Help Me Fix Itv0.4.1

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The Chromebook says "No scanners available", but the scanner is right there

Simple checks, one at a time, to get the Chromebook's Scan app to find your printer's scanner. Includes how to check that both are on the same Wi-Fi.

Which Canon printer do you have?

The model is printed on the front or top of the printer, for example TS6420 or MG3620.

    What you need

    • Your printer, turned on, with two sheets of plain paper in it
    • Your Chromebook

    Part 1 Quick fixes (try these first)

    1. Wake up the printer

      If the printer is off, press its power button. If it's on but dark, press any button to wake it up.

      Wait one minute. Printers take a little while to join the Wi-Fi after they wake up.

      The front of a printer with the power button circled.ReadyWi-FiiOKYour printer may have only some of these. Look for the one this step talks about.
      The front of a printer with the power button circled.CopyScanPrintSetupA simple drawing. Your printer may look a little different.
      The front of a printer with the power button circled.ReadyCopy Scan SetupBackOKA simple drawing. Your printer may look a little different.
      The front of a printer with the power button circled.Wi-Fi1iA simple drawing. Your printer may look a little different.
      The front of a printer with the power button circled.Wi-FiAlarmA simple drawing. Your printer may look a little different.

    2. Click Retry in the Scan app

      In the Scan app, click Retry. Give it about 20 seconds to look.

      You should see: Your Canon shows up in the Scanner box. If it does, you're done. Go back to the scanning guide.

      The Scan app saying No scanners available, with the Retry button circled.ScanNo scanners availableMake sure the scanner is turned on and available viayour network or a direct connectionLearn moreRetry

    3. Check the printer's Wi-Fi light

      Look for the Wi-Fi light (or a Wi-Fi symbol on the printer's little screen).

      On and steady: the printer is on Wi-Fi. Go on to Part 2.

      Blinking or off: the printer isn't connected to the Wi-Fi. Turn it off and on again (Part 3). If the light still isn't steady, ask your helper (Part 4).

      The front of a printer with its Wi-Fi light or Wi-Fi symbol circled.ReadyWi-FiiOKYour printer may have only some of these. Look for the one this step talks about.
      The front of a printer with its Wi-Fi light or Wi-Fi symbol circled.CopyScanPrintSetupA simple drawing. Your printer may look a little different.
      The front of a printer with its Wi-Fi light or Wi-Fi symbol circled.ReadyCopy Scan SetupBackOKA simple drawing. Your printer may look a little different.
      The front of a printer with its Wi-Fi light or Wi-Fi symbol circled.Wi-Fi1iA simple drawing. Your printer may look a little different.
      The front of a printer with its Wi-Fi light or Wi-Fi symbol circled.Wi-FiAlarmA simple drawing. Your printer may look a little different.

    Part 2 Check that the printer and the Chromebook use the same Wi-Fi

    The Chromebook can only find the scanner if both are on the same Wi-Fi network. Many homes have more than one, for example a "Guest" network or one from an extender. First we print a page that tells us which network the printer uses, then we compare it with the Chromebook's.

    1. If your printer has a screen: print the network page from the menu

      Put two sheets of plain paper in the printer (the page can run to two sheets). On the printer's screen, choose:

      Setup (or Settings) > Device settings > LAN settings > Confirm LAN settings > Print LAN details, then Yes.

      Use the arrow buttons to move and OK to choose. On a touch screen, just tap.

      Tip: The names can be a little different on some models. Look for anything that says LAN or Network, then Print. Stuck? Open Canon's steps for your printer.

      The front of a printer with its screen circled.SetupWi-FiiOKYour printer may have only some of these. Look for the one this step talks about.
      The front of a printer with its screen circled.CopyScanPrintSetupA simple drawing. Your printer may look a little different.
      The front of a printer with its screen circled.SetupCopy Scan SetupBackOKA simple drawing. Your printer may look a little different.

    2. If your printer has an i button: press it once

      Put two sheets of plain paper in the printer and press the i (Information) button. The network page prints.

      The front of a printer with the i (Information) button circled.ReadyWi-FiiOKYour printer may have only some of these. Look for the one this step talks about.
      The front of a printer with the i (Information) button circled.Wi-Fi1iA simple drawing. Your printer may look a little different.

    3. If it has no screen and no i button: follow Canon's steps for your model

      Printers with only buttons and lights each print the network page a different way. On some you hold the Wi-Fi button until a light flashes, on others you hold the Stop button and count flashes.

      Put two sheets of plain paper in the printer, then open Canon's steps for your printer and do what it says.

      If nothing prints, skip ahead to Part 3. Your helper can check this another way.

      The front of a printer that has buttons and lights but no screen.ReadyWi-FiiOKYour printer may have only some of these. Look for the one this step talks about.
      The front of a printer that has buttons and lights but no screen.Wi-FiAlarmA simple drawing. Your printer may look a little different.

    4. Find the Wi-Fi name on the page

      Look for the line that says SSID. The word next to it is the name of the Wi-Fi network the printer is using.

      Also check that Connection says Active.

      Tip: Keep this page. It also has the printer's IP address, which your helper may ask for.

      The printed network page with the SSID line, showing the Wi-Fi name HomeWiFi, circled.LAN SettingsWireless LANEnableConnectionActiveSSIDHomeWiFiSignal Strength80 %IPv4 Address192.168.1.23

    5. On the Chromebook, click the clock

      Click the time in the bottom-right corner of the screen. A panel opens.

      The Chromebook screen with the clock in the bottom-right corner circled.9:41

    6. Compare the two Wi-Fi names

      The top-left button shows the Wi-Fi name the Chromebook is using.

      It must match the SSID on the printed page exactly. HomeWiFi and HomeWiFi-Guest are two different networks.

      You should see: The same name in both places. If so, skip to Part 3.

      The Chromebook's quick settings panel with the Wi-Fi name HomeWiFi circled.9:41HomeWiFiWi-FiBluetoothOnDo not disturbOffNight LightOffThu, Oct 8

    7. Different names? Click the Wi-Fi name

      Click the Wi-Fi name (not the round symbol next to it). A list of networks opens.

      Tip: Names match? Skip to Part 3.

      The Chromebook's quick settings panel with the Wi-Fi name circled.9:41HomeWiFiWi-FiBluetoothOnDo not disturbOffNight LightOffThu, Oct 8

    8. Click the printer's Wi-Fi

      Click the name from the printed page (the SSID). Type its password if it asks.

      Then open the Scan app and click Retry.

      Tip: Don't know the Wi-Fi password? It's often on a sticker on the internet box (router). Or ask your helper.

      A list of Wi-Fi networks. The Chromebook is on HomeWiFi-Guest, and HomeWiFi, the printer's network, is circled.9:41NetworkWi-FiHomeWiFi-GuestConnectedHomeWiFiNeighbor-5G

    Part 3 Restart everything

    This fixes a surprising number of problems.

    1. Turn the printer off and on

      Press the printer's power button to turn it off. Wait 30 seconds, press it again, and wait a full minute until it's ready.

      The front of a printer with the power button circled.ReadyWi-FiiOKYour printer may have only some of these. Look for the one this step talks about.
      The front of a printer with the power button circled.CopyScanPrintSetupA simple drawing. Your printer may look a little different.
      The front of a printer with the power button circled.ReadyCopy Scan SetupBackOKA simple drawing. Your printer may look a little different.
      The front of a printer with the power button circled.Wi-Fi1iA simple drawing. Your printer may look a little different.
      The front of a printer with the power button circled.Wi-FiAlarmA simple drawing. Your printer may look a little different.

    2. On the Chromebook, click the clock, then the power button

      The power button is the round button with a line on top, at the bottom of the panel.

      The Chromebook's quick settings panel with the power button circled.9:41HomeWiFiWi-FiBluetoothOnDo not disturbOffNight LightOffThu, Oct 8

    3. Click Restart

      The Chromebook turns off and back on. Sign in as usual.

      The power menu with Shut down, Restart, Sign out and Lock, with Restart circled.9:41HomeWiFiWi-FiBluetoothOnDo not disturbOffNight LightOffThu, Oct 8Shut downRestartSign outLock

    4. Open the Scan app and look again

      Open the Scan app and wait 20 seconds. If it still says No scanners available, click Retry once more.

      You should see: Your Canon in the Scanner box. Now continue with the scanning guide.

      The Scan app with the Canon printer showing in the Scanner box.ScanScannerCanon TS6400 seriesSourceFlatbedFile typePDFScan toMy filesMore settingsSave multiple pages to one PDFScanPlace your document on the scanner

    Part 4 For the person helping (a bit more technical)

    If nothing above worked, these checks need a little more know-how. They can be done over the phone or on a visit.

    1. Make sure this printer can scan to a Chromebook at all

      Chromebooks scan over the network using eSCL (the same thing as AirPrint or Mopria scanning). Most Wi-Fi Pixma models from about 2017 on support it. Some older ones, like the MX492, print from a Chromebook but can't scan to one.

      Pick the printer in Which Canon printer do you have? at the top of this page: it warns about models with no scanner or no Wi-Fi. Then check your printer's manual for AirPrint or Mopria scanning. If it doesn't, the phone is the scanner: Scan papers with your phone.

    2. Turn on Bonjour on the printer

      The Chromebook finds scanners using Bonjour (mDNS). In the printer's LAN settings, make sure Bonjour is enabled. You can do this on the printer's screen, or on its web page: type the IP address from the network page into Chrome on the Chromebook. Menu names differ by model.

    3. Check the network itself

      A guest network, "AP isolation" or "client isolation" on the router, a mesh system or extender, or a VPN on the Chromebook can each hide the scanner. Put both on the main network and turn off any VPN.

      If the printer is on an old or wrong network, rerun the printer's Wi-Fi setup (on its screen, or with its Wi-Fi button) to join the main network.

    4. Update both, then remove and re-add the printer

      Update the printer's firmware (from its menu or Canon's website). Update the Chromebook: Settings > About ChromeOS > Check for updates.

      Then, in Settings > Advanced > Printers and scanners > Printers, click More next to the printer, choose Remove, and set it up again.

    If something goes wrong

    The scanner shows up sometimes but then disappears

    That usually means the printer is going to sleep or losing Wi-Fi. Wake it up before scanning, and keep it close to the internet box (router) if you can.

    Nothing works, and I need to scan something today

    Use your phone as the scanner. It takes a minute and saves to the same Scans folder. See Scan papers with your phone, then open them on your Chromebook.

    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.