You tap the Share button on your iPhone, choose Print, and your Canon MAXIFY GX5020 either never shows up in the printer list or sits there doing nothing while the job quietly fails. It is a frustrating wall to hit, especially when the printer was working fine over USB or from your desktop a day earlier. The good news is that the GX5020 genuinely supports AirPrint, so this is almost always a network or settings hiccup rather than a missing feature.
This guide walks through eight fixes in order, starting with the quickest checks that solve most cases and ending with the official reset and Canon support path. Work through them top to bottom and stop as soon as printing comes back. One note before you start. The GX5020 is a print-only MegaTank model, so there is no scan or copy behavior to worry about here, just getting your iPhone or iPad talking to the printer again.
Put Your iPhone and the Printer on the Same Wi-Fi Network
AirPrint only works when your iPhone or iPad and the GX5020 are on the same Wi-Fi network. Apple states it plainly, so make sure that your printer and device are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Canon's own AirPrint check echoes the same idea, asking that the printer be connected by LAN to the same group of networks (the same subnet) as your AirPrint-compliant device.
This trips people up more often than you would expect because the GX5020 has dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz). If your router splits those bands into separate names, or you have a guest network, your phone and printer can end up on different networks even inside the same house. Confirm your iPhone is joined to the exact same network the printer uses, not a separate guest or 5 GHz SSID.
Check the Printer Is Ready, Then Power-Cycle Everything
Before chasing network settings, rule out the obvious. Canon's official "Cannot Print Using AirPrint" checks for the GX5000 series start with making sure the printer is turned on, and if it is already on, cycling the power switch off and back on. The checklist then asks you to confirm the printer has enough paper and ink, and that no error message is showing on the printer's LCD. A displayed error will block AirPrint just as it blocks any other print job, so clear any on-screen warning first.
A simple restart of everything in the chain clears most temporary connection glitches. After cycling the printer, confirm on its display that it shows as connected to your network, and place the printer and wireless router close together for a stable signal. Then restart your iPhone and, if you can, your router, and wait a moment for the printer to rejoin the network before trying AirPrint again.
Send the Print Job the Right Way From Your iPhone or iPad
Sometimes the connection is fine and the issue is simply how the job is being sent. Follow Apple's exact AirPrint steps so the printer is actually selected.
- 1.Open the app you want to print from.
- 2.Tap the Share button or the Actions button.
- 3.Scroll down and tap the Print button or Print.
- 4.Tap "No Printer Selected" and choose an AirPrint-enabled printer.
- 5.Choose your number of copies or other options.
- 6.Tap Print in the upper-right corner.
If you do not see a print option at all, that particular app may not support printing. Try printing the same content from a different app, such as Photos or a web browser, to confirm AirPrint itself is working.
Turn On Bonjour in the Printer's LAN Settings
AirPrint relies on a discovery service called Bonjour to find your printer on the network. Canon is direct about this, noting that you cannot use AirPrint if Bonjour settings of the printer are disabled, so you should check the LAN settings of the printer and enable Bonjour.
On the GX5020, you will find this under Device settings > LAN settings, where selecting Enable allows you to use Bonjour to perform the network settings. If Bonjour was off, switching it on is frequently the single change that makes your printer reappear in the AirPrint list.
Update the Printer's Firmware
Outdated firmware can quietly break network printing, including AirPrint. The GX5020 can update itself from the operation panel. Go to Setup > Device settings > Firmware update > Install update.
Canon notes that you must make sure the printer is connected to the Internet before updating the firmware. The printer then checks for an available update and applies it if one is found, which can resolve connectivity bugs introduced by older firmware versions.
Clear a Stuck Print Queue on Windows or Mac
AirPrint runs from your iPhone, but a jammed desktop queue can also tie up the printer so that nothing prints from any device. If you also print from a computer, it is worth clearing the queue there as well.
On Windows 11, go to Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, select your printer, and choose "Open print queue," then click the ellipsis (...) and select "Cancel all" to clear stuck jobs. On Windows 10, go to Start > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners, select the printer, choose "Open queue," then open the "Printer" menu and clear "Pause Printing" and "Use Printer Offline" if either is checked, and cancel any stuck documents. If the queue still misbehaves, open "Services," right-click "Print Spooler," and select "Restart."
On a Mac, if the queue is paused, click to resume it, and if a single job is paused, select that job and resume it. When the queue is corrupted, Apple recommends resetting the printing system. In Printers & Scanners, Control-click the printer in the Printers list and choose "Reset Printing System." Be aware this deletes all printers, completed jobs, and presets, so you will need to re-add the printer afterward using "Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax."
Reset the Printer's Network and Re-Add It
If AirPrint still refuses to work after everything above, reset just the network configuration so the printer rebuilds a clean connection. On the GX5020, go to Setup > Device settings > Reset setting and choose "LAN settings," which sets the LAN settings back to default. You may be asked for the administrator password.
A "LAN settings" reset is the right choice for a Wi-Fi or AirPrint problem because it leaves your other preferences alone. There is also an "All data" option that returns every setting to default and restores the administrator password to default, which will wipe your configured settings, so reserve that for when nothing else has helped. After resetting, reconnect the printer to your Wi-Fi network and re-add it on your iPhone or iPad.
Reinstall the Latest Software or Contact Canon
When the problem persists past a network reset, refreshing the printer software on your computer is the next move. Download and install the latest GX5020 driver and software from Canon's official support page, which provides the recommended drivers, downloads, and manuals for this model.
If you have exhausted these steps and AirPrint still will not connect, reach out to Canon directly. Canon U.S.A. offers toll-free support for the MAXIFY line at 1-844-4-MAXIFY (1-844-462-9439), where you can get model-specific help for your GX5020.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Canon MAXIFY GX5020 actually support AirPrint?
Yes. Canon's official product and support pages list AirPrint among the GX5020's mobile-print methods, alongside Mopria and the Canon PRINT app, and the GX5000-series manual includes a dedicated section for AirPrint printing problems.
Do I need the Canon PRINT app to use AirPrint?
No. AirPrint is Apple's built-in printing and does not require any extra app. The Canon PRINT app (free, for iOS 16.0 or later and Android 7.0 or later) is a separate option if you want Canon's own mobile printing features, but it is not needed for AirPrint.
Why does my printer not appear in the AirPrint list?
The most common reasons are that your iPhone and printer are on different Wi-Fi networks or bands, or that Bonjour is disabled on the printer. Confirm both devices share the same network, then check Device settings > LAN settings and enable Bonjour, since AirPrint relies on it for discovery.
Will resetting the printer's network erase all my settings?
No. Choosing "LAN settings" under Setup > Device settings > Reset setting returns only the network configuration to default and leaves your other preferences intact, though you may need the administrator password. The "All data" option is the one that returns every setting to default and resets the administrator password.
Can AirPrint use the printer's 5 GHz band?
Yes. The GX5020 has dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi, so AirPrint can work over either band as long as your iPhone or iPad and the printer are on the same network and subnet. If your router splits the bands into separate names, make sure both devices are joined to the same one.
