Remove courses from your Canvas dashboard by hiding them or unenrolling
Canvas gives you two ways to clean up your dashboard. You can hide a course so it no longer appears on your main dashboard view — the course stays in your account and you can unhide it later. Or you can unenroll from a course entirely, which removes you from the roster and deletes access. Most students hide courses they've finished rather than unenroll, because unenrolling is permanent and your instructor may not let you back in.
Both actions take about 30 seconds and don't affect your grades or transcript. The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're using Canvas on a computer or phone, but the menu options are the same.
Key Takeaways
- Hiding a course removes it from your dashboard view but keeps it in your account — you can unhide it anytime without asking your instructor.
- Unenrolling removes you from the course entirely and is permanent; your instructor may not allow you to re-enroll.
- On a computer, right-click the course card or use the three-dot menu to find hide and unenroll options.
- On a phone, swipe left on the course name in your course list to reveal the hide option, or tap the menu icon for more choices.
- Hidden courses still count toward your total course load and still send you notifications unless you change notification settings separately.
Hide a course on your computer
Open Canvas and go to your dashboard. Find the course card you want to hide. In the top right corner of that card, click the three vertical dots (the menu icon). A dropdown menu will appear with several options.
Click Hide from Dashboard. The course card will disappear from your main view when ready. You'll still be enrolled and can access the course by searching for it or by going to your Courses menu on the left sidebar — it just won't clutter your dashboard anymore.
Hide a course on your phone or tablet
Open the Canvas app and tap the Courses tab at the bottom. You'll see a list of all your courses. Find the one you want to hide and swipe left on it (or long-press on some Android devices). A menu will slide out from the right side showing options including Hide.
Tap Hide. The course will disappear from your course list view. If you need to access it later, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the top left, then tap All Courses to see hidden ones as well.
Unenroll from a course permanently
If you want to remove yourself from a course entirely — not just hide it — you can unenroll. On a computer, click the three-dot menu on the course card and select Unenroll. Canvas will ask you to confirm. Once you confirm, you are removed from the course roster and lose access to all course materials.
Unenrolling is permanent. Your instructor will see you as no longer enrolled, and you cannot re-enroll yourself. If you change your mind, you'll have to contact your instructor or your school's registrar to be added back. For this reason, most students hide courses instead of unenrolling unless they have a specific reason to remove themselves completely.
Unhide a course you've hidden
If you hide a course and later want to see it on your dashboard again, unhiding takes one click. On a computer, go to your dashboard and look for a link or button that says Show Courses or View Hidden Courses — this is usually at the bottom of your course list or in a menu. Click it to see all hidden courses, then click the three-dot menu on the course you want to unhide and select Show on Dashboard.
On a phone, tap the menu icon at the top left, then tap All Courses. Swipe left on a hidden course and tap Unhide. The course will reappear in your main course list.
What happens to grades and notifications when you hide or unenroll
Hiding a course does not affect your grades, transcript, or any assignments you've already submitted. Your grade in that course remains on your record. However, you will still receive notifications from that course unless you change your notification settings separately. If you want to hide a course and stop getting messages from it, go to your Canvas account settings, find Notifications, and turn off alerts for that specific course.
Unenrolling is different. Once you unenroll, you lose access to all course materials, discussions, and assignments. Your grades up to that point stay on your transcript, but you cannot submit new work or see future updates. You also stop receiving notifications from that course automatically.
Troubleshooting: the hide option isn't showing
If you don't see a Hide option in the course menu, it may be because your instructor or school has restricted student access to hide courses. Some institutions require students to keep all enrolled courses visible on their dashboard. In this case, contact your instructor or your school's IT help desk to ask if the restriction can be lifted.
Another reason the option might not appear is if you're viewing a course you're not actually enrolled in — for example, a course you're auditing or observing. Audit and observer accounts sometimes have limited dashboard controls. Check your enrollment status in your account settings under Enrollments to confirm you're a full student in the course.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I hide a course, can my instructor see that I hid it?
No. Hiding a course only affects what you see on your dashboard. Your instructor cannot tell whether you've hidden the course, and it doesn't change your enrollment status or access to materials.
Can I hide multiple courses at once?
Canvas does not have a bulk-hide feature. You must hide courses one at a time using the three-dot menu on each course card. If you have many courses to hide, it takes a few minutes but is straightforward.
What's the difference between hiding and muting a course?
Hiding removes the course from your dashboard view entirely. Muting (if your Canvas version has it) keeps the course visible but silences notifications from it. Check your course menu to see which options your school's Canvas setup offers.
If I unenroll and then want to take the course again later, what do I do?
You cannot re-enroll yourself. Contact your instructor or your school's registrar with your course number and section. They can add you back to the roster, but this is a manual process and may not be possible depending on your school's policies or whether the course is still open.
Will hiding a course affect my financial aid or full-time status?
Hiding a course does not change your enrollment status. You remain enrolled and the course still counts toward your course load for financial aid and full-time status purposes. Only unenrolling removes you from the course for those purposes, and you should check with your school's financial aid office before unenrolling if aid is a concern.