How to Group & Ungroup Elements in Canva (PC & Mobile)

Grouping elements in Canva lets you move, resize, or edit multiple items as one unit, saving time and keeping your design tidy. This guide covers grouping and ungrouping on both the PC (web browser) and the mobile app (iOS/Android). You’ll need a Canva account (free or Pro) and a design with at least two elements (text boxes, images, shapes, etc.).

What You’ll Need

A Canva account (free or Pro)
A design open in Canva (on PC: any browser; on mobile: the Canva app)
At least two elements in your design that you want to group

Step-by-Step

On PC (Web Browser)

Open your design in Canva on your PC browser.
Click on the first element you want to group (e.g., a text box).
Hold down the Shift key on your keyboard.
While holding Shift, click on the other elements you want to include in the group. Each selected element will show a purple border.
Release the Shift key. Now, click the “Group” button that appears in the floating toolbar above the selected elements (it looks like overlapping squares). Alternatively, right-click on any selected element and choose “Group” from the menu, or press Ctrl+G (Windows) or Cmd+G (Mac) on your keyboard.
Your elements are now grouped. You can click and drag any part of the group to move them all together, or use the corner handles to resize them as one.
To ungroup: click on the grouped elements to select the group. Then, click the “Ungroup” button in the floating toolbar (it looks like overlapping squares with a line through them), or right-click and choose “Ungroup”, or press Ctrl+Shift+G (Windows) / Cmd+Shift+G (Mac).

On Mobile (Android & iOS)

Open your design in the Canva app on your phone or tablet.
Tap on the first element you want to group.
Tap and hold on that element until a small menu appears. Then, drag the element slightly (without releasing) to enter “selection mode.”
Now, tap on the other elements you want to group. Each selected element will have a purple border. You can also drag a selection box around multiple elements by tapping and dragging on an empty area of the canvas.
Once all desired elements are selected, tap the “Group” button in the bottom toolbar (it looks like overlapping squares).
Your elements are now grouped. Tap and drag the group to move it, or use the handles to resize.
To ungroup: tap on the grouped elements to select the group. Then, tap the “Ungroup” button in the bottom toolbar (overlapping squares with a line through them).

Common Mistakes

Forgetting to hold Shift on PC: If you click multiple elements without holding Shift, you’ll deselect the previous one. Always hold Shift (or Ctrl/Cmd on Mac) to add to the selection.
Not entering selection mode on mobile: On mobile, simply tapping multiple elements won’t select them all. You must first tap and hold one element, then drag it slightly to activate multi-select.
Grouping locked elements: If an element is locked (padlock icon), you can’t group it until you unlock it. Right-click (PC) or tap the lock icon (mobile) to unlock.
Accidentally grouping everything: If you drag a selection box on PC, make sure you don’t include elements you didn’t intend to group. Check the purple outlines before clicking “Group.”

Tips

Use keyboard shortcuts on PC: Ctrl+G (Cmd+G on Mac) to group and Ctrl+Shift+G (Cmd+Shift+G) to ungroup. This is the fastest way.
Group to keep alignment: If you’ve carefully aligned elements, grouping them prevents accidental misalignment when moving them around.
Group and then duplicate: Group an entire section (e.g., a logo and its text) and then duplicate it to quickly create consistent repeated elements.
Ungroup to edit individual parts: You can always ungroup, edit one element, and then regroup. This is much faster than trying to edit within a group.
Nested groups: You can group groups. This is useful for complex designs where you want to move a whole section but still be able to adjust sub-parts.

Troubleshooting

Group button is grayed out: This usually means you haven’t selected more than one element. Make sure you have at least two elements selected. On PC, check for purple outlines around each element.
Can’t select multiple elements on mobile: If tapping and holding doesn’t work, try zooming out a bit, then tap and hold on an empty area and drag a selection box around the elements. If that still fails, restart the app.
Grouped elements won’t move together: If you’re dragging the group and only one element moves, you might have accidentally deselected the group. Tap on the group once to select it (you’ll see a bounding box around all elements) before dragging.
Ungroup button not appearing: On PC, make sure you’ve clicked on the group (not just one element inside it) to select the whole group. On mobile, tap on the group once to select it, then look for the ungroup button in the toolbar.
Elements are locked: If you can’t select an element at all, it might be locked. Look for a padlock icon on the element (PC) or in the layer panel (mobile). Unlock it before trying to group.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I group elements on the Canva mobile app?

Yes, you can group elements on the Canva mobile app. Tap and hold one element, drag it slightly, then tap other elements to select them. Then tap the “Group” button in the toolbar.

What is the keyboard shortcut to group in Canva?

On PC, the shortcut is Ctrl+G (Windows) or Cmd+G (Mac). To ungroup, use Ctrl+Shift+G (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+G (Mac).

Can I group text with images?

Yes, you can group any combination of elements, including text boxes, images, shapes, lines, and even other groups.

Why can’t I group elements in Canva?

You need to have at least two elements selected. Make sure they are not locked, and that you’re using the correct selection method (Shift-click on PC, tap-and-hold on mobile). If the group button is grayed out, you likely have only one element selected.

Does grouping affect the quality of my design?

No, grouping is purely a organizational feature. It doesn’t change the appearance, resolution, or export quality of your elements.

Can I ungroup elements that I’ve already grouped?

Yes, you can ungroup at any time. Select the group, then click the “Ungroup” button or use the keyboard shortcut. The elements will return to being individual items.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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