Remove a Course by Hiding It From Your Dashboard
The fastest way to clean up your Canvas dashboard is to hide courses you no longer need to see. When you hide a course, it disappears from your main dashboard view but stays in your account — you can unhide it later if you need it back. This takes about 30 seconds per course and requires no permission from your instructor.
To hide a course, go to your Canvas dashboard and find the course card you want to remove. In the top right corner of that course card, click the three-dot menu icon (sometimes called the "more options" menu). A dropdown will appear with several choices. Select "Hide from Dashboard" or "Hide" — the exact wording depends on your Canvas version. The course card will vanish from your dashboard when ready.
Hidden courses still appear in your Courses list on the left sidebar under "All Courses" or when you click the Courses menu. You can still access them, submit assignments, and see grades. Hiding just removes them from the main dashboard view so you see only the courses you are actively taking.
Key Takeaways
- Click the three-dot menu on any course card and select "Hide from Dashboard" to remove it from your view without deleting it.
- Hidden courses remain in your account and appear in your full Courses list, so you can still access them if needed.
- You can unhide a course at any time by finding it in your Courses list, clicking its menu, and selecting "Show on Dashboard."
- Hiding a course does not affect your grades, assignments, or enrollment — only what appears on your main dashboard.
- If you want a course completely removed from your account, you must contact your instructor or administrator, as students cannot permanently delete courses.
Find the Three-Dot Menu on Your Course Card
Every course on your Canvas dashboard appears as a card with the course name, a thumbnail image, and action buttons. The three-dot menu sits in the top right corner of the card, next to or near the course title. On some Canvas layouts, it appears as three vertical dots; on others, it may be labeled "Options" or show as a gear icon.
Hover your mouse over the course card if the menu does not appear right away — some Canvas versions hide the menu until you move your cursor over the card. Once you see the three dots, click them to open the dropdown menu with hiding and other options.
Unhide a Course if You Change Your Mind
If you hide a course and later decide you want to see it on your dashboard again, you can unhide it in two ways. The first is to go to your Courses list (usually accessible from the left sidebar or the main menu), find the hidden course in the full list, click its three-dot menu, and select "Show on Dashboard."
The second way is to look for a "Manage Courses" or "Edit Dashboard" option on your dashboard itself — some Canvas versions include a button that lets you manage which courses appear. Click that button and you will see a list of all your courses with checkboxes or toggles. Check the box next to any hidden course to bring it back to your dashboard view.
What Happens When You Hide a Course
Hiding a course removes it from your dashboard but does not change anything about your enrollment or grades. You remain enrolled in the course, your assignments and grades stay in your account, and your instructor can still see your work. The course straightforward stops showing up on the main page you see when you log in.
This is useful when you finish a course but want to keep it in your account for reference, or when you are taking many courses and want to focus your dashboard on current ones. You can hide as many courses as you want without any penalty or notification to your instructor.
Permanently Remove a Course From Your Account
Canvas does not give students the option to permanently delete courses from their account. If you want a course completely removed — not just hidden — you must contact your instructor or your school's Canvas administrator. They can remove you from the course entirely, which will delete it from your account.
Before asking for removal, consider whether hiding the course instead might work for you. Hiding keeps your grades and work history in your account, which can be useful for transcripts or future reference. Permanent removal erases all record of the course from your view, so you cannot retrieve grades or assignments later.
Organize Your Dashboard by Hiding Inactive Courses
A common reason to hide courses is to keep your dashboard clean during a semester. If you are taking five courses but only actively working on three, hiding the other two makes your dashboard less cluttered and helps you focus on what matters right now. You can hide them at the start of the semester and unhide them later if you need to review old material.
Another scenario is after a course ends. Once you have finished a course and received your final grade, hiding it removes it from your daily view while keeping it in your account for future reference. This is especially helpful if you take many courses over time and want your dashboard to show only current or recent courses.
Troubleshooting: The Menu Does Not Appear
If you cannot find the three-dot menu on your course card, try refreshing your browser page. Sometimes Canvas takes a moment to load all the interactive elements on the dashboard. If the menu still does not appear, check that you are using a supported browser — Canvas works best on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.
If you are on a mobile device, the menu location may be different. On phones and tablets, try tapping and holding on the course card, or look for a menu icon that appears when you tap the card. If you still cannot find it, try accessing Canvas from a desktop or laptop computer, where the three-dot menu is easier to locate and click.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my instructor see that I hid a course?
No. Hiding a course is a personal dashboard preference that only you can see. Your instructor has no way to know whether you hid the course, and it does not affect your enrollment or grades in any way.
If I hide a course, will I miss assignments or announcements?
You may miss notifications if your Canvas settings send them only to your dashboard. To stay informed about hidden courses, check your notification settings and make sure important messages are sent to your email instead. You can also visit the hidden course directly from your Courses list whenever you need to check for updates.
Can I hide multiple courses at once?
No, you must hide courses one at a time using the three-dot menu on each course card. There is no bulk hide feature in Canvas. However, the process is quick — hiding a course takes only a few seconds.
What is the difference between hiding a course and unenrolling from it?
Hiding removes the course from your dashboard view but keeps you enrolled and able to access it. Unenrolling removes you from the course entirely, which usually requires instructor permission and may delete your grades and work. Hiding is reversible and does not affect your enrollment status.
Will hiding a course affect my GPA or transcript?
No. Hiding a course is only a display preference on your dashboard. Your grades, transcript, and GPA are not affected in any way. The course remains part of your academic record whether it is hidden or visible.