The 5 Canva Updates That Will Actually Save You Time (and Sanity)

If you’ve opened Canva lately and thought, “Wow, there’s a lot happening here,” you’re not imagining things. Canva dropped more than 70 new features during the World Tour 2025, and the creative world has been buzzing ever since.

It’s exciting, but it can also feel a little overwhelming when you just want to know which tools actually help you work faster and create with confidence. So today, I’m sharing a few hidden gems that most people missed, some standout updates that can really simplify your workflow, and a few things to keep in mind as Canva continues to fine-tune its platform.

Let’s dive in and see what’s new.

 

Some of Canva’s best new features didn’t even make the keynote spotlight — but they’re the ones small business owners will love most.

Hidden Canva Gems That Deserve More Attention

Not every feature got the spotlight during the big keynote, but some of these smaller updates can make a big difference for everyday creators.

Gradient Text
You can now add gradients directly to your text. It’s a simple touch that instantly makes titles, headers, and quotes look more polished. Try it on social graphics or product promotions when you want something eye-catching without extra effort.

Pixel Eraser
This handy little tool lets you clean up small details or remove tiny bits of an image that you don’t want, without erasing the entire background. Think of it as your digital lint roller for photos and graphics.

Star Fonts
Canva quietly added new, playful typefaces that add sparkle to your designs. They’re great for seasonal posts, event graphics, or anything that needs a little extra fun.

Bulk Download Designs
If you create content in batches, this will save you tons of time. You can now select multiple designs from your Canva home screen and download them all at once, instead of exporting them one by one.

Bulk Create Videos
This one’s a time-saver for product sellers or content creators. You can use Canva Sheets to automatically turn spreadsheet data—like quotes, captions, or product names—into multiple short video clips.

Match Style / Copy Art Style
This tool lets you copy the look and feel of one design or element and apply it to another with a single click. It’s perfect for keeping your branding consistent without spending time matching colors or effects manually.

Each of these features may seem small, but together they create a smoother, more enjoyable experience that helps you design confidently.

I'll talk about more of these hidden gems soon.

 

From Video 2.0 to Ask Canva, these updates are designed to make creating content faster, smarter, and more collaborative.

Time-Savers That Simplify Your Workflow

Alongside the hidden gems, Canva introduced several major updates that are worth exploring. These tools are designed to make creating easier, but a few are still being refined—so here’s what I’ve noticed so far.

1. Canva Forms
Forms now live right inside Canva. You can collect workshop sign-ups, client information, or simple feedback without leaving your workspace. Every response connects to Canva Sheets automatically, keeping everything organized and easy to find.

2. Ask Canva
This new feature gives you instant design feedback inside your project. You can tag @Canva in the comments and ask things like, “Do these colors work well together?” or “How can I make this layout easier to read?” Canva reviews your design and suggests improvements. It’s like having a friendly design coach sitting right beside you—perfect for building confidence while you create.

3. Video 2.0
The new video editor includes a real timeline view and multiple layers, making short-form content easier than ever. You can add transitions, captions, and even voiceovers. It feels more professional while still staying simple to use.

One small note: this update also removed the Duration button that used to appear in all design files when adding animations or transitions. I’ve already reached out to Canva’s support team to see if it might return. It’s a small thing, but it can make a difference for anyone working on non-video designs.

4. Canva Emails
I love that you can now design and send branded emails directly inside Canva. The templates are beautiful, and they automatically pull in your fonts, colors, and logos. My only suggestion is to keep an eye on file size, since very large designs could affect deliverability. I’m still testing this feature and I’m hopeful Canva will continue optimizing it.

5. Brand Kit (Now Brand System)
Canva’s updated Brand Kit has a lot of promise. You can now import your brand colors from your website, upload multiple logos, and organize everything neatly by category. It’s a great foundation for staying consistent, and I’m still exploring how its new capabilities can help small business owners streamline their workflow.

 

Affinity joins the Canva family, giving creators access to pro-level design tools for vector, photo, and layout work, completely free.

The Affinity Suite: A Creative Powerhouse Now Free for Everyone

One of the biggest surprises from Canva’s announcements was that the entire Affinity Suite—Designer, Photo, and Publisher—is now completely free for everyone!

As someone who’s been an Adobe user for more than 30 years, this news honestly made my jaw hit the floor! Affinity has always been known for its professional-grade tools, offering many of the same features you’d find in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, but with a more affordable price tag. And now, under Canva’s umbrella, that price tag is gone entirely. There's no catch, it really is FREE. And if you are a Canva Pro user, you also have access to Canva AI right inside of Affinity.

While most of my audience probably won’t need to use Affinity’s advanced features, it’s still exciting to see Canva expanding into this creative space. It opens up new possibilities for designers who want to experiment or take their skills to the next level without the cost barrier.

If you’ve ever been curious about exploring a more advanced design program, Affinity is now a wonderful place to start, and the fact that it’s free makes it even better.

Moving Forward with Curiosity

Canva’s updates are exciting, and it’s clear they’re working hard to make the platform more powerful and user-friendly. Like any big update, a few tools are still being polished, but that’s part of what makes Canva fun... it’s always evolving, always adding something new to explore.

I’ll be testing and sharing more insights as I go, highlighting the features that make designing faster, easier, and more enjoyable for everyday creators.

Canva’s creativity is growing faster than ever, and I’ll be right here to help you make sense of it all—one feature, one tutorial, and maybe one cat nap at a time.🐾

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