Recent Updates

  • Your default email address is used as your main contact method in Canvas and is added when creating your Canvas account. Email addresses are used to create Canvas notifications; they are not used as a contact method for other Canvas users.

    If you add another email address as a contact method, you can change your default email address in Canvas.

  • If you have an email address registered in two Canvas accounts, you can merge these accounts. Merging accounts combines the logins, contact methods, and enrollments for the two accounts.

    The icon to complete this process will only appear in User Settings if there are two or more email addresses on the account and the email address that appears on both accounts has been registered.

    In order to complete this process, you must have the Canvas username and password for both accounts.

    Note: Merging user accounts cannot be undone.

  • Depending on how your Canvas account was created, you may be able to make changes to your name, default email, language, time zone, and password.

    • Setting a chosen language will override any default language settings across your institution; however, any language set in a course will override your user language.
    • Your institution may take care of updating or changing your password by using the password associated with your login credentials for Canvas.
    • Users associated with a SIS ID cannot delete their own account.

    Note: Some settings may not be available to you. If you are not able to edit your user settings, you will need to contact your institution to change this information.

  • English is Canvas' language default, but you can choose to view the Canvas interface in another language.

    Note: You have the option to change the language preference for your courses. If one of your courses is set to a different language (most often for a foreign language course), the course language will override the language in your user settings.

  • You may be able to change your password in your profile settings.

    If you do not have access to change your password, your password is controlled through your institution. Contact your institution to learn how to change your password.

    If you can change your password, there are no password reset intervals, so you can change your password as little or as often as you want. However, you can keep strong passwords effective by changing them often. Here are some good password guidelines:

    • Use at least eight characters (the more the better), but most people will find anything more than about 15 characters difficult to remember.
    • Use a random mixture of characters, upper and lower case, numbers, punctuation, spaces and symbols.
    • Don't use a word found in a dictionary, English or foreign.

    Note: If you forget your password, you may be able to reset it. Learn how to reset your password.

  • If your institution has enabled profile pictures, you can add and change profile pictures in your account. If you do not see a placeholder picture in your user settings, your institution has not enabled this feature.

    There are three ways you can select a profile picture to use throughout Canvas:

    • Upload a Picture from your computer
    • Take a Picture using your computer's camera (not supported when using Safari or Internet Explorer)
    • Import from an existing Gravatar account

     

    Tips for profile pictures:

    • Please choose an appropriate picture to represent yourself. Your institution has the right to remove pictures that are not appropriate for a classroom setting.
    • Images should be square in size to prevent your picture from being resized or distorted.
    • Files can be any type (.jpg, .png, .gif) or size as long as you have room in your personal files to store the file. Canvas recommends that your profile picture be as small as possible.
    • Your personal files quota is enforced when uploading a profile picture. If you do not have enough storage space in your personal files, you will not be able to upload your profile picture. Create more space by removing some files in your personal files.
  • If your institution has enabled offline content, you can allow users in your course to download course content as an HTML file in the Modules page. This feature supports courses that use complex HTML or dynamic linking to downloaded files. Users can view the HTML file on a computer any time. Learn how to download your course HTML file.

    Exports are based on modules. To use this feature, you must allow students to view modules in the course, either by displaying the Modules link in Course Navigation or enabling modules as the Course Home Page layout. Even if your course does not include content directly in modules, course content export packages include all course files, pages, and embedded files in other course content as long as the user has permission to view them.

    Exported content does not expire, so please ensure your institution has specific online user agreement guidelines as exported content files cannot be managed by the institution. When exporting content, users are notified that they may not reproduce or communicate any of the content in the course, including files exported from the course, without the prior written permission of their institution.

    Note: If your course does not display the Offline Content option, your institution has not enabled this feature. However, you may be able to allow students to export course content as an ePub file using the ePub Exporting feature option in Course Settings.

  • Updated on: Jul 21, 2021

    How do I set a course format?

    You can set the format for a course in Course Settings. Course format shows whether the course is intended to be an on-campus course, a online course, or a blended course. Blended courses can sometimes be called hybrid courses, but the interpretation can be defined by your institution.

    For admins, currently course format reporting can only be accessed through the Courses API.