Canon Printer Offline: How to Get It Back Online

/ How To Fix, Printers & Scanners / By
Canon printer offline status in system settings

Canon offline status usually means the computer lost communication with the printer, not that the printer is broken. Wi-Fi printers are especially prone to this when the router changes the printer IP address or the queue gets stuck.

Does this affect you?

Use this guide if Windows or macOS says the Canon printer is offline even though the printer is powered on and connected to Wi-Fi.

Take the printer off offline mode

Start by clearing the false offline state and queue.

  1. On Windows, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners and select the Canon printer.
  2. Open the print queue and make sure Use Printer Offline is unchecked in the printer menu.
  3. Cancel stuck jobs in the queue.
  4. On Mac, open System Settings > Printers & Scanners, select the printer, and click Resume if it is paused.
  5. Print a test page.

Remove and re-add the printer

Use this when offline status returns quickly or the toggle does not help.

  1. On Windows, remove the Canon printer from Printers & scanners, then click Add device and let Windows find it again.
  2. On Mac, remove it with the minus button and add it again with the plus button.
  3. Make sure printer and computer are on the same non-guest Wi-Fi network.
  4. After it appears again, print a test page.

More control

Give the printer a fixed IP

If offline status returns every few days, set a DHCP reservation in the router for the printer MAC address so the printer always receives the same IP address.

Disable deep sleep or auto power-off

Some Canon models disconnect from Wi-Fi when energy-saving settings are too aggressive. Look under setup, device settings, or ECO settings and extend sleep or disable auto power-off.

Update the Canon driver

A stale driver can report bad status. Download the newest driver from Canon Support for the exact model instead of relying only on the Windows-installed version.

Sources

  • Canon Support – Printer status shows offline (2025)
  • Microsoft Support – Fix printer connection and printing problems in Windows (2025)
  • Apple Support – Printer status appears as offline in macOS (2025)
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through links. I will only recommend products that I have personally used! Learn more on my Private Policy page.
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