How to enter a feature request?

[5tephenDD55]

I am a teacher and relative novice user of Canvas (<1yr).  I noted a discrepancy between the Android-based Canvas user interface that of browser-based Canvas. The Android Canvas menu scheme has a selection for Notifications. Chrome or other browser-based Canvas user interfaces do not.  This leaves me asking where the Notifications are located, ie, how to get to them. Having been in I.T. support over 43 years, I can stand behind the need for similar user interfaces across platforms.  So I reported this to Instructure, and was told that my observation was not a bug, but a new feature request.  I cannot figure out how to enter a feature request for this request.  Perhaps because I am using this forum, and I need to get to an Instructure webpage?

So Help, please.

[dbrace · Accepted solution]

Hi @5tephenDD55,

You can head on over to Canvas Ideas in order to view and submit ideas.  More information is available at https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Instructure-Community-Guide/tkb-p/community#Ideas.

You may also want to review It’s Time for Your Feedback on the Future of Ideas & Themes (2024-10-18) and Thank You for Your Feedback on Ideas and Themes (2024-11-21) for information about how the Ideas / Themes process will be changing in the future.

-Doug

[5tephenDD55]

Thank you, dbrace!   I could not find the "Submit an idea" button on the Canvas Ideas page. The second link that you provided shows that button is at the very top of all of the categories. Now I will try to get there!

[5tephenDD55]

Well, I can't find the "Submit an idea" button on the Canvas Ideas landing page

https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Ideas/idb-p/canvas-ideas

I believe I'm on the correct web page:  Community > Canvas > Canvas Ideas > Canvas Ideas

The button also does not appear on the level:  Community > Canvas > Canvas Ideas

See both attached images.  No button is present in either portrait or landscape view on my Chrome browser on my Android Samsung Galaxy Tab S 9+

Perhaps it's that Android browser does not show the button? 

If you can post the link to the "Submit an Idea"  button for Canvas LMS here, I would appreciate it. 

[Chris_Hofer]

@5tephenDD55 ...

Ah...the yellow banner in both of your screenshots is the answer.  In order to submit new ideas here in the Community, you need to "rank up" (similar to leveling up in games).  This is a mechanism built-in to the Canvas Community so as to prevent spamming on the website.  Thankfully, you're probably well on your way to getting to the next level, and there really isn't all that much you'd need to do to "rank up" to the next level after your current level of "COMMUNITY NOVICE".  Check out these Guides:

• How do I rank up in the Instructure Community?
• What are the Community ranks and roles?

If you click on your avatar at the top right corner of the screen and then select "My profile", that should load a screen for you where you can look at your stats.  (Look at the "About" and "My Stats" tabs on that page.)

I hope this will help a bit.  Good luck!

[Chris_Hofer]

@5tephenDD55 ...

In addition to what @dbrace stated, I think you're also asking about how to get to the "Notifications" screen when using a regular browser on your desktop/laptop computer?  If so, there are a couple Guides available to you:

• How do I manage my Canvas notification settings?
• How do I manage notifications for a single course?

I hope this will also be of some help to you.

[5tephenDD55]

Chris, thank you for your suggestions. However my question is not about how to change settings on notifications, but on the fact that Android Canvas has a Notifications menu selection, but browser-based Canvas does NOT. This leaves the novice user such as I asking where the Notifications are located in the browser-based format?  This discrepancy between user interfaces (Android vs browser) also exposes a confusing issue for novice users.

[Chris_Hofer]

@5tephenDD55 ...

Hi again.  Since I do not own an Android device, I can't really help you there.  Just for clarification, though...  on your Android device, are you using the official Android Canvas Teacher app?  How do I download the Teacher app on my Android device?  If so, you say that you can view the "Notifications" menu via the app, correct?

However, you are also saying that you cannot view the Canvas "Notifications" menu in a normal browser?  By "browser", I am assuming that you are using a desktop or laptop computer, is this correct?  Or, are you using some other browser such as the browser (not the app) on your Android device?  The Guides I provided above were in case you weren't sure where to access the "Notifications" screen in a browser on your desktop/laptop computer.

If you could help by providing some additional clarification ... or even a screenshot or two (being careful not to display any student names/grades...if that were to apply...for privacy reasons), that would be helpful as well.

Thanks much!

[5tephenDD55]

Hi Chris,

First, thanks for your patience with this novice. 

I didn't realize there was a Android Canvas Teacher app!  I just installed it on my tablet and attempted to login but it doesn't recognize my fingerprint, like the Student version does ??

It displays: "The user agent does not support public key credentials."

"Can't verify?

Are you trying to use a biometric authenticator?

Biometric authenticators (fingerprint, face recognition, PIN) will only work on the same device on which they were set up."

[Canvas Student recognizes my fingerprint...perhaps I need to exit Student version before login]

"If available, set up another security method on the device you used to set up your biometric authenticator.

Are you trying to use a security key?

If you have set up a security key, insert it in a USB port when prompted by the browser and tap on the button or gold disk. Security keys can work on multiple devices

Can't get past it...yet.  Exitting Android Canvas Student did not resolve. Will reboot my tablet.

As for your question about Notifications on Chrome browser.  I checked both Windows 11 Chrome browser and Android Chrome browser,  but there is no "Notifications" menu selection, as there is in Android Canvas Student app.  See attached images.

[dbrace]

Hi @5tephenDD55,

When using Canvas from a web browser (whether from a desktop, tablet, tablet, or phone), it is possible to adjust notifications by clicking on "Account" and then "Notifications".

and then

  

or if using a tablet, phone, or small web browser window

 

and then

and then 

Additional guidance can be found at  How do I manage my Canvas notification settings? - Instructure Community - 615326 .

Does that help you?

-Doug

 

 

[Chris_Hofer]

@5tephenDD55 ....

Thanks for sharing those screenshots.  The "Notifications" bell icon isn't anything I've seen before on mobile ... but I must admit that I don't really log in to Canvas via the browser on my iPhone.  So, that interface might be slightly different than what you experience on a normal web browser using your desktop/laptop computer.  The same would hold true with the Android app.  You're not going to be able to do absolutely everything in the app that you can when using your laptop/desktop computer.  I hope this helps a bit to clarify things.

[5tephenDD55]

Thank you Chris.

Your statement, "You're not going to be able to do absolutely everything in the app that you can when using your laptop/desktop computer." is what I want to address with the Android app.  If Instructure (Canvas) makes it available,  the app should contain in-app notices of features that are not available in the app that are available on a browser, particularly Windows.

For your information, the Notifications selector is in the Android Canvas Student app, but it is NOT in the Android Canvas Teacher app. (I learned this yesterday)

This makes me wonder if Notifications are student-targeted messages, unlike Inbox messages that can be bi-directional between teacher and student.

[dbrace]

Hi @5tephenDD55,

In the Canvas Resource Documents - Instructure Community area of the Community, there are Canvas Student Mobile Features - Instructure Community - 388741 and Canvas Teacher Mobile Features - Instructure Community - 388744 guides that can be reviewed.

For the Teacher app for Android, it is possible to adjust notifications.

1. log into the Teacher app for Android
2. tap on the "three horizontal lines" icon in the upper-left
3. tap on "Settings"
4. tap on "Push Notifications" or "Email Notifications"
5. adjust notifications as desired

How do I set Notification Preferences in the Teacher app on my Android device? - Instructure Communi...

-Doug