If you create graphic designs regularly, you might be already using or considering using Canva.
Then a big question that comes up is if you can use Canva offline.
In this post, I will answer the question of whether Canva can be used offline, what you can do offline if you have Canva, and the benefits of Canva being offline.
Can you use Canva offline?
A very clear and direct answer is no, you cannot use Canva offline (yet!) without being connected to the internet.
Canva offers a wide selection of features and tools, but to use even one of them, you need an active internet connection.
In the future, it may be possible to use Canva partially or completely offline, but as of now, there is no possibility to do so.
So if you want to take full advantage of what Canva has to offer, then you must be connected to the web.
Can you use the Canva app offline?
Canva can be downloaded and used as a desktop app for Windows or as a mobile app for Mac Os, iOS, and Android.
Instead of using Canva on your online web browser, you can install the Canva app on your PC or mobile and use it as a desktop tool/ mobile app.
Even though it’s an app installed on your desktop, you still need an internet connection to use the Canva app.
The Canva app cannot be used offline on the desktop or on mobile.
See the screenshot below of the Canva app open on a PC.
When you don’t have an internet connection, you cannot access any Canva feature.
Is there any way of working with Canva offline?
You cannot create any design or access the content library of Canva if you are offline.
However, you can still make use of Canva’s features when you work offline by downloading the content first.
Sometimes you may need the premium images or videos from Canva, but create the design outside Canva.
For example, to insert some images into an MS Word file or Powerpoint presentation.
I do this quite often!
Simply download all the graphics and images you need from Canva when you have an internet connection.
Work on the designs in peace when you are offline!
Pro tip:
If you download elements from the Canva library to work on your designs outside Canva, you have to double-check copyright issues.
All the content you use on Canva to create designs within the tool is free to use for commercial use.
Just check out the Canva copyright guidelines for every image if you can use Canva content for offline use.
Benefits of Canva being available only online
On one hand, you might be frustrated with the fact that you cannot use Canva to create graphic and brand designs when you are offline.
It makes you depend on a reliable and fast internet connection.
But without such a connection, most of us can’t do our work anyway.
Besides, look at the positives of Canva not being available offline!
1. Your designs are always secure
Most of us know or can imagine the horror of our hard drives crashing and losing all our files!
When you use Canva, you will never lose any design as they are all stored on the cloud, within Canva.
Pro Tip:
Canva Pro offers storage space of 1 TB, which gives you enough space to store all your designs.
It also offers unlimited folders to manage and organize all your design files.
So it’s like having a hard drive only for your designs, all saved online, to keep them safe.
2. You can access your designs from anywhere
You don’t have to carry around a flash or hard drive to access all your folders and designs. And if you do, like for a client meeting, then you don’t have to panic!
Since everything is online, you can access any design you want anywhere you have a laptop and an internet connection!
3. Your designs are always saved
Canva automatically saves your designs every five seconds.
So you don’t have to remember to save your work or fret if your computer shuts down suddenly and you haven’t saved your work.
Unlike in PowerPoint and Illustrator, you don’t have to recover files as well, if a file was not saved.
Even if you didn’t manually save a Canva design, Canva saved it for you. Simply open the app and continue editing your design.
Canva offline – Conclusion
While you cannot use any of the Canva features offline, there are benefits to it being available only online.
This is so cool. Clever, too, from a privacy-security perspective. I figure it helps bloggers avoid online distractions because we seem to be pulled to and fro sometimes in the online world. Working Canva offline focuses bloggers on getting the design job done. Makes sense to me. Smart post here.
Hi Ryan,
Being able to save your designs automatically while you work online can definitely help when you are juggling multiple tasks. Thanks a lot for your comment!
Cheers,
Poulomi