Printers have evolved over the years to a point where we do not need cables to connect to them from our various devices. Most printers have Wi-Fi capabilities, allowing users to connect wirelessly to the home wireless network and mobile devices. Canon is one such brand that produces wireless printers that sometimes prove intimidating during the setup process.
Fortunately, this article will help you connect your Canon printer to the home Wi-Fi network through various platforms like Android and iOS.
CONTENTS
Connect Canon Printer to Wi-Fi via WPS
The easiest way to connect your Canon printer to a Wi-Fi network is through the WPS feature. However, you should first ensure that the router and printer support WPS, and if they do not, the alternative is to try other methods listed in this article. Also, ensure that your router uses the WPA/WPA2 security protocol, as other protocols hinder the printer’s connectivity to Wi-Fi.
The steps below apply to Canon printers with an LCD screen:
- Ensure the printer is on, and press the Setup button (the one with a screwdriver and pliers icon).
- That will open the setup menu with the Wireless LAN set up as the first option; press OK.
- Use the left/right arrow buttons to scroll through the options until you get to the WPS push button option and press OK.
- The printer will notify you through the LCD screen that it is connecting.
- Go to your router and press the WPS button. How to activate WPS settings on your router may vary, so contact the router’s manufacturer for the correct steps in case you get lost.
- Once the router and printer establish a connection, the printer will indicate Connected Press OK, so press the OK button on the printer, and you are done.
Connecting a Canon Printer with an LCD Screen to Wi-Fi (WPS Method)
If you use a Canon printer with a touchscreen, the steps might slightly differ from the ones above. They are as follows:
- Ensure the printer is on and on the Home Screen, then tap the Network icon at the bottom left edge of the screen.
- Next tap Wi-Fi > Wi-Fi Setup > WPS (Push button method).
- Go to the router and initiate WPS connectivity from its end, then come back to the printer and tap OK.
- Wait as the printer attempts to connect to the router, and once it is done, a message notifying you of the same will appear on the printer screen, tap OK.
Some Canon printers, like the Canon Pixma MG3600, do not have an LCD and thus use a different procedure to connect to Wi-Fi via WPS. The procedure for such printers is as follows:
- Ensure the printer is on, then press and hold the Wi-Fi button until the power LED flashes.
- Press the BLACK color button, then the Wi-Fi button. The Wi-Fi LED should be flashing rapidly.
- Next, go to the router and initiate WPS connectivity by pressing the WPS button.
- The power and Wi-Fi LEDs on the printer will start flashing to indicate that it is establishing a connection to the router. The flashing will stop, and the LEDs will stay lit once both devices are connected.
Connecting a Canon Printer Without an LCD Screen to Wi-Fi (WPS Method)
Note that the above procedure applies to Canon printers that do not have the left/right navigation buttons on the control panel.
Connect Canon Printer to Wi-Fi via the Printer’s Settings
Alternatively, you can manually connect the printer to Wi-Fi, provided it has an LCD screen. This option is useful to those with routers that do not have the WPS feature or if the feature fails to work as expected.
You can manually connect the printer to Wi-Fi by following the steps below:
- Ensure the printer is on, press the Setup button, and then press OK once the router shows the Wireless LAN setup option.
- Use the left/right arrow keys to get to the printer’s Manual Connect option and press OK. If the printer does not have the left/right arrow buttons, press the Setup button repeatedly until you get to Manual Connect.
Note: On some printers, you may have to follow this path: Menu > Preferences > Network > Wireless LAN Settings > SSID Settings > Select AP.
- Wait as the printer searches for available Wi-Fi networks around you. Once it finds these networks, it will list them according to their strength. Therefore, the strongest network will be first and the weakest last.
- Your home Wi-Fi network will probably be the first network listed, but if it is not, cycle through the listed networks using the arrow buttons. Press OK once you see the network you wish to connect to. You might have to press OK twice until the printer prompts you to enter the Wi-Fi password.
- You will use the number pad to enter the appropriate password. If you have to change the letters from lower case to upper case and vice versa, use the Star (*) button. The button also changes the input to numbers or letters depending on your needs.
- You can tell if the letters are in upper or lower case by checking the upper right corner of the screen.
- If you have to delete any character while entering the password, simply press the Back button to get to the character you want to delete, then press the Left navigation button to delete the character.
- If the password has two consecutive letters on the same number button on the printer, enter the first letter, and press the Right navigation button to enter the other letter.
- Once the printer is connected to your router, it will indicate Connected on the LCD screen, and you can press OK.
Connecting a Canon Printer with an LCD Screen to Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi Password Method)
If you have a Canon printer with a touch screen, you can connect it to Wi-Fi through the steps below:
- Ensure the printer is on and on the Home screen, then press the Network icon at the bottom left corner.
- Next, navigate to Wi-Fi > Wi-Fi setup > Manual connect. Alternatively, follow this path: Menu > Preferences > Network > Wireless LAN Settings > SSID Settings > Select AP.
- Wait for the printer to scan for available networks and tap on the one you are looking for. If you can not see your intended network listed, tap Search again to re-scan for Wi-Fi networks.
- Once you tap on a Wi-Fi network, a dialogue box where you should enter the password will pop up. Tap the password field to reveal the virtual dial pad and enter your password. You can even enter special characters and numbers if your password contains such.
- Tap OK. You can also tap Show Password to check if you have entered the correct one.
- Tap OK again to connect the printer to your router. Once they are connected, a message confirming it will appear on the screen, tap OK.
Connecting a Canon Printer with a Touchscreen to Wi-Fi by Entering the Wi-Fi Password
Connect Canon Printer to Wi-Fi via Android and iOS
You can also use a Canon printer Android app to connect the printer to your home Wi-Fi network. All you have to do is enter the password into the App and it will share it with the printer. The correct procedure is as follows:
- Download the PRINT Inkjet / SELPHY from the Play store or App store
- Launch the App, agree to the terms of service, and grant it the permissions it requests.
- Next, go to the printer and set it to broadcast a Wi-Fi signal to which you will connect your phone. This feature is called the Cableless setup or Easy Wireless Connect. The steps to do this vary depending on the type of printer you have.
For Wireless Printers Without an LCD Screen
- Check that the printer is powered on, and the power LED is not flashing. If it is, press the Stop button.
- Press and hold the Wi-Fi button until the Wi-Fi LED starts to flash green, then press the BLACK button, followed by the Wi-Fi button again. Alternatively, just press and hold the DIRECT button (if your printer has the DIRECT button) until the icon on the small monochromatic screen starts to flash.
Connecting a Canon Printer with a Monochromatic Display to Wi-Fi (Easy Wireless Connect)
For Wireless Printers With an LCD Screen
- Press the Setup button, then press OK when the Wireless LAN setup option appears.
- The option Easy WL Connect will appear; press OK.
Connecting a Canon Printer with an LCD Screen to Wi-Fi (Easy Wireless Connect)
For Wireless Printers With an LCD Touchscreen
- Press the Network icon on the bottom left corner of the screen.
- Navigate to Wi-Fi > Wi-Fi Setup > Easy Wireless Connect.
Connecting a Canon Printer with a Touchscreen to Wi-Fi (Easy Wireless Connect)
Alternatively, press and hold the button until a notification informing you to follow your phone/computer instructions appears on the printer screen. This step includes all printers with the button.
- Then go to Wi-Fi settings on your Android by navigating Settings > Network and Internet > and turn on Wi-Fi, then scan for available Wi-Fi networks. If you have an iPhone navigate Settings > Wi-Fi and turn on Wi-Fi, then scan for available networks.
- Connect to a Wi-Fi network with an SSID that begins with Canon_ij_XXXX.
- Go to the PRINT Inkjet / SELPHY app, which will notify you that a printer is available and ask if you want to connect to it. Tap Yes.
- The App will scan for available networks and ask you to select your home Wi-Fi from the listed SSIDs.
- Select the network you want to connect to, enter the network’s password, then tap OK.
- The App will notify you that the Wi-Fi information has been sent to the printer.
- Tap OK and wait as the printer completes the setup.
Conclusion
We hope this guide helped you connect your Canon printer to Wi-Fi.
Always observe the printer’s power LED before you commence any configuration operations on the printer. If the LED is flashing, that means some processes are running on the printer, and you can stop them by pressing the Stop button.
Suppose you encounter any challenges while setting up the printer on a Wi-Fi network access the user manual from Canon’s website and use it to troubleshoot the printer. It will be easier to set it up if you use the manual, as it has instructions that work explicitly with your printer model.
Hey, I’m Jeremy Clifford. I hold a bachelor’s degree in information systems, and I’m a certified network specialist. I worked for several internet providers in LA, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Seattle over the past 21 years.
I worked as a customer service operator, field technician, network engineer, and network specialist. During my career in networking, I’ve come across numerous modems, gateways, routers, and other networking hardware. I’ve installed network equipment, fixed it, designed and administrated networks, etc.
Networking is my passion, and I’m eager to share everything I know with you. On this website, you can read my modem and router reviews, as well as various how-to guides designed to help you solve your network problems. I want to liberate you from the fear that most users feel when they have to deal with modem and router settings.
My favorite free-time activities are gaming, movie-watching, and cooking. I also enjoy fishing, although I’m not good at it. What I’m good at is annoying David when we are fishing together. Apparently, you’re not supposed to talk or laugh while fishing – it scares the fishes.