HP · Inkjet · HP 953 / 953XL

Does third-party ink still work in the HP OfficeJet Pro 7720?

Third-party and remanufactured cartridges

• Int'l ITC says HP released firmware 2602A/B on January 29, 2026, across eleven printer models, disabling remanufactured cartridges.^[1]
• Ars Technica and TechSpot name the OfficeJet Pro 7720 as affected. Ars notes the 7720's update appears to have come out in February.^[2][3]
• A Russian ink seller says 2602A replaced firmware 2530 (August 2025) on the 953/957 family and shows a 'non-HP chip' error for refilled cartridges and continuous ink systems.^[4]

HP account, HP+ and Instant Ink

• The 7720 is not an HP+ model. HP lists HP+ only on newer 'e' printers, so no HP account is needed to print.^[5]

Firmware that blocked cartridges

• HP firmware 2602A/B: Jan 29, 2026

• 2602A/B: January 29, 2026 per Int'l ITC; February 2026 for the 7720 per Ars Technica.^[1][2]
• Previous version 2530 (August 2025), per MnogoChernil.^[4]

To see your version, print a printer status report or open the printer's web page. Compare it with the firmware list.

Workarounds that sources back up

• Turn off automatic updates on the printer: Setup, Printer Maintenance, Update the Printer, Printer Update Options, then Do Not Check. HP's user guide for the sister 7740 shows this path, and a 7720 owner confirms the same menu.^[6][9] If the printer says 'Feature Locked', it is enrolled in Web Services or Instant Ink. HP support's advice was to turn off Web Services first (Setup, Web Services). Prevents future updates only.
• Use cartridges that reuse an original HP chip, which HP says are unaffected.^[7] Confirm with the seller.

What does not reliably work

• Downgrading firmware: ink sellers (Cartridge World UK, MnogoChernil) publish 7720 downgrade tools. MnogoChernil says rollback is possible but not guaranteed, and newer firmware can make it impossible. HP does not support it. We have not tested these files.^[4][8]

What to buy instead

• Genuine HP 953 / 953XL. Always accepted. Shop
• 953 cartridges sold with chips updated for 2602. Some sellers say they ship updated chips. Buy only with a clear return policy for firmware blocks. Shop

These are plain store links. We earn nothing from them today. Disclosure.

What we could not verify

• The exact day the 7720 received 2602 (January 29 vs February 2026).
• Whether seller downgrade tools work on printers already past 2602.
• Seller claims of 2602-ready replacement chips.
• The 7720's own manual page for the update setting (we cite the 7740 guide plus a 7720 owner's report).

Know something we missed? Dated sources beat opinions. Corrections go on the page with a date.

Sources

1. Int'l ITC: HP Ignores EPEAT Criteria Choosing Profit Over Sustainability (published Mar 4, 2026)
2. Ars Technica: HP has new incentive to stop blocking third-party ink (published Mar 12, 2026)
3. TechSpot: HP's ink-blocking firmware may violate new global sustainability rules (read Oct 21, 2026)
4. MnogoChernil (ink seller, Russian): new firmware 2602 blocks 953/957 chips (published Feb 2, 2026)
5. HP: Frequently Asked Questions about HP+ Printers (read Oct 21, 2026)
6. HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 User Guide, p. 26: Update the printer (manualsdir copy) (read Oct 21, 2026)
7. HP: Dynamic Security Enabled Printers (PDF) (read Oct 21, 2026)
8. Cartridge World UK: HP firmware downgrade for 953XL / 903XL printers (read Oct 21, 2026)
9. HP Support Community: Feature Locked error turning off auto updates on 7720 (published Aug 7, 2024)