Canva's "Glow Up" was positioned as a major leap forward—a redesigned homepage and a cleaner, more focused editing experience intended to make design work faster and more intuitive. For many users, however, the reality has been the opposite. Since the rollout, a wave of complaints has surfaced about the platform becoming sluggish, resource-heavy, and difficult to navigate, with video exports arriving jumpy and low-quality.
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What Changed in the "Glow Up" Update
The update introduced a fresh, light-themed interface, a redesigned floating object panel, and a reorganized workspace. Canva's official documentation describes these changes as improvements designed to streamline creativity and make frequently used tools more accessible. The intention was to reduce friction, not create it.
Yet the practical outcome for a significant portion of the user base has been a noticeable drop in responsiveness. Users report that the editor now consumes far more system resources, with some stating that the new interface alone can monopolize most of their available RAM, making it impossible to run other programs alongside Canva without severe lag. The redesign also moved tools behind additional menus and clicks, so tasks that once took a single action now require several steps, further slowing down workflows.
The Revert Problem: There Is No Easy "Off" Switch
The most persistent frustration is the absence of a simple way to return to the previous interface. During the beta testing phase, a toggle existed in account settings that allowed users to switch the "Glow Up" features off. That option has since been removed, leaving users who preferred the older, more responsive layout with no direct path back.
Some reports indicate that reverting to the old UI may still be possible through account settings for certain users, particularly in response to widespread performance issues following major updates. However, this is not a guaranteed or officially documented permanent solution, and Canva's own help resources do not prominently feature a "revert" option for the Glow Up interface itself.
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Why the Editor Feels Slower
Canva's official troubleshooting guidance for lag and slow performance points to several common culprits: network connectivity, browser compatibility, and insufficient device resources. The recommended fixes include clearing the browser cache, updating to the latest browser version, closing background tabs and applications, and trying the desktop app instead of the browser version.
These steps can help, but they do not address the underlying issue that the new interface is inherently more resource-intensive. Reports describe the updated UI as "considerably heavier" at the system level, which can make it slower and more prone to glitches on devices that previously handled Canva without difficulty. For users on older hardware or machines with limited RAM, the Glow Up has effectively raised the minimum performance threshold for using the platform smoothly.
The Video Export Problem
Beyond the editor lag, users have flagged a separate but related issue: jumpy, poor-quality video exports. Canva's export quality is sensitive to several factors, including the resolution settings selected at the time of download. Exporting a video at a lower resolution or frame rate can result in the blurry, stuttering output that users are describing. To improve video quality, Canva recommends ensuring that design dimensions are not below 500x500 pixels, uploading high-quality source images at 300 DPI where possible, and selecting the appropriate file type and resolution settings during export.
For users on free or lower-tier plans, export quality may also be capped by account limitations, which can compound the frustration when the editing experience itself is already slower.
Practical Steps If You Are Struggling
If the Glow Up has made Canva difficult to use, several practical measures can help you stabilize your workflow while waiting for further updates.
1. Clear your browser cache and update your browser. Canva explicitly recommends clearing cached data and ensuring you are on the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge. Outdated browsers are a common source of performance degradation.
2. Close background applications. The new interface demands more memory. Shutting down unnecessary tabs and programs can free up the resources Canva needs to run more smoothly.
3. Try the desktop app. Canva offers dedicated desktop applications for Mac and Windows. Some users find the desktop version performs better than the browser version, and Canva suggests reinstalling the desktop app if performance issues persist.
4. Check your export settings manually. Before downloading a video, confirm that the resolution and quality settings are set to the highest available option for your plan. Do not rely on default settings, which may prioritize file size over visual quality.
5. Reduce design complexity. Large files with many pages, animations, or high-resolution assets strain the editor. Keeping designs lean—under ten pages or roughly 100 MB—can improve responsiveness.
6. Contact Canva support directly. If the performance drop is severe and persistent, reporting the issue through official channels adds pressure for a fix and may yield account-specific guidance.
What Users Are Asking For
The central request from the affected user base is straightforward: give users the choice. The beta period demonstrated that a toggle between the old and new interfaces is technically feasible. Restoring that option—or at minimum, providing a clear, documented setting to switch back—would allow users on older hardware or with established workflows to remain productive while Canva continues to refine the Glow Up experience.
Until then, the platform remains usable for many, but the experience is no longer the frictionless one that long-time users built their workflows around. For those who depend on Canva daily, the combination of slower editing, higher resource consumption, and uncertain export quality has turned a promised upgrade into an ongoing source of frustration.
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