeJet Pro 9010/9020-series printers was reported to block some non-OEM cartridges (The Recycler).
• January 2026 firmware. Another HP update covering 11 models drew complaints from remanufacturers, who argued it conflicts with the new EPEAT 2.0 eco-label launched in December 2025, which bars printers from blocking remanufactured cartridges. Tricia Judge of the International ITC, a remanufacturers' trade group, said "HP is the only one with lockout chips that are triggered using firmware 'upgrades.'"
• September 2026 ruling. A federal judge in Illinois dismissed with prejudice a refiled antitrust class action over HP's inkjet firmware, according to The Recycler; an appeal is possible.

HP's business logic has never been a secret. In 2024 its then-CEO Enrique Lores told CNBC that a printer customer who doesn't use HP supplies is "a bad investment."

What you can do: turn off automatic firmware updates in the HP Smart app or the printer's Embedded Web Server before installing third-party cartridges (how to stop HP firmware updates from blocking your ink), and avoid HP+ activation on "e" models, which HP says requires Original HP ink for the life of the printer. More: HP firmware and third-party ink: what owners need to know.

From the founder: Most "my HP won't take this cartridge" calls we get are solved by the boring stuff: a strip of tape still on the nozzles, dusty contacts, or an HP 65 bought for an HP 67 printer. Do the five steps above before you assume the cartridge is bad. And if you use remanufactured ink, switch off automatic firmware updates first; it's the single most effective thing you can do. – William Elward

Can you reset the ink level on an HP cartridge chip?

Not with a button. Ink levels are estimates the printer stores and reads from the chip. Remanufacturers either reprogram, replace or work around chips during production, which is why a professionally remanufactured cartridge typically works where a home-refilled original may not. If your printer says a cartridge is depleted, HP printers often let you keep printing until quality fades; print a test page and judge by the output, not the gauge.

Remanufactured HP cartridges that are ready to go

Castle Ink's HP cartridges are remanufactured in the United States. For printers with tighter chip checks, choose the OEM chip versions where offered:

• HP 910XL black (OEM chip) for OfficeJet 8010/8020/8030 series
• HP 902XL black (OEM chip) for OfficeJet Pro 6960/6970 series
• HP 952XL 4-pack (OEM chip) for OfficeJet Pro 7740/8710/8720 series
• HP 67XL black + tri-color for DeskJet 2700/4100 and ENVY 6000/6400

All covered by our 100% satisfaction guarantee. Find any other model with Find Ink by Printer.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a reset button on the HP 67 cartridge?

No. The HP 67 has an ink reservoir, a built-in printhead and contacts, but no button. Use the five fixes above.

How do I reset my HP printer after changing ink?

Power-cycle it: unplug for 60 seconds with the printer on, then restart. Then print an alignment page if prompted.

Why does my HP printer say the cartridge is empty when it's new?

Usually the chip isn't being read (contacts or seating), the cartridge is the wrong number or region, or a firmware update is rejecting a non-HP chip.

Will a firmware update stop my remanufactured cartridges from working?

It can on some HP models. Turn off automatic updates before installing them.

Does HP+ block refilled and remanufactured cartridges?

Yes. HP says HP+ printers require Original HP ink. See Your HP printer might require a subscription to work.

Related guides

• HP ink cartridge compatibility chart (2026)
• Printer firmware updates and third-party ink
• Where can you get ink cartridges refilled in 2026?
• Printer Troubleshooting Center

About the author: William Elward is the founder of Castle Ink and has more than 20 years of experience in the printer and imaging supplies industry.