Student Guide for Uploading a Mobile Video to a Canvas Discussion
Students can use the instructions below to upload a video file recorded on your mobile device to a Canvas Discussion (setup by the instructor) through the rich content editor using the mobile browser. Your instructor will provide specific assignment details and the name of the discussion assignment.
Before students begin:
In order to successfully upload a video from your mobile device that your instructor can view and grade, you'll need to use the Canvas Student App.
Download and install the Canvas Student App:
- For iOS: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-9831-18561185379
- For Android: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-9758-18555199445
Record your video according to the directions provided by your instructor. It’s a good idea for students to record the video before submitting. Students can use the native tools on their mobile device to make the recording. They can replay the recording to make sure it is satisfactory.
- Record a video on your iOS mobile device: https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/take-videos-iph61f49e4bb/ios
- Record a video on your Android mobile device: https://support.google.com/googlecamera/answer/7064897?hl=en&ref_topic=6164365
Review the "Special instructions for uploading video Discussion posts" section below to learn more about video file size limitations and upload requirements.
Log in to the Canvas Student App, navigate to your course site, using these instructions:
- For iOS: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-9715-how-do-i-log-in-to-the-student-app-on-my-ios-device-with-a-canvas-url
- For Android: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-9755-18555199446
More help with the Canvas Student App:
- For iOS: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4100
- For Android: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-4104
Step #3
Locate the appropriate Discussion from the Assignments or Modules areas.
Step #4
Tap the Submit Assignment button.
Step #5
Tap the Reply button.
Step #6
Tap the Message box to bring up the content menu, then tap the Image icon.
Step #7Locate the appropriate video and tap the thumbnail.
Step #8Tap the Choose button.
Step #9Ensure that the "Compressing Video..." process has finished. Do not navigate away from this page until the blue bar has successfully completed.
Step #10Once you return to the "Reply" page, ensure that the upload process has finished. Do not navigate away from this page until the red circle has successfully completed.
Step #11When the video has uploaded successfully, tap the Send button.
Step #12Once you return to the "Discussion" page, your video may display a play button with a line through it. If this happens, this is expected behavior. The video is being prepared on the Canvas servers and will be available once it is complete. DO NOT re-upload the video.
Step #13When the video is finished, you can tap the Play button to preview your post.
Special instructions for uploading video Discussion posts
There is an upload file size limit of 500MB in the rich content editor in Canvas. In most cases, students should not exceed this limit. However, if your exported video exceeds 500MB, students can change the resolution of the video to make it smaller.
Most mobile video recording defaults to1080p, but some phones may be set to record at 4k resolution. These high resolution formats may result in very large video sizes. For online submissions, 720p is more than adequate. Guides for reducing video resolution can be found here:
Reducing video resolution on your iOS mobile device: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209431
Reducing video resolution on your Android mobile device: https://support.google.com/googlecamera/answer/2838995?hl=en