How to Connect a Canon Printer to Wi-Fi

Method 1: Canon PRINT app (recommended for most models)

Install the free Canon PRINT app from the App Store or Google Play, then open it and tap "Add Printer." The app scans for nearby Canon printers over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and will walk you through selecting your printer and joining it to your home network — no cables, no driver CD, and it works whether your printer has a screen or just a set of buttons and lights. This is the method Canon's own setup instructions point to for nearly every printer sold since around 2019, including the entire PIXMA TS, TR, and G-series MegaTank lineups.

Method 2: Control panel setup (models with a screen)

If your printer has its own display, you can skip the app entirely. On the printer, open the settings or wrench icon, go to Wireless LAN Setup (sometimes called LAN Settings), and choose Cableless Setup Wizard or Easy Wireless Connect. Select your home network from the list, enter your Wi-Fi password using the on-screen keyboard, and confirm. The printer will show a connection status once it joins.

Method 3: WPS (fastest, if your router supports it)

If your router has a physical WPS button, this is the quickest option of all. On the printer's wireless menu, choose WPS Connection or Push Button Method, then press the WPS button on your router within about two minutes. The two devices handshake automatically — no password typing required. Not every router has this button, and some ISPs disable it by default for security, so if you don't see one, use Method 1 or 2 instead.

Why setup fails partway through

The overwhelming majority of failed Canon wireless setups come down to one of three things:

Wrong network band. Many Canon printers only support 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, not 5GHz. If your router broadcasts a single combined network name, your printer may be trying to join the 5GHz half and failing silently. Check your router settings for a separate 2.4GHz network name, or temporarily split the bands during setup.

Printer too far from the router. Wireless setup handshakes are more sensitive to signal strength than normal printing is. If setup keeps timing out, move the printer within a few feet of the router just for the initial connection — you can move it back afterward.

Special characters in the Wi-Fi password. Some older Canon models have trouble with certain symbols when entered via the on-screen keypad. If setup fails repeatedly and your password contains characters like &, %, or spaces, try the app-based method instead, which handles this more reliably.

After it connects

Print a network status page (usually available from the same wireless menu) to confirm the printer shows an IP address and "Connected" status. Then install the Canon driver on your computer from Canon's official support site — search for your exact model number to get the correct download.