Scan with your Canon Pixma on your Chromebook
Put the paper on your Canon printer's glass and scan it with the Chromebook's Scan app. Scans go into Google Drive, so you can find them on your phone too.
Which Canon printer do you have?
The model is printed on the front or top of the printer, for example TS6420 or MG3620.
No Canon PIXMA model matches that. Check the letters and numbers on the printer, or just follow the steps below.
Your printer: Canon PIXMA
This model is a printer only. It has no scanner, so the Chromebook can't scan with it. Use your phone instead: Scan papers with your phone.
This model can't connect to Wi-Fi, so the Chromebook can't find its scanner over Wi-Fi. Use your phone instead: Scan papers with your phone.
What you need
- Your Canon Pixma printer, turned on
- Your Chromebook, on the same Wi-Fi as the printer. If the Chromebook can print to it, you're all set.
- The papers you want to scan
Part 1 Put the paper on the scanner
Lift the lid and lay the page face down
Lift the lid on top of the printer. Lay the page on the glass with the writing facing down.
Push the page into the corner that has the small arrow mark, then close the lid gently.
Tip: Is the printer asleep (screen dark)? Press any button on it to wake it up.
Part 2 Set up the Scan app (first time only)
The Scan app remembers these choices, so next time you can skip to Part 3. It doesn't hurt to glance at them each time.
Open the Scan app
Click the round button in the bottom-left corner of the screen and type scan. Click the Scan app.
Click the Scanner box
Wait a few seconds while the Chromebook looks for your printer.
Tip: If it says No scanners available, follow this step-by-step fix.
Choose your Canon
Click the name that starts with Canon. The rest of the name depends on your model, for example Canon TS6400 series.
Check Source and File type
Source should say Flatbed (that's the glass).
File type should say PDF. If not, click the box and choose them.
Click "Scan to"
This tells the Chromebook where to keep your scans. We'll pick the Scans folder in Google Drive, the same one your phone uses.
Click "Select folder in Files app..."
Pick Google Drive, then Scans
A window opens. On the left, click My Drive (under Google Drive). Click the Scans folder, then click Open.
No Scans folder? Pick My Drive and click Open. That works too.
You should see: The Scan to box now says Scans.
Part 3 Scan your pages
More than one page? Turn on "Save multiple pages to one PDF"
Click the switch so it turns blue. All the pages will be saved together in one file.
Tip: Only one page? Leave it off and skip to the next step.
Click Scan
The printer hums for a few seconds while it scans.
For the next page, swap the paper and click "Scan page 2"
Lift the lid, take out the first page, and lay the next one face down in the same corner. Close the lid and click Scan page 2.
Do the same for every page. The button counts up: Scan page 3, Scan page 4...
Tip: Only scanning one page? You won't see this. Your scan is saved right away.
After the last page, click "End & save"
Your scan is saved
Click Show in folder to see it, or Done to scan something else.
You should see: The message Your file has been successfully scanned and saved to Scans.
Part 4 Print it or email it
Same as a phone scan
Your scan is in Google Drive > My Drive > Scans, just like scans made with your phone. It's on your phone too, in the Drive app.
To print it or email it, follow Parts 3 and 4 of Scan papers with your phone, then open them on your Chromebook.
If something goes wrong
It says "No scanners available"
Make sure the printer is turned on and awake (press a button on it), then click Retry in the Scan app.
Still nothing? Follow The Chromebook says "No scanners available". It goes step by step, including checking that the printer and the Chromebook are on the same Wi-Fi.
It prints fine, but my Canon never shows up in the Scan app
Some older Pixma models can print from a Chromebook but can't scan to one. If that's the case, use your phone as the scanner instead. It works just as well. See Scan papers with your phone, then open them on your Chromebook.
It says the scanner's cover is open
Close the lid all the way and click Scan again.
The scan is crooked or cut off
Push the page right into the corner with the arrow mark and scan it again. You can also click More settings and set Page size to Letter.
I can't find my scan
Look at what the Scan to box says in the Scan app. That's the folder it went to. Next time, set it to Scans in Google Drive (Part 2).
The pictures are simple drawings. Your screen may look a little different, but the buttons are in the same places. Last checked October 9, 2026.