Canvas Release Notes (2025-04-19)

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Upcoming Canvas Changes

2025-05-17

• Breaking Change: Gradebook Icon Update for LTI Assignment and Grade Service

2025-06-21

• Feature Enforcement: New Course and User Analytics

For more information, please see Upcoming Canvas Changes.

Release notes outline upcoming customer-impacting changes that are expected to display in beta and/or production environments. Please note that features considered for future development are not included in the notes.

Unless otherwise stated, all features in this release are available in the Beta environment on 2025-03-17 and the Production environment on 2025-04-19.

All Resources | Features in this release may be included in product blogs and other content areas. For all related links, view the 2025-04-19 Community tag.

• Institutions are responsible for conducting thorough evaluations of their custom CSS/JS with each release and deploy to assess potential impacts.
• Subscribe to the Canvas release notes to be notified of updates.
• For general questions related to this release, see the Canvas Release Notes FAQ
• Looking to discuss the features in the Release Notes? Post a reply in the Features Q&A: Canvas Release Notes (2024-04-19)

Table of Contents

• Upcoming Canvas Changes
• 2025-05-17
• 2025-06-21
• New Features
• Media
• Media Player with Improved Accessibility and Usability
• Other Updates
• Accessibility Updates
• Enhanced Structural Clarity
• Improved Error Feedback

New Features

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Media

Media Player with Improved Accessibility and Usability

All Users

Feature Option to Enable	None
Beta Environment Availability	2025-03-19
Enable Feature Option Location & Default Status	N/A
Subaccount Configuration	N/A
Account/Course Setting to Enable	None
Permissions	Inherent to user role
Affects User Interface	Yes
Affected Areas	Assignments, Files, Modules, Rich Content Editor, SpeedGrader
Related Ideas	None

Summary

The media player playback experience has been improved with enhanced accessibility, adaptive streaming, and privacy features.

• The default embed size is increased to 480x300px.
• The play bar is redesigned and repositioned.
• An open-source media player is integrated to align with the Canvas design pattern.
• The Closed Caption icon is updated.
• Keyboard accessibility is improved with the addition of a hidden shortcut icon.
• Privacy measures are enhanced to ensure secure playback.
• Video quality automatically adjusts based on available bandwidth. Update: This feature will gradually become available worldwide between April 19 and April 30.
• Note: This feature will be available in the beta environment on 2025-04-19. 
• The ability to upload and delete closed captions.
• Note: The Caption Delete feature will be available in the beta environment on 2025-04-19.

Note: This update impacts all areas where the media player is used. This update is not currently available in Studio, subscribe to the Studio Release Notes for upcoming changes.

Change Benefit

This update provides better usability, accessibility, and integration, offering a more intuitive design, improved navigation, and greater compatibility with Canvas. These updates streamline the user experience while maintaining familiarity and long-term support.

Feature Workflow

Media Player Play Bar

The media player embed size is increased [1]. The toolbar is redesigned and repositioned to allow full-screen playback [2]. Additionally, the Closed Caption icon is updated [3].

Media Player Keyboard Shortcut Icon

Keyboard only users can access a keyboard shortcut icon.

Media Player Keyboard Shortcut List

The Keyboard shortcut icon displays a list of actions and shortcuts.

Media Player Upload Subtitles Option

Click the Options button, to upload and delete subtitles. 

Feature Video

Not Available

Other Updates

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Accessibility Updates

All Users

Over the coming months, a series of updates will be introduced to enhance Canvas's accessibility, intuitiveness, and equity, with a focus on improving usability for assistive technology users. These updates will include changes in the following areas:

Enhanced Structural Clarity 

Refined semantic markup in the user interface to improve communication of content relationships and hierarchy.

Improved Error Feedback

In the user interface, improved error messages in forms and interactive elements provide clearer and more accessible feedback. Error messages were added to required fields that previously lacked them, while existing error states were updated to follow a consistent pattern. Focused states for missing or incorrect fields ensure a uniform experience for all users, whether using a mouse, keyboard, or screen reader.