Canvas app on Mac OS

[nweaver]

We have had several students download the Canvas v8.0.1 app onto their Mac computers. Most things have worked fine for them however, when they go to open any MS office documents, all they see is jibberish. PDF documents display fine. We have instructed them to use a web browser for the time being and that is working fine for them. The documents open fine that way. 

I am wondering if anyone else has experienced this issue. If so, have you figured anything out to make the office documents display properly .

Thanks

Neil 

[Chris_Hofer · Accepted solution]

Hi @nweaver ...

Full disclosure, I do not own a Mac laptop/computer.  But, I wonder if the issue is that you are trying to use the iOS Canvas app that is designed for mobile devices on a laptop/computer?  I've not seen the Canvas app run on a Mac computer before, so maybe this is possible...I'm not sure.  But, it's just a thought I had as I had read through your question.  My $0.02 for what it's worth.

[DanielleLentz]

Hey! Users have reported issues with opening MS Office documents (such as .docx and .pdf files) in Canvas on Mac computers, where files either appear blank or do not display properly. These issues are often related to browser compatibility, out-of-date browsers, or the absence of necessary applications (e.g., Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat) on the Mac. Solutions suggested by the community include ensuring that the browser is up to date (especially Safari, which updates with the macOS), trying alternative browsers like Chrome or Firefox, checking Canvas browser requirements, clearing cache and logs, and verifying that the required software to open the file types is installed on the Mac. If issues persist after these steps, I recommend contacting Canvas Support for further assistance.

[nweaver]

Thanks Danielle. Our users have only had issues when using the App that was downloaded from the Mac Store. When they go into the web browser the documents display fine. Thanks again. 

[Chris_Hofer · Accepted solution]

Hi @nweaver ...

Full disclosure, I do not own a Mac laptop/computer.  But, I wonder if the issue is that you are trying to use the iOS Canvas app that is designed for mobile devices on a laptop/computer?  I've not seen the Canvas app run on a Mac computer before, so maybe this is possible...I'm not sure.  But, it's just a thought I had as I had read through your question.  My $0.02 for what it's worth.

[chriscas · Accepted solution]

Hi @nweaver,

As @Chris_Hofer suggested, I think what you're seeing is the app thats actually designed for iPad/iPhone devices (see screenshot here where is says "designed for iPad").

If your students are using a Macbook, I'd always advise using the web browser to access Canvas.  The app is great for providing notifications and doing some limited work on mobile/tablet devices, but it does not (and probably never will) have all the features of Canvas on the web.  Using Canvas through an updated web browser with an updated operating system will almost always yield the best experience on a laptop/desktop.

I hope this helps!

-Chris

[nweaver]

Thanks @DanielleLentz.

Neil

[nweaver]

Thanks @chriscas and @Chris_Hofer. The students are now using web browser instead of the app on their Mac computers and are happy with that. Take care!

- Neil