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How to Connect a Pixma Printer to WiFi
Pixma printers use a built-in wireless LAN setup menu to connect to your home or office WiFi network. You can do this directly from the printer's control panel — no computer needed for the initial connection.
Before you start, make sure your WiFi router is on and you know your WiFi network name (SSID) and password.
📶 Connect Pixma to WiFi — Control Panel Method
1
Turn on your Pixma printer and make sure it is not connected to a USB cable during setup.
2
On the printer's display, press the Home button or navigate to Settings (the wrench icon on some models).
3
Select Wireless LAN Setup or WiFi Setup from the menu. On touchscreen models this appears as "LAN settings".
4
Choose Wireless LAN Setup Wizard (or "Standard setup"). The printer will scan for available networks.
5
Select your WiFi network name from the list that appears.
6
Enter your WiFi password using the on-screen keyboard. Take care with uppercase letters and special characters.
7
Press OK or Connect. The printer will attempt to connect — this takes about 60 seconds.
8
When the WiFi indicator light turns solid blue (or green on some models), the connection is successful. Print a network configuration page to confirm: go to Settings → Device settings → Print network information.
Tip: If your network doesn't appear in the list, make sure you're connecting to a 2.4GHz network. Most Pixma printers do not support 5GHz WiFi. If your router broadcasts both, look for the 2.4GHz version of your network name.
What to do if the WiFi connection fails
If the printer can't connect after entering the password, try these steps in order:
- Double-check your password — it's case-sensitive. Use the printer's "show password" option if available.
- Move the printer closer to your router for the initial setup, then move it back.
- Restart both your router and the printer, then retry the setup.
- Check that your router is not using MAC address filtering. If it is, add the printer's MAC address to the allowed list (found in Settings → Device settings → LAN settings → WLAN → Advanced setup).
How to Connect a Pixma Printer to a Computer
Once your Pixma is connected to WiFi, you need to add it to your computer so you can actually send print jobs. Here's how to do it on Windows and Mac.
Connect Pixma printer to Windows 10 or Windows 11
🖥️ Add Pixma Printer on Windows
1
Make sure your Pixma printer is on and connected to the same WiFi network as your Windows PC.
2
Click the Start button and open Settings (gear icon).
3
Go to Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners.
4
Click Add device. Windows will search your network for available printers.
5
When your Pixma printer appears in the list, click Add device next to it. Windows installs the driver automatically.
6
Once installed, print a test page: click the printer name → Manage → Print a test page.
Printer not appearing on Windows? If your Pixma doesn't show up, click "The printer that I want isn't listed" and select "Add a printer using TCP/IP address or hostname." You'll need the printer's IP address — find it by printing a network configuration page from the printer's settings menu.
Connect Pixma printer to Mac (macOS)
🍎 Add Pixma Printer on Mac
1
Make sure your Pixma is on and connected to the same WiFi network as your Mac.
2
Click the Apple menu → System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS).
3
Click Printers & Scanners.
4
Click the + button at the bottom of the printer list.
5
Your Pixma should appear in the list. Click on it — macOS will automatically download the correct driver from Apple's servers.
6
Click Add. The printer is now ready to use from any app via File → Print.
Connecting via USB cable (wired method)
If you prefer to connect your Pixma directly to your computer via USB rather than WiFi:
- Turn the printer on.
- Plug the USB cable from the printer to an available USB port on your computer.
- On Windows, the driver installs automatically within a few minutes. On Mac, follow the same Printers & Scanners steps above — the USB-connected printer will appear in the add list.
- If the driver doesn't install automatically on Windows, visit the printer manufacturer's official support website and search for your Pixma model to download the driver manually.
Tip: For the best experience, use the WiFi connection rather than USB. WiFi lets multiple devices in your household print without moving cables, and the printer can be placed anywhere in range of your router.
Pixma Printer Offline — How to Get It Back Online
If your Pixma printer shows as "Offline" on your computer, it means your computer has lost communication with the printer. This is one of the most common issues and almost always fixable in a few minutes.
Quick fix: restart everything
Before anything else, try this sequence — it fixes the offline problem in more than half of cases:
- Turn off your Pixma printer using the power button.
- Restart your WiFi router (unplug, wait 30 seconds, plug back in).
- Once the router is fully back online, turn the printer back on.
- Wait 60 seconds for the printer to reconnect to WiFi (the WiFi light should stop blinking and go solid).
- Try printing again.
Fix Pixma offline on Windows — step by step
🔧 Fix "Printer Offline" on Windows
1
Open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners.
2
Click your Pixma printer, then click Open print queue.
3
In the print queue window, click Printer in the menu bar. If you see a tick next to "Use Printer Offline," click it to untick it and bring the printer back online.
4
Also check that Pause Printing is not ticked. Click it to unpause if it is.
5
Clear any stuck jobs: in the Printer menu, click Cancel All Documents.
6
Close the queue window and try printing again.
Fix Pixma offline on Mac
🔧 Fix "Printer Offline" on Mac
1
Go to System Settings → Printers & Scanners.
2
Click your Pixma in the list. If it says "Paused" or "Offline," click Resume or Open Print Queue.
3
In the queue window, delete any stuck jobs by clicking the × next to each one.
4
Click Resume Printer if the button is visible.
5
Try printing a test page from System Settings → Printers & Scanners → select your printer → Print Test Page.
If the printer is still offline after the above steps
Try removing and re-adding the printer:
- In Windows: go to Printers & Scanners, click your Pixma, and click Remove. Then click Add device and add it again as if it's new.
- On Mac: click the – button to remove the printer, then click + to add it again.
- If the printer still shows offline after re-adding, the printer has likely lost its WiFi connection. Return to the WiFi setup section above and reconnect the printer to your network.
Prevent future offline issues: Give your Pixma a reserved IP address in your router settings (called a "DHCP reservation" or "static IP"). This stops the printer's IP address from changing each time it reconnects, which is the most common cause of repeat offline errors.
Print from iPhone or Android to a Pixma Printer
Pixma printers support wireless printing from smartphones and tablets. Your phone and printer just need to be on the same WiFi network.
Print from iPhone or iPad (AirPrint)
Pixma printers support Apple AirPrint, which means you can print directly from any iPhone or iPad app without installing anything extra.
- Make sure your iPhone/iPad and your Pixma printer are on the same WiFi network.
- Open the document, photo, or webpage you want to print.
- Tap the Share button (the box with an upward arrow).
- Scroll down and tap Print.
- Tap Printer to select a printer — your Pixma should appear automatically.
- Choose your print settings (copies, colour, paper size) and tap Print.
Print from Android
- Make sure your Android phone and your Pixma are on the same WiFi network.
- Open the document or photo you want to print.
- Tap the menu (three dots) and select Print.
- In the printer selection dropdown at the top, choose your Pixma printer. If it doesn't appear, tap "Add printer" and select "Default print service" — it will scan your network.
- Select your settings and tap the print button.
Dedicated app: The manufacturer of Pixma printers also offers a dedicated mobile printing app. Search your device's app store for the official printing app for your printer model — it offers additional features like scanning to phone and creative print layouts.
WPS Button Setup — The Fastest Way to Connect
If your WiFi router has a WPS button (most routers made after 2012 do), you can connect your Pixma to WiFi in under two minutes without entering a password at all.
⚡ Connect Pixma via WPS (Fastest Method)
1
On your Pixma printer, navigate to Settings → WiFi Setup → WPS (Push button method). The exact path varies slightly by model.
2
The printer will display a message telling you to press the WPS button on your router within 2 minutes.
3
Go to your WiFi router and press the WPS button (usually labelled "WPS" with a symbol that looks like two curved arrows forming a circle). Hold it for 2–3 seconds.
4
Return to the printer. The WiFi light will blink while it connects, then turn solid when connected. This takes about 30–60 seconds.
5
If successful, the printer displays a confirmation message. You can now add the printer to your computer as described in the Connect to Computer section above.
WPS not working? Some internet providers disable WPS on their routers for security reasons. If the WPS method fails after two attempts, use the standard WiFi control panel method instead — it works on all routers.
Common Pixma Printer Questions
Why does my Pixma printer keep going offline?
The most common reason is that your printer's IP address changes each time it reconnects to WiFi. Solve this permanently by setting a static (reserved) IP for the printer in your router's DHCP settings. Also make sure the printer's WiFi sleep settings aren't causing it to drop the connection — check the printer's energy saving settings and extend the auto-sleep timer.
My Pixma printer won't connect to WiFi — what should I do?
First, check that you're connecting to a 2.4GHz network (most Pixma printers don't support 5GHz). Verify your WiFi password is correct — it's case-sensitive. Restart both the router and the printer. If the network doesn't appear in the printer's scan list, try moving the printer closer to the router. If all else fails, reset the printer's network settings (Settings → Device settings → LAN settings → Reset LAN settings) and start the WiFi setup again from scratch.
How do I find my Pixma printer's IP address?
Print a network configuration page: on the printer, go to Settings → Device settings → LAN settings → Print LAN details. The IP address will be printed on that page. You can also find it on the printer's display under Settings → Device settings → LAN settings → WLAN → Confirm LAN settings.
Can I connect my Pixma printer to two computers at the same time?
Yes — once the Pixma is connected to WiFi, you can add it to as many computers on the same network as you like. Each computer treats it as a shared network printer. There's no limit set by the printer itself, though only one print job can process at a time.
How do I reconnect my Pixma to WiFi after changing my router or password?
You'll need to redo the WiFi setup on the printer. Go to Settings → WiFi Setup → Wireless LAN Setup Wizard and follow the steps to connect to your new network or enter the new password. Your computer connections will update automatically once the printer is back on the same WiFi network.
Pixma printer is online but not printing — what's wrong?
Check the print queue on your computer for stuck jobs and clear them (see the offline fix section above). Also check ink levels — if a cartridge is empty, some Pixma models refuse to print at all even in black-and-white mode. Finally, try printing a test page directly from the printer's control panel (Settings → Maintenance → Print nozzle check pattern) to see if the issue is with the printer or the computer connection.