How do students experience your course from their preferred device?

Why does Canvas look different depending on how you access it?

You can access Canvas in three common ways:

Canvas Desktop — Canvas opened in a web browser on a computer.
Canvas Student App — the Canvas Student app installed on an iOS or Android phone or tablet.
Canvas Mobile Browser — Canvas opened through a browser such as Safari or Chrome on a phone or tablet.

All three connect to the same Canvas course, but the layout, navigation, and some available tools can be different.

Important: Your instructor controls what is available in your course. If an instructor hides a course feature, it may not appear regardless of whether you are using a computer or mobile device. Canvas also notes that some course features have different experiences or limitations on mobile devices.

Canvas on a Desktop Computer

Best for: Completing your coursework

Canvas is optimized for desktop displays, making a computer the best option when you need to work extensively in a course.

Students can typically:

View the Dashboard
Open courses and course modules
View course Pages
Read announcements
View assignments and assignment instructions
Submit assignments
Upload files
Take quizzes
Participate in discussions
View grades and feedback
Use the Calendar
Use the Inbox
Access course Files when available
Edit content in the Rich Content Editor when permitted
Collaborate with classmates when collaboration tools are enabled
Navigate the full course menu
Use course links and external tools when supported
Complete activities that require a larger screen

Students may see more on desktop

The desktop version generally provides the fullest Canvas interface, including the complete course navigation and more screen space for assignments, quizzes, discussions, documents, and other course content.

Recommended for:

Major coursework, quizzes, assignments, uploading files, reviewing feedback, and anything that requires detailed interaction.

Canvas Student App

Best for: Checking in and completing common tasks on the go

The Canvas Student app is designed specifically for mobile devices. Students can log into the app using their institution's Canvas URL or, where supported, a QR-code login.

The app provides quick access to common Canvas activities without requiring students to open a browser.

Students can typically:

View the Dashboard
Open their courses
View course content
View Pages
View assignments
Submit many types of assignments
View grades
Participate in discussions
View announcements
Use the Calendar
View their To Do list
Receive notifications
Use the Inbox
Access course Files when available
Complete some quizzes
Interact with supported external tools

The Canvas Student app includes mobile-oriented navigation such as Dashboard, Calendar, To Do, Notifications, and Inbox.

Students may NOT see everything exactly as they do on a computer

The app is not simply a smaller version of the desktop website.

Some features may:

Look different
Have fewer options
Require additional taps
Open in another screen or browser
Have limited functionality
Work differently depending on the type of assignment or external tool

For example, Canvas documentation notes that the course navigation in the Student app follows the course navigation available in the browser. If an instructor removes a course-navigation item, students will not see it in the app either.

Recommended for:

Checking announcements, reviewing grades, checking due dates, reading course materials, communicating, and completing routine coursework while away from a computer.

Canvas in a Mobile Browser

Best for: Accessing Canvas when you don't have the app

Students can also open Canvas through a mobile web browser such as Safari or Chrome.

However, Instructure recommends using the mobile apps for the best mobile experience and notes that Canvas is optimized primarily for desktop displays.

Students can typically:

Log into Canvas
View the Dashboard
Open courses
Navigate course content
View assignments
View Pages
Participate in discussions
View grades
Use the Calendar
Use the Inbox
Access other Canvas features available through the browser

Students may experience:

Smaller text and controls
More scrolling
Menus that are harder to navigate
Features that are difficult to use on a small screen
Limited support for some mobile-browser configurations
Different behavior than the Canvas Student app

Recommended for

Quick access when the Canvas Student app isn't installed or isn't available.

For extensive coursework, a desktop computer is generally the better choice.

What Can Students See and Do?

Applications and Features Across Platforms
Feature	Desktop Browser	Canvas Student App	Mobile Browser
Dashboard	✅	✅	✅
Course Home	✅	✅	✅
Modules	✅	✅	✅
Pages	✅	✅	✅
Assignments	✅	✅	✅
Submit Assignments	✅	✅	✅
Discussions	✅	✅	✅
Grades	✅	✅	✅
Calendar	✅	✅	✅
To Do List	✅	✅	Varies
Notifications	✅	✅	Varies
Inbox	✅	✅	✅
Course Files	✅	✅	✅
Quizzes	✅	✅	✅
External Tools	✅	Varies	Varies
Full desktop layout	✅	❌	❌
Best Experience for Major Coursework	⭐	Good	Fair

Availability and functionality can vary by assignment, quiz type, course configuration, device, and external tool.

What students should know

Your instructor controls your course

If you don't see a particular menu item, assignment, Page, quiz, or other feature, it may be because:

Your instructor has not published it.
Your instructor has hidden the feature.
The item is not available yet.
The item has an availability date.
Your course is configured differently.
The feature is not fully supported in your current device or app.

A feature being visible on one device does not necessarily mean that every feature will look or behave exactly the same way on another device.

Which Canvas should I use?

🖥️ Use Canvas Desktop when...

You are:

Completing a major assignment
Taking a complex quiz
Uploading multiple files
Writing a long discussion post
Reviewing detailed instructor feedback
Working with documents or external tools
Doing anything that requires a larger screen

📱 Use the Canvas Student App when...

You want to:

Check what's due
Read an announcement
Check your grades
Review course materials
Respond to a discussion
Check notifications
Message your instructor
Quickly access your courses

🌐 Use a Mobile Browser when...

You need Canvas quickly but:

Don't have the Student app installed
Are using a device where the app isn't available
Need to access Canvas through Safari or Chrome

A Simple Rule to Remember

Desktop = fullest experience
Student App = convenient mobile experience
Mobile Browser = backup mobile access

If something looks different—or you can't find a feature—don't assume that it isn't available. First check the desktop version of Canvas. If you still cannot find it, check whether your instructor has made the feature available.

Before submitting an assignment

For important assignments, quizzes, or activities:

Check the instructions in Canvas.
Make sure you are using the required submission method.
Verify that your file uploaded successfully.
Confirm that Canvas shows your submission.
For complex assignments, use a desktop computer whenever possible.

Canvas works across computers and mobile devices, but the experience is not identical on every platform. Knowing which version you are using can help you troubleshoot problems and choose the best device for the task.