If you live in Google Calendar or Apple Calendar, you can bring your Canvas assignments in with a single link. You only set this up once.
Step 1: Copy your Canvas Calendar Feed link
In Canvas on a computer, click Calendar, then Calendar Feed at the bottom right, and copy the link. Full steps are in this guide.
Step 2a: Google Calendar
- Open Google Calendar on a computer.
- Next to Other calendars on the left, click the +.
- Choose From URL.
- Paste your Canvas feed link and click Add calendar.
It will show up under Other calendars. Rename it to "Canvas" and pick a color so it stands out.
Step 2b: Apple Calendar
On a Mac: open Calendar, choose File, then New Calendar Subscription, paste the link and click Subscribe. Set Auto-refresh to the most frequent option.
On iPhone: open Settings, then Calendar (on newer iOS: Settings, Apps, Calendar), then Accounts, then Add Account, choose Other, then Add Subscribed Calendar, and paste the link.
How often does it update?
Subscribed calendars don't update instantly. Google Calendar can take up to around 12 hours to refresh an outside feed, and Apple Calendar refreshes on the schedule you choose. If a teacher moves a due date this morning, your calendar may not show it until later.
The catch: calendars aren't to-do lists
A calendar shows when things are due, but you can't check assignments off, and everything looks equally urgent. Many students use both: a calendar for the big picture and a list for what to do today.
lum9a reads the same Canvas link and turns it into a checklist with Overdue, Today and This Evening sections. It checks for new assignments while it's open, and every task you finish grows a small pixel world.